Roofing BC, Spring 2013

S PRI NG 2013 IN THIS ISSUE:

THE VOICE OF PROFESSIONAL ROOFING CONTRACTORS

Vol. 10, No. 1 • SPRING 2013

FEATURES: Profile: Homan Roofing .............1 New Soprema plant builds rooftop research site ................10 EPDM passes hail tests .......... 12 First of 3 hospitals complete. 14 Residential roofing from a homeowner’s perspective .......16 Underlayment alternatives......22 ASSOCIATION: President’s message .................. 3 RCABC makes history ............... 4 RICABC donates to RCABC .... 23 CRCA conference, AGM coming to Saskatoon .............. 23 INDUSTRY NEWS: Roofing expo attendance up ... 9 RoofPoint wins support.......... 19 Vancouver towers on rise........20 Library plans roof reno............21 RCI calls for abstracts ............. 21 Firestone welcomes new technical rep...............................21 BC workers mourned.............. 21 Roof failure talk scheduled.... 21 Soccer comes to rooftops....... 24 Roof collapse investigated..... 24 PG to get wood tower ............ 24 Pro-Line expands in Alberta.. 24 Building permits fall................ 25 Soprema to build in PQ...........25 Hefty safety fines levied......... 25 Housing starts to rise ............. 25 COLUMN Legal Affairs: Employment probationary periods .............. 26

Mike and Duane Homan: industry experience, commitment to quality work and outstanding service.

Photo by Richard Lam

Roof designed with research in mind

Committed to quality

Soprema tests its own products with innovative move. See page 10

Homan Roofing has built its success on traditional values of hard work, honesty, and respect for customers.

by Frank O’Brien

When it came time to roof the largest single-storey commercial building in British Columbia – 12 acres under one roof – it was little surprise that the call went to Langley-based Homan Roofing, an award-winning RCABC member that

has proven itself for more than 40 years.

Homan Roofing was started by John Homan and his father in 1972 as a custom home builder and became a roofing industry stalwart in the late 1980s. His sons, Mike and Duane, took over around seven

years ago, and both are committed to maintaining their father’s and grandfather’s original vision and simple ethic. “It has worked for decades: do a great job at a fair price and strong relationships will form and your business will grow,” Mike Homan explains.

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40014608 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:

Roofing Contractors Association of BC 9734 201 Street Langley, BC Canada V1M 3E8

Today, Homan Roofing operates primarily in the commercial sector.

The team typically roofs institutional structures such as schools and hospitals, government buildings, big box warehouses, multi-tenant units, and high-density housing projects.

HOMAN continued page 6

More than meets the eye Surprises await residential roofers See page 16

From the President

The promise of great things to come Although it seems late, spring has finally arrived. In fact I was talking to a friend in Ontario who was frustrated with winter outstaying its welcome. He complained that they had just had their latest snowfall on April 20th. I told him that Mother Nature was confused by the fact the Toronto Maple Leafs were still playing hockey.

All joking aside, spring is upon us. The blossoms are out and flowers are emerging from their winter slumber.

As with the changing seasons, the BC roofing industry is also undergoing adjustments. The competitive roofing market is slowly improving. Our businesses are adjusting to the transition back to the GST and our province is preparing for another election. All these elements place a degree of uncertainty on where the BC roofing market is heading.

Despite these uncertainties, based on what we are seeing at the RCABC, things are looking good for the BC roofing industry. The fee structure for the RoofStar guarantee program has been modified, resulting in a more user friendly structure and lower rates for the 10 year guarantee.

Paralleling spring’s late arrival,

ROOFING BC

Roofing BC is published quarterly on behalf of the Roofing Contractors Association of BC and the professional roofing industry by Market Assist Communications Inc.

Roofing BC online at: www.rcabc.org Managing Editor and Publisher J. Michael Siddall Phone: 604-740-8369 E-mail: Michael@RoofingBC.ca Editor Frank O’Brien E-mail: Frank@RoofingBC.ca

Like the different seasons, the we are beginning to see a rise in RCABC is comprised of four distinct RGC RoofStar guarantee regions; Vancouver Island, the assignments. The delay in the rise North, the Interior and the Lower in assignments could be attributed Mainland. Our organization has to the transition back to the GST. realized the importance of Based on the spike in assignments galvanizing the different regions. in early April this could very well This year, in order to be the case. Hopefully help achieve this goal, this trend will continue the RCABC has moved as we move into the reaway from the annual roofing season. regional events and Our technical opted for a Super department has seen a Summer Event that will large rise in inquiries be held June 20 and for support. These 21. The RCABC sees requests seem to be this as a unique geared towards opportunity to bring projects at the early together members design stages. The fact Bruce Taylor from all regions of the that people are province to build a better contacting the RCABC technical awareness of the diversity of our department at the design stage, as association. opposed to looking to solve The Super Summer Event 2013 situational problems with roofing will include a Hawaiian themed systems, is proof that our outreach boat cruise up the Indian Arm, the to spec writers, architects and Lower Mainland Golf Tournament at engineers is paying off.

SPRING 2013

Northview Golf & Country Club and a closing buffet dinner at Northview. For the non-golfers activities such as whale watching, kayaking or a Fort Langley wine tour and live cooking class will be offered.

So as we wait for the RCABC summer fest to be upon us we have roofing work and the NHL playoffs to keep us busy and occupied. For the first time in years there are four Canadian teams in the playoffs.

Who knows, maybe Lord Stanley’s cup will return to Canada where it rightfully belongs.

In closing, speaking for the Board of Directors I wish to thank all the RCABC staff for their hard work and dedication. It is only the effort and commitment of our staff and the RCABC membership at large that enables the advancement of this truly unique organization.

