CAUGHT ON A ROOF IN A STORM

Ever got caught on the roof in a storm? Stayed on the roof just a little too long trying to secure your project? Tell us your wild weather tale! I just found a few photos someone took of some guys scrambling to secure the job and get down a single ladder. How dangerous these photos look. http://www.sullivanjournal.com/news/local_news/article_cfa0e3b6-e7e8-11e1-984e-0019bb30f31a.html

Been there and did that a few times. Once in a microburst that blew over several trees around me, and took off a 40 sq. steel roof just down the street. I was on the scaffold, straddling the SE lines and holding tarps, and storm shield in place with lightening all around, Crew and owner had disappeared. Luckily, all the water that got in was at one of the original leaks and a bucket was still in place.

Just one of many tales and adventures.

many years ago we were tearing off a church roof. About 60 square with rotten boards everywhere. A thunderstorm came out of nowhere (days before cell phones) we started throwing down felt when lighting struck a tree across the parking lot. I felt a hard jolt of electric. half my crew bolted for the trucks. Me and one other guy stayed and got it dried in. I was never so glad to be off a roof.

Many times. It was that quickie trip to verify a measurement, high building, didn't tie ladder, when approaching storm gust blew over my ladder.... after hours, 60 miles from home, with temps dropping fast. That was my worst wait on a roof.

Was I ever. As a final conclusion to a 1500 square important local federal building, we had to flood the roof w/ 2 inches of water, even though the surface had withstood several feet of snow. Although I had to be elsewhere, the foreman plugged the drains and the specs requirements were fulfilled. Unfortunately an all day rainfall poured more water onto the roof. The roof deck was gypsum, and had various thicknesses. I left instructions that the plugs be pulled and test be should be suspended for another day. I had no confirmation that this was done. At 1 am in the morning I went to the job site, and had to get the security people to allow me access into the building, which was denied. I finally wrote out a warning message, that I was on hand to save the building from collapse because of my doubts of the deck integrity of 30lbs/sq.ft. On receiving permission, I climbed on the roof, w/ lightening crackling all over. The water level was above my ankles at the 5 inch level. I ran all over the place pulling the plugs and trying to get the hell out of there. The inspector did approve this ultimate test, and no leaks appeared - Net result, I did sleep soundly for the remaining few hours.

Roofing in Fl we are constently caught roofing in bad weather. The thunder boomers are just the way it is here, we scatter to cover up and get off the roof, then an hour later we pull off the plastic and keep on trucking. Funny I never really thought about it a lot of the northern roofers not having to deal with that, but we dont have to worry with snow!! I think I will stick with my boomers.

I have been caught on roofs in the rain but that was never as bad as when I was caught on an old barrel roof during an earth quake.

Scared the crap out of us cause we didn't know which way to run :S