Dear Editor
I am writing to you in regards to your recent headline in the March 26 edition of your paper: Edgemont Fire Caused by Roof Fixes. While certainly catchy and clever it caused me a great deal of concern when I arrived home to your paper on my doorstep. Our company, RooFix, regularly does a large amount of business on the North Shore and in Edgemont Village. But we were not associated in any way with this fire.
The potential for fire and fire damage with the installation of torchapplied roofing to is a huge liability to the roofing industry and the source of many insurance claims over the last number of years, and something our firm takes very seriously. There is readily available industry training through the Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia (rcabc.org/Risk-Management.html), including the national torch safety certification program, where workers are trained in the safe use of a torch and precautionary measures.
All of our workers are fully trained in the safe use of torch-applied products, and we have a strict documented procedure to follow when a torch has been used, including fire watches with infrared thermometers. However, the safest course of action is to use one of the multitude of cold-applied roofing repair products, and complete cold applied roofing systems in lieu of torch-applied products, that completely eliminate the risk of fire and we regularly specify for this sort of circumstance.
Sean Pepin
RooFix Services Inc.