Bruce Taylor, President, Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia ■

Production/Art Director and Advertising Associate Paddy Tennant Phone: 604-507-2162 E-mail: Paddy@RoofingBC.ca Contributing Writers Bruce Taylor Paddy Tennant Circulation Barbara Porth Phone: 604-882-9734 E-mail: bporth@rcabc.org While information contained in this publication has been compiled from sources deemed to be reliable, neither the publisher nor the RCABC will be held liable for errors or omissions.

The opinions expressed in the editorial and advertisements are not necessarily those of the publisher or RCABC.

Executive Vice President Ivan van Spronsen, TQ ivan@rcabc.org Administrative Services Manager Barbara Porth, CAE bporth@rcabc.org Technical Manager Rob Harris, RRO rharris@rcabc.org Safety & Risk Management Supervisor Roger Sové, I.P., PID, Ad.Ed. roger@rcabc.org

3

RCABC training makes industry history

Plywood replacement is an important part of steep roofing: Clifford Aaron Mackenzie re-decks one of the mockup roofs

Dane Ogilvie with Clifford Aaron Mackenzie, named the Residential Steep Roofing ‘Top Apprentice’

by Paddy Tennant

The RCABC marked another industry milestone with its first Residential Steep Roofing course earlier this year. Believed to be the only one of its kind in North America, the six-week program welcomed 13 registrants from around the province.

The course outline was developed by members of the Construction Industry Training Organization (CITO) Governance Committee, the RCABC and the Industry Training Authority (ITA).

The ITA works with employers, employees, industry, labour, training providers and government to issue credentials, manage apprenticeships, set program standards, and increase opportunities in the trades in BC. CITO is the Industry Training Organization responsible for the Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) sector of the construction industry.

After lengthy discussions between the three groups, the course development started in earnest in January 2012.

The first Residential Steep Roofer class ran from January 28 through March 8, at the RCABC’s training facility in Langley.

The course focused solely on the steep slope aspects of the roofing trade. Topics included all areas of steep roof safety, asphalt shingles, cedar shake and shingle, concrete and composite tiles, standing seam metal roofing, blueprinting and estimating, steep roofing hoisting systems, rigging, repairs and maintenance, and EPDM built-in gutters.

The apprentices also took a fall protection course, Health Canada's Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), level 1 first aid, and the Construction Safety Training System (CSTS) computer based course.

The class was seen by many as a practical alternative to the regular Roof, Damp and Waterproofing (RDW) apprenticeship course, which runs for 12 weeks spread over three years. According to RCABC’s Education and Training Manager 4

Instructor Dane Ogilvie, far right, with the first Residential Steep Roofing apprentices

Shirley Caldwell, many students cited cost factors and EI challenges as roadblocks to entering the RDW program.

Upon completion of the class, the participants were invited to give their opinions on everything from course content to delivery. Their feedback will be invaluable to the training staff as they make the first adjustments to the curriculum and exams.

A number of the apprentices commented that the safety component of the course had been very valuable. Caldwell hopes that eventually WorkSafeBC will legislate that the course is a requirement for anyone working in steep slope roofing.

Instructor Dane Ogilvie received top marks from the students, who were favourably impressed by his attitude, patience and extensive knowledge of the trade. Ogilvie, who left school and started roofing at 16 years of age, holds an InterProvincial Red Seal ticket as well as the new Residential Steep Roofing Certificate of Qualification.

Ogilvie acknowledges the teamwork that went into

developing the course outline and subsequent materials. “The ITA, CITO and RCABC put together the course outline, which we then expanded into the Guide to Residential Steep Roofing, which was used as the textbook for the course. After coming from 17 years in the field, assembling a textbook proved to be quite a task, but with help from management and staff members at RCABC we got the job done.”

Making the transition from roofer to instructor is not without its challenges, especially with the added stress of being away from his wife Kristy, and daughters Abi (10) and Lexi (7) for extended periods. “I stayed in Abbotsford with friends while I was at RCABC, going home every second weekend or so, which was hard on the family life,” he says, “but my family, being very supportive, helped me through the change into the world of instructing.”

The apprentices weren’t the only ones getting an education. “The first course proved to be a learning curve for me as well”, Ogilvie admits, “but with a lot of feedback SPRING 2013

from my students I feel I will be able to tailor every course to the experience level of the class at hand.”

“This class was predominantly made up of workers with a lot of experience in the trade, so was a good group for a first class,” noted Caldwell.

“With the first class, most participants had between four and eight years of experience in roofing,” says Ogilvie, adding “As the course continues I would expect that level to drop slowly every year.”

Caldwell expressed overall satisfaction with the outcome of the first class. “All the participants passed the practical and theory parts of the course”, she says “and out of the 12 students who wrote the Certificate of Qualification exam, only three failed.” They can rewrite the exam through ITA to get their certificate, she added.

The course graduates will receive a Certificate of Apprenticeship and a Residential Steep Roofing Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) from ITA after completing the required 2400 hours on-the-job

experience. The C of Q will make it easier to find and keep steady work in the roofing industry.

As for Ogilvie, he is currently working on Vancouver Island, and planning his future around the Steep Roofing position. “For the first few years I will be a part-time instructor while completing my Provincial Instructing Diploma (PID) and working,” he says. “During that time I have the task of moving my wife and daughters over to Langley from Courtenay and settling them in for my exciting new career!”

The next class will run from February 3 to March 14, 2014. A few seats are still available, but as Caldwell points out, participants must be registered as apprentices with the ITA in order to take the course.

Those interested in sponsoring or becoming a Residential Steep Roofing apprentice can register through the RCABC Educational Foundation. E-mail Cindy Grantham at registrar@rcabc.org or call Shirley or Cindy at 604-882-9734.

