I helped a friend roof his house in December. The weather was cold but we got the new shingles on. A few days later there were high winds and 20 or so shingles ripped off the roof. I checked and found the self adhesive pads on the shingles were not sticking because it was too cold. I told him we needed to heat the roof to make them stick. We replaced the missing shingles, and I tried a hair dryer to heat them. That was too slow, and was not making them stick very good. I told him we needed a faster method, and suggested using gasoline, and told him it was safe as long as it was spread thin enough. I took two 5 gallon cans of gasoline and brushed it on the whole roof with a large broom. I got on the ladder so I could get off the roof fast, and I tossed a match and let it burn. I figured it would burn fast because of the gas being spread so thinly, and would go out in a few seconds, but would create enough heat to make the shingles stick. Instead the whole roof went up in flames and the house burned to the ground. My friend is blaming me for the fire, and has even said he is going to sue me, and called the police saying it was arson. It's not my fault, I already know what went wrong. Some of the gasoline ran into roof vents and right after I set it on fire the winds picked up. The winds blew the fire into the vents and ignited the gasoline that dripped in there, and that started the attic on fire. The weather is what caused the fire, not me. I do think that maybe I should have put duct tape on the vents, but I never thought the winds would pick up right after I started the fire. He's being a real jerk about it. This is the last time I help a friend. I shouldn't even call this guy a friend, because he's an asshole. But if he wants to lose a friend over a stupid house, that's his right. I already told him he needed a new house anyhow, and pointed out to him how old, crappy, and run down his house was. But he is just being a total ass, and so is his wife. I wont help him ever again with anything.
- posted
20 years ago