"SteveB" wrote in news:xn0frfhx54iqlz000@news- server.satx.rr.com:
I've done some roofing backwards up the roof when it's very hot. Still applying bottom to top but standing/squatting only above the new shingles. I've also taken a hose up to cool an area when I must stand on it. Pick up feet when turning. Not twisting on ball or heel of foot.
It sounds like your problem is one of unskilled and untrained volunteers working on a roof. Why not train some of your volunteers how to work on roofs without damaging them, and then only allow ones with such training onto the roof?
Sorry, but it's actually *not* that simple. Most volunteers work exactly one day before they go back to their job that has nothing to do with construction. The few people who come back are recruited for training, exactly as you recommend.
I remember the day that 20 CPAs from an accounting firm showed up. Most of them had never used a hammer before. By the end of the day, we had most of the siding and exterior trim up.
A large part of the volunteer experience is being able to go back and tell their friends, "I helped build a house (even though I don't know what I'm doing)."
Putting a strip of old carpet up there is the best suggestion so far.
Ban boots and street shoes from the roof. I find the ten-buck Wally World tennis shoes great for roof work. Brush the soles before you go up the ladder, walk gently, never step in valleys and on peaks, no problems. I'm rather surprised your insurance carrier lets you use raw volunteers for high work- the Habitat sites around here try really hard to reserve those jobs for current or retired tradesmen who have a clue.
I hear you about the training curve- but can you add 'tennis shoes' to the list of stuff you tell people to bring, like gloves, appropriate outdoor clothes, etc? And can you gently discourage the heavyweights from roof work? All else being equal, the heavier the boot print, the more damage to the shingles.
Hard for me to understand somebody taking more than 5 seconds to grasp the concepts involved, but I grew up in the business, so I'm not a good judge of that.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.