Additional information is available at www.rcabc.org in the Education section. ■ ROOFING BC

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Above: Homan Roofing roofed the 504,000square foot Kruger Paper warehouse in New Westminster – the largest single-storey building in BC – with Carlisle EPDM.

Profile HOMAN cont’d from page 1

12 acre roof In 2011, Homan Roofing roofed the largest single-storey building in British Columbia. The new 12-acre Kruger Paper Products warehouse covers more than half a million square feet. The massive structure is located in Queensborough and was developed by the Burnabybased Beedie Group. Homan roofed the warehouse with Carlisle EPDM roof membrane with gravel ballast, all installed to RCABC guarantee standards.

After winning the bid, the company had to contend with multiple challenges posed by the scale of the operation and worksite.

“It was a large site, so there was a lot going on,” Mike explains.

Trucks loaded down with materials were constantly coming in and out.

There was an army of construction personnel with which to contend.

“Just having everything timed perfectly was the biggest challenge.”

Organization was crucial to the success of the operation and Homan commends the Beedie Group for running a well-ordered site. “They are a great company to work for, so we try to bid more aggressively on their jobs,” he adds.

He also gives credit to his own company’s “excellent people” and careful planning. “It went really 6

Walmart Chilliwack BC; Carlisle Sure-Weld TPO installed to RCABC standards

Photos by Sheree Vanoene

well; the customer was very happy.”

The Beedie Group was so impressed with the work on it its largest ever project that it issued this rare ringing endorsement when the job was complete: “Whether a small or large roofing job, our contractor of choice is Homan.

Homan has the skilled people to deliver good quality products on time and they do stand behind their work. The timely service and exceptional value is what separates Homan from the rest. Trust, care and good judgment is why Homan ranks higher in our list of preferred contractors.”

A further mark of the standing that Homan has earned in the roofing industry: Soprema, one of the main manufacturers of torch-on roofing membranes, hired Homan as the roofing contractor for its plant expansion in Chilliwack.

Soprema writes: “We were closely involved with Homan throughout the install and found them to be very flexible to our needs and were very competent in their install techniques. We were in constant contact with their foreman for the coordination of the roof install and he was very open to our changes and implemented them to the RCABC standards. This project is part of a research project and as such we had various instrumentation installed at various

levels in the roof assembly, which involved coordination with a third party. Homan did a great job in working with the third party to ensure that the instrumentation was properly placed. Overall, we were very happy with the roofing work completed by Homan Roofing at our Sopraboard Expansion Project.”

Service, service, service The Homan team does install roof systems on custom homes occasionally, but “we don’t ever chase residential work,” Mike Homan said. Typically, residential jobs come at the request of general contractors who are so impressed with the team’s commercial work that they want the company to roof their homes as well, he explained.

Homan Roofing has a dedicated service department that excels in leak detection and repair. They offer roof evaluations and inspections as well as full roof maintenance. Homan’s metal roofing and wall cladding divisions install many types of exterior finishes including cement board and various metal panels.

Homan says that it is the team’s underlying Christian principles that ultimately set the company apart.

“We strive to be trustworthy and put value in being honest. The team’s value system is clearly reflected in its overriding business strategy of providing high quality SPRING 2013

ROOFING BC

The new BMW/Mini outlet in Langley was roofed by Homan with Soprema two ply SBS, and a Detec leak detection system. It is also covered by a 5-year RoofStar guarantee.

ROOFING BC

Maple Leaf Self Storage, Vancouver; Carlisle EPDM, multicolour ballast and wall cladding installed to RCABC standards

SPRING 2013

7

work and excellent customer service at a reasonable price.”

Homan ensures the quality of his company’s work through hands-on management.

“I go on site myself.” Mike explains. “I try to visit as many sites as possible to maintain quality control and satisfaction… to make sure that once we leave, everything is in order and to our standards.”

Homan Roofing is also committed to providing outstanding customer service. Mike believes that this is particularly important when doing repair work. “I know that when somebody has a leak in their building it can be disheartening and hard to deal with. We really want to make sure that we come in there and we find the problem and repair it. [We want the customer to] feel like they have been treated well and received the service they deserve and paid for.”

Award-winning Homan Roofing’s commitment to service and quality has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Carlisle 2010, 2011 and 2012 Top Five Percent North America Awards. Homan was hand picked from hundreds of single-ply companies across America and Canada; in fact Homan was the only company in western Canada to

receive this award. Homan is also a member of the prestigious “Excellence in Singe Ply” group for almost 15 years, and was the largest installer of Carlisle products in BC for 2012.

The company has done over 1200 roofs and installed over 23 million square feet of material, notes Mike.

The Homan Roofing team also believes in treating its employees well. This support often extends beyond the workplace. The company recognizes that employees have responsibilities outside of their jobs, particularly when it comes to family.

“It is really important to keep their families content and secure,” Mike said. “We are very family oriented.”

Focusing on family comes naturally for Mike and Duane Homan – each of the men is the proud father of five children. “Sometimes having over 100 employees and five kids is really busy,” Mike understates. “Our wives are very supportive and understanding.”

RCABC professional The company’s reputation is such that all of their business comes from word-of-mouth referrals, Mike Homan said.

“We haven’t really had any marketing strategies. Yet we’ve always been busy,” he says. “A lot of

Cedarbrook Chateau Mission; Carlisle EPDM ballasted and IKO shingles, installed to RCABC standards

people have a sense of uncertainty when they have a roofing company, or any construction company for that matter, perform work for them.

Being a long-term member of RCABC we have a major advantage as this takes the uncertainty away.

They know that they have trained professionals working on their projects.” Homan regularly sends their employees for training in many

of the courses that RCABC has to offer.

“Customers know their roofs are covered with RCABC approved quality products installed by RCABCtrained professionals and backed by the best in the business RoofStar Guarantee,” he explained. It has proved a huge advantage in today’s tougher economy.

“It’s pretty competitive out there

right now,” explains Homan. “There is not as much work to go around.”

Homan Roofing, however, has managed to ride out the global financial crisis unscathed. “We haven’t been affected by that at all.”

Homan cites RCABC membership, proactive management and wise financial planning as the secrets behind the company’s continued success. ■

Inset: among many school projects by Homan Roofing, White Rock Elementary’s standing seam metal roof carries a 5-year RoofStar guarantee Below: Ocean Fisheries, Richmond BC; Carlisle Sure-Weld TPO fully adhered system installed to RCABC standards

8

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ROOFING BC

Roofing Expo drew 8,400 delegates SAN ANTONIO, TX – Total attendance at the 2013 International Roofing Expo (IRE) in San Antonio, Texas from February 5-7 increased by 1.3 percent to 8,491 compared with the 2012 IRE in Orlando, Florida – and Canadian roofers were among the attendees.

“There was a noticeable energy on the show floor among the attendees and exhibitors,” says IRE Group Director Lindsay Roberts. The IRE featured 987 booths and 410 exhibiting companies; 72 were firsttime exhibitors. It also included 44 educational sessions with 3,995 sessions sold.

“Our members were very pleased with all aspects of the show, as well as the NRCA Annual Convention that took place in conjunction with the IRE,” says NRCA Executive Vice President Bill Good.

Attendees represented all 50 states. The largest number of international attendees came from Canada, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Germany, Japan and Mexico.

The 2014 IRE and NRCA’s 127th Annual Convention will be held February 24-28 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. ■

The 2013 International Roofing Expo saw attendance increase from a year earlier. Photo: International Roofing Expo

EXCLUSIVE BONDING TECHNOLOGY The adhesive is already incorporated into the membrane and activated by the heat of the laminating process Laminated in the controlled environment of the factory Total adhesion (100%) of the membrane to the support panel Support panels tested according to CSA A123.21-10 Standard No addition of adhesive in the lamination process Elimination of delamination and wrinkling risks

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Since 1908, SOPREMA has specialized in the manufacture of waterproofing products for the construction and civil engineering fields.

ROOFING BC

SPRING 2013

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Soprema builds on success New roof doubles as research site

by Paddy Tennant

Soprema has increased its western Canadian presence with a new cover board manufacturing facility, built adjacent to its original plant in Chilliwack, BC. The project took a year and a half to complete, from pre-loading beginning in September 2011 to its opening in February 2013.

“It was a $7.5M investment in total, including the building and machinery,” says plant director Paul Boileau, “with 27,000 square feet inside for indoor warehousing and the new production line, plus 90,000 square feet for the paved outside storage area.”

The architects were CHP Architects of Chilliwack; the general contractor was Teck Construction of Langley, and the roofing contractor was Homan Roofing, also of Langley.

The roof, inspected by Wells Klein, now carries a 5-year RoofStar guarantee. Blair Bennett, Soprema’s BC Regional Manager, describes the assembly as a “conventional roof” consisting of steel deck, Sopravap’r vapour barrier, insulation assemblies adhered with Duotack in two layers, Sopraboard, Sopraply 520 base and three separate cap sheets in different areas: Soprastar HD GR; Sopraply Traffic Cap 560 Grey; and Sopraply Traffic Cap 560 Black.

Researching roof materials The new roof is actually serving another purpose – that of test site for Soprema’s own materials.

“We took this opportunity to use the roof on the new plant as a research platform to answer some questions that the roofing industry has been asking for years,” said Bennett. “We partnered with Roxul and RDH Building Engineering to conduct a study looking into the performance of different roof assemblies.

“We constructed three separate roof areas, 4,800 square feet each: • Roof type 1 – one layer of 2.0" polyisocyanurate insulation and a top layer of 1.5" polyisocyanurate with a Sopraboard; • Roof type 2 – a base layer of 2.0" polyisocyanurate insulation with a top layer of 2.5" Soprarock DD Plus; and • Roof type 3 – a base layer of 2.5" and a top layer of 3.25" Soprarock DD Plus.

“All roof areas were adhered with Duotack, and all of the roof assemblies have an average R-value of 21”, he notes.

Bennett says SMT Research fully instrumented the assemblies with sensors that will collect data on temperature, heat flux, relative humidity, performance of reflective cap sheets in comparison to 10

Above: Homan Roofing crew adhering the first layer of Roxul DD Plus to Sopravap’r with Duotack using a multi-bead applicator cart. Below: adhering the second layer of Roxul DD plus to the first layer.

Each zone has sensors built in at every different layer, from the underside of the deck to the underside of the membrane. The sensors are all linked to a central computer for monitoring. Photos: Soprema

standard cap sheets in a semi-rigid protection temperate climate zone board composed of a and movement within the mineral fortified asphaltic assemblies from nine core formed between two separate data points. saturated fiberglass “We will have our first sheets. full year of data in Boileau says September 2013,” he Sopraboard is designed says, “and we anticipate to be used as a substrate a published paper for the material in flat or lowfirst quarter of 2014. slope roofing. “It can be “We look forward to installed over wood, rigid research papers on our insulation or as a recover findings being presented sheet over an existing at major industry events roof surface, which is to throughout North be re-roofed.”

America,” he added.

“Sopraboard is Soprema and SMT compatible with modified Grand Opening: Charles Bindschedler (son of owner Pierre-Etienne Bindschedler), Joelle Bindschedler (Charles’ mother in from have an agreement for a bitumen and B.U.R. Strasbourg, France) and Paul Boileau (Director of Operations, Soprema Chilliwack) stand before plaque dedicating “Charlie’s Line”. two year study, says roofing systems. Modified Charles completed three months of training at the Chilliwack facility and had the new production line named in his honour.

Bennett. “We have an bitumen roofing systems option to continue with can be torched, for Soprema’s customers? Bennett lead times and to reduce shipping the study longer since the sensors mechanically fastened or adhered points to “a BC made product with costs by replacing Quebec-made can have a service life of five years with hot asphalt or cold adhesive better inventory response times and product with cover boards made in or more.” directly to the board surface. It may no delay in shipments to our western Canada.”

Serving customers closer to home Western Canadian customers.” also be used with self-adhesive The new facility is dedicated to What does the new plant mean membranes,” he adds.

Boileau concurs, citing “improved the production of Sopraboard, a SPRING 2013

ROOFING BC

The finished roof, showing all three colours of cap sheet

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WHY THESEE ROOF FLASHINGS? FLA SHINGLE ROOFF RE RETROFIT TROFIT FLASHING FLASHING (SHR) Grand Opening: Employees of Soprema Chilliwack pose with Charles Bindschedler and Soprema Project Engineer Guillaume Dufort (front, kneeling)

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Paul Boileau addresses the crowd of 160 assembled at the Grand Opening ceremony of Charlie’s Line on Wednesday, April 10th. Five Chilliwack City Councillors, MLA Gwen O’Mahony, the BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and the French Consul-General were in attendance, along with many customers, contractors, suppliers and service providers.

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The expansion has resulted in employment for six people so far, with a further 20 long term positions anticipated.

Soprema is an international manufacturer specializing in development and production of waterproofing products for the building and civil engineering sectors. Founded in 1908, it has its headquarters in Strasbourg, France and operates in 80 countries. â– ROOFING BC

Meets CSA B272-93 and UPC PS64-98

1.800.665.8840 sales@menzies-metal.com sales@menzies-metal.com www.menzies-metal.com www.menzies-metal.com SPRING 2013

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Ice spheres as big as three inches were used to test EPDM material.

EPDM? Hail, yes Even aging EPDM stands up to hailstones, study shows

By Dermot Mack Photos: Jim D. Koontz & Associates Inc.

Even aging, non-reinforced EPDM offers “excellent resistance” to large “ice spheres” over a variety of roofing substrates, says a study conducted by U.S.-based Jim D. Koontz and Associates Inc. for the EPDM Roofing Association.

Of the 81 60 mil, non-reinforced

The ‘hail gun’ fired hailstones into the EPDM test sample at the Koontz Associates lab to simulate a hard hail storm.

EPDM ‘targets’ installed over were sprayed with water at 4˚C to polyiso, wood fiber, plywood and replicate cold rain.

OSB, 76 EPDM roof assemblies The tests were conducted on retained their waterproofing samples of 60-mil membrane, integrity when impacted by hail up provided by manufacturers Carlisle to three inches in diameter, the SynTec and Firestone Building study showed.

Products.

Of note to BC contractors, The field-aged Tested the test targets were samples were material included collected from six sprayed with water at 4˚C new, heat aged states and ranged and field aged to replicate cold rain. in age from five EPDM. Field to 20 years. aged EPDM was comprised of The study used a “hail gun” to EPDM roofing material that was fire hailstones up to three inches in removed from existing structures in diameter, at four-foot by four-foot the field with years of actual EPDM targets that were fully weather exposure. adhered to their substrates. Of note In the tests, only one of the to BC contractors, the test targets ‘new’ test targets was damaged by

three-inch hailstones. None of the aged targets failed the same test.

“In the course of this testing, we attempted to determine in a lab setting how an EPDM roof would withstand some degree of hail impact over a significant portion of its expected service life,” said Scott Long, EPDM Product Manager for Carlisle SynTec Incorporated. “We believe that this test confirms EPDM’s strong performance in hail testing.”

For mechanically attached systems, the researchers ensured that the EPDM assemblies were impacted both in the field of the roof and directly over the mechanical fasteners and plates.

Koontz found that damage did occur over the fasteners and plates with a combination of either oneand-a-half inch or two-inch ice spheres for both new, heat aged and field aged EPDM. Koontz defined failure in this test as a “visible split or cut in the surface of the EPDM” membrane.

Even though the mechanically attached membranes did not “fail” the test due to impacts on the fasteners and plates, damage did occur to key elements of the roofing system.

For this reason, contractors and specifiers looking to maximize hail resistance may want to consider a fully adhered EPDM roof system

NEVER NEVER UNDERESTIMATE UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE IMPORTANCE OOFF A CCOMPREHENSIVE OMPREHENSIVE RROOF OOF GGUARANTEE UARANTEE

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RRAINDROP AINDROP TTOO GO GO WHERE WHERE IT IT DOESN’T DOESN’T BBELONG ELONG

All roof ing guarantees are not created equal. Case in point: a non-prorated RoofStar Guarantee by RGC is good for f ive- or ten-years and completely covers all labour and materials. RoofStar is also the only one that includes a comprehensive inspec tion schedule overseen by independent, third-par ty inspec tors who monitor the installation process and follow-up inspec tions at pre-determined inter vals. All of which is comfor ting. Because the only thing more determined than a raindrop is our commitment to make sure none of them ever go where they don’t belong.

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SPRING 2013

ROOFING BC

The EPDM test targets were soaked in cold water to simulate cold weather, like on this asphalt strip.

that eliminates fasteners and plates entirely.

Attaching the insulation or cover board with a urethane adhesive instead of mechanical fasteners would also take fastener damage out of the equation.

Hail storms are most common in mountainous areas of British Columbia, such as the Kootenays, and can cause significant damage.

Jim D. Koontz & Associates, Inc. provides laboratory testing of all types of roofing materials. Testing is performed in accordance with ASTM and other federal and industry standards.

“In addition to conducting this test, we have extensive experience

ROOFING BC

examining numerous rooftops using the EPDM membrane that were impacted by severe hail, up to softball size,” Koontz said. “In those cases, the non-reinforced EPDM over polyisocyanurate did not fail, and the test results we conducted validated that performance.”

To obtain a copy of the full report on Koontz’s research, visit the EPDM Roofing Association website at www.epdmroofs.org or email the ERA at info@epdmroofs.org. ■ Right: a selection of photos from EPDM hail ball impact research showing damage and indentations to EPDM or substrate material under EPDM test decks.

SPRING 2013

13

Crews from Flynn Canada’s Kelowna office – who mostly stayed in Fort St. John during the 12-month contract – lay down Soprema SBS on the hospital and residential care facility. Photos: Flynn Canada

First of three Fort St. John hospital is complete, with two more ready to go in northern BC

By Frank O’Brien

The $308 million Fort St. John Hospital and Residential Care project was completed last summer, but two other hospital projects are just beginning in northern British Columbia.

Roofing contracts have yet to be signed for the $55 million Lakes District Hospital and Health Centre at Burns Lakes and the $50 million Queen Charlotte/Haida Gwaii Hospital replacement project in the town of Queen Charlotte on the Queen Charlotte Islands.

“We will be looking to bid on the Burns Lake hospital,” said Kirtis Bergen of Flynn Canada Ltd. in Kelowna, which handled the entire roofing contract for the Fort St. John Hospital complex that required just over 1,600 squares of SBS modified bitumen, supplied by Soprema.

The Fort St. John Hospital and Residential Care project was constructed on a 40acre parcel of land

14

donated by the City of Fort St. John.

It includes a new 150,000 square foot acute care hospital and, directly adjacent, a new 75,000 square foot Residential Care Building.

The project is a public private partnership (PPP) between Northern Health and private partner ISL Health, who designed and built and will finance and maintain the new facility for a fixed term of 30 years.

The roofs of both buildings at Fort St. John were covered in SBS with the silver star finish, but Bergen noted that a metal roof was originally planned for at least part of the complex. Due to some design changes and insurance purposes, it was decided to go totally with SBS, he said.

“They decided to go with one warranty to make it clean and clear,” Bergen said. The project is covered under the RCABC’s RoofStar warranty.

Haida Gwaii The contract for site preparation work for the Queen Charlotte/Haida Gwaii Hospital Replacement project has been awarded to Naikoon Contracting Limited. Naikoon was scheduled to begin the site preparation work on April 1, 2013, and finish this summer.

North Vancouver-based Naikoon is also constructing the new Masset airport terminal building.

“I am very pleased and look forward to seeing activity beginning on the site of the new Queen Charlotte/Haida Gwaii Hospital,” said Carol Kulesha, Village of Queen Charlotte mayor and North West Regional Hospital District vice-chair. “This is another important step forward to complete the project in 2015.”

Site preparation work will include protection for the existing hospital and health centre, setting up site accesses for construction crews, and preparing the site for the new facility. The temporary health clinic renovation project is proceeding as a separate component.

“Completing site preparation work will ensure the design-build team selected to deliver the project will be able to get to work on-site shortly after the contract is awarded this summer,” said Shelia GordonPayne, Northern Health northwest health service administrator.

As site preparation is in progress, the competitive selection process continues to choose the successful design-build team for the hospital project. The request for proposals was issued to the three shortlisted teams in December 2012 and the selection of a preferred proponent and contract award is anticipated late spring 2013. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed in fall 2015. The total

SPRING 2013

Northern Health staff celebrates the news that the $50 million new Queen Charlotte/ Haida Gwaii Hospital replacement project will go ahead. Photo: BC Government

capital cost of the project is estimated at $50 million.

Burns Lake PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. and design partner CEI Architecture have won the design/build contract for the Lakes District Hospital and Health Centre at Burns Lake, which is now under construction.

The hospital is scheduled to complete by fall 2015, and is expected to generate approximately 200 direct jobs during the construction period. The new hospital and health centre will house 16 beds, provide acute-care and emergency services, diagnostic imaging, a laboratory and pharmacy.

“With the short construction season in the Lakes District region,

ROOFING BC

The $55 million Lake District Hospital and Health Centre at Burns Lake will be complete by 2015. PCL is the general contractor. Photo: BC Government

it is important to maximize the time available for PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. to work on the project,” said Michael McMillan, Northern Health’s chief operating officer.

Selecting the partners in this project before the start of spring meant they were able “to get shovels in the ground once it thawed,” he said.

The new building will be energy efficient, built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification standards and optimize the use of wood consistent with the Wood First Act. The total value of the replacement hospital is estimated to be up to $55 million, and will be refined once all contracts have been awarded. Funding is cost-shared by the province and Stuart Nechako Regional Hospital District. ■

ROOFING BC

It took more than 1,600 squares of 2-ply SBS to cover the new Fort St. John Hospital and Residential Care project.

SPRING 2013

15

The Roofmart crane truck team preparing to offload materials

Hitting close to home Residential roofing from a novice consumer’s perspective

by Paddy Tennant

March 1 had been much like any other Friday, except that it had capped a week of one problem after another. The full moon a few nights before was being blamed for a series of trials that, although inconvenient, were insignificant in comparison to what I faced coming into the house that night – it was raining in my kitchen.

The first image that came to mind was the RCABC’s RoofStar ad that mentions ‘the stubborn determination of a single raindrop to go where it doesn’t belong’ – a concept that was now being illustrated with alarming accuracy.

I optimistically speculated that the problem might be easily managed – perhaps simply a damaged roof vent which would be a quick fix.

That hope was dashed when my husband took a flashlight up on the roof – against my better judgement on a wet and windy night – to report that the asphalt tiles in the suspect area “had lost their granules and were all soft and mushy”.

A look inside the attic revealed a ship-lap deck with 16

only a small amount of plywood territory. My only over the addition. comforts were a good When I bought this house a working relationship dozen years ago, I was aware that with the RCABC and parts of it were very old, and many the confidence that any renovations had been done by the of their members home owners rather than by would be reliable. qualified tradesmen. The time had Rob and Ivan gave clearly come to replace the roof, and me the names of three I was not prepared. I put down local members who do containers to catch the drops that residential work. Ivan had dampened both the kitchen and correctly predicted that I my spirits, then emailed would get Rob Harris and Ivan van different “The devil’s Spronsen at the RCABC. approaches and reports in the details” Never having hired a from each of the three, contractor of any kind, I didn’t know and Rob agreed to walk me through what to expect – the length of time their estimates so I could make an involved; the protocols; what I educated decision. would have to do as a The first company out was Totem homeowner – this would all be new Roofing. Les Roberts, Supervisor of

Before: the union of valleys over an aluminum sunroom SPRING 2013

Operations, arrived in the morning of March 6 with clipboard and graph paper in hand.

He described the process involved in manufacturing asphalt tiles, and explained why, in the last 20 years, the products from some manufacturers had performed poorly. That was my first lesson – understanding the ‘nature of the beast’. Les spent approximately an hour on the roof, taking numerous photos and careful measurements, including the pitch of each field. As it turned out, he was actually creating an accurate plan drawing of the entire roof

while he was up there.

“The devil’s in the details,” he said with a grin, explaining that he didn’t want to have to rely on memory with any aspect of the project. This attention to detail was both impressive and reassuring.

Next up was Graham Wilford of Harvard Industries – an engaging, gregarious man who exuded confidence. Graham’s time on the roof was comparatively brief, but he demonstrated strong powers of observation and quickly spotted the location of a hidden drainage pipe.

He then took the time to educate me about colour choices for the replacement tiles, and recommended new 6-inch gutters to replace the existing 4-inch ones.

Graham added that he would be

After re-roofing: ready for new gutters and a lifetime of service ROOFING BC

The chimney before re-roofing: flashings deteriorated and rusty

happy to refer me to a trusted installer.

Last but not least was Erik Blundell of Hunter Roofing. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Erik, but welcomed his phone call to discuss a few details before he submitted a quote.

Not surprisingly, all three estimates were very similar in their price ranges, and each of the proposals named familiar brands manufactured by RCABC Associate Members like IKO, GAF, Firestone and Menzies.

It was interesting to see how each of the three firms presented their proposals; the amount of detail, descriptions of the products and procedures; even the projected costs were itemized differently.

True to his word, Rob Harris gave me a generous amount of time, going over the unfamiliar terminology and explaining the rationale behind the various

procedures outlined in the estimates.

My final decision was to go with Totem. The proposal from owner Jeff Reddeman was very thorough, well thought out, and detailed beyond my expectations.

Jeff had also sent me the photos taken by Les, and referred to them by number to clearly describe each part of the roof and the required accessories. His quote presented an outline of the project at its most basic, followed by recommended add-ons and possible repairs that were estimated separately. It clearly identified the unknown factors that could only be determined once the roof deck was exposed and the attic examined.

It would be two weeks before Totem could start the work, so Les came over to secure a tarp over the suspect parts of the leaky roof. I felt well taken care of before the work even began.

After re-roofing: new exhaust vents, stem vent for duct work and custom-made chimney skirt

...out with the old...

...in with the new... attic chutes...

...and properly installed ducts!

The month of March had presented its share of challenges, but I was feeling confident – the roofers had been hired, I understood what was ahead, and everything was under control (or so I thought). As we would discover, my roof was anything but straightforward.

12), the Roofmart crane truck delivered the materials, including IKO’s Cambridge AR (Algae Resistant) asphalt tiles, GAF DeckArmor underlayment, Firestone 45 mil EPDM and Duraflo vents.

On Monday morning the Totem crew arrived shortly before 8:00 to begin the tear-off. After that, very little went according to plan.

The first glitch came mid-

morning, when a BC Hydro team showed up unexpectedly to work on some nearby power lines. They told us that the electricity would be shut off shortly, and would stay off for about three hours. Les and my husband scrambled to get our generator out of the shed. Totem’s crew was without electricity for most of an hour by the time they got it running.

Expect the unexpected Right on schedule (Friday April

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SPRING 2013

17

The next hiccup was the discovery that the original ship-lap roof deck had been covered with OSB. That meant the plywood that had been shipped for this purpose would not be needed after all, so would have to be returned to Roofmart. The presence of this unexpected layer of deck also precluded the option of accessing the attic through the roof. The interior attic opening was in an awkward location, so we had been relieved when Les had first said he could check the attic vents by going through a roof opening. Cutting through two layers of deck would have been impractical, so access from the inside was the only viable alternative.

Les then decided to install Menzies fully soldered metal gooseneck vents instead of the plastic ones noted in the estimate. While the crew continued the process of removing old asphalt tiles, he made a run to Roofmart for the higherquality replacement vents.

The tear-off of old tiles went at an impressive rate – in very short order they were removed, and the underlayment was being applied.

But mid-afternoon, shortly after the electricity was restored, the rains came, putting an end to work for the day.

On Tuesday the crew was back

New inside and out: intake vents, plumbing stack flashings and exhaust vents

early, in hopes of finishing the job under sunny skies and with no interruption to the power. The new tiles went on quickly but as it turned out, the men used more three-tab shingles than anticipated on the low slope areas, which meant Les had to make another run to Roofmart.

The first anomaly was discovered when Les investigated the small sloped roof over the front porch. Its drainage system had been hidden by debris, disguising the homemade set-up that had been rigged by the previous owners. Now that it

was exposed, he found that the opening to the drain didn’t match any standard fittings. The EPDM specified for the area would have to be applied down into the drain opening to act as a funnel.

He couldn’t replace the drain assembly without taking apart the pillar through which the drain pipe ran, so opted for a stripping ply of EPDM folded into the drain opening, and then applied a fully adhered EPDM gutter system completed with custom-made cap flashing.

Later, after filling me in on the

6 things customers should expect from a professional roofing contractor It’s always good practice to leave customers happy and ready to refer friends and neighbours to you – word of mouth can be your most powerful sales tool.

There are a few basics that every customer should expect from an RCABC contractor member: 1. A clear, understandable quote with any variables itemized, followed by an equally clear contract and subsequent invoice; 2. Respect the customer’s property and security as you would your own – close gates behind you; refrain from smoking; clean up as you go along and when you’re done.

3. Safety is paramount for everyone on the property.

– Estimators, workers, roofers and suppliers must be in compliance with WorkSafeBC regulations – including PPE

and fall protection systems – no exceptions; – Ensure that ladders are correctly anchored, set up on stable flat surfaces, and that all ladder safety rules are followed; – Advise the customers that debris will be falling or thrown off the roof, and to take precautions when outside the building.

4. Everyone’s time is valuable. If you can’t make it, or are going to be late, phone.

5. Keep the customers informed at all times. Never assume that the homeowners know what to expect.

– What should they do before work begins – create access space for delivery vehicles or waste removal bins? remove obstacles from the building perimeter? have an arborist

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Front porch roof; above, drainage obscured; below, clean and functional

cut back tree branches?; – Tell them in advance about any changes to the original plan, and explain why these are necessary – this is especially important when unforeseen factors will affect the project completion date or the amount of the estimate.

6. Be willing to educate. People appreciate having an understanding of what’s happening and why.

– The extra few minutes required to explain unfamiliar principles is an investment in good customer relations. It acknowledges their innate intelligence and shows that you care about your work.

– Ensure they are well equipped to make informed decisions when necessary. ■

ADVERTISE IN ROOFING BC! 604-507-2162 Paddy@RoofingBC.ca SPRING 2013

importance of good ventilation, Les ventured into the attic to check that the venting ducts were correctly installed – a requirement of the IKO warranty.

What he discovered was as much dismaying as it was puzzling. The dryer duct was completely rusted out and not even connected to the roof vent opening. The stove fan had never been installed properly – for years it had apparently been venting into the attic instead of out through the roof.

He also found that the insulation was packed in to capacity, with no allowance for ventilation, and there were no soffit vents – only lath and plaster where the vents should have been. The vinyl soffit covers must have been installed only to give the outward appearance of correct venting.

These venting issues would normally have resulted in a myriad of moisture problems. Instead, the attic was inexplicably dry with no signs of mould. Les said it was a mystery – he had never seen the likes of it, and “couldn’t figure out why the attic looked so good.” I was just grateful for one less challenge, until I realized it meant more unexpected work for Les. Dry or not, the attic needed to be ventilated properly. While the roofing crew completed the application of the asphalt tiles, Les headed off once again for supplies.

The next day he installed attic

ventilation chutes and formed metal ducts to connect the dryer hose and stove fan exhaust to the appropriate roof vents.

By that time he had dedicated several hours of unplanned work to the attic and roof vents, not to mention the extra supplies that had not been built into the estimate. To his credit, he maintained good humour throughout it all, and patiently answered all my questions.

Other customers were waiting for him, so he took care of the most pressing matters and left the remaining details to the following week.

Les and a colleague spent the next Monday installing the final components: air intake vents, custom-made chimney flashings and the cap flashings on the front porch roof.

In all, the Totem crews installed five intake vents, five exhaust vents, two gooseneck vents, and 62 bundles (20.3 squares) of shingles.

Jeff also recommended new gutters referred me to an installer.

The completed roof provides much-needed peace of mind as well as a new-found pride in my home.

From my perspective, the whole experience has been positive, educational and enlightening. We are grateful to Les and Jeff for their expertise and attention to customer service – both ensuring our satisfaction with a job well done. ■ ROOFING BC

Firestone products used on a new Lowe’s store in Toronto captured a Global Leadership Award from RoofPoint. The building features Firestone’s Platinum PV Program, helping to transform the rooftop into a solar power system. Photos: Firestone Building Products

RoofPoint wins support More than 200 projects show sustainable roofing program is gaining converts

By Frank O’Brien

Officially launched just last year, the RoofPoint program – think a LEED program for roofing– has now registered 200 roofing projects across North America, according to the U.S.-based Center for Environmental Roofing.

A Canadian project by Firestone Building Products has captured the first RoofPoint Global Leadership Award of Excellence from the Center.

RoofPoint is a voluntary green rating system to provide a means for roofing contractors, building owners and designers to select roof systems based on long-term energy and environmental benefits. “Reaching 200 registered projects is a testament to the importance of the roof in sustainable construction.

I firmly believe support for the program will continue to grow,� said Craig Silvertooth, a RoofPoint spokesman.

RoofPoint evaluates roof systems in five categories: energy management, materials management, water management, durability/life cycle management, and innovation.

Dr. Jim Hoff, director of research

for the Center, explains that RoofPoint serves four functions: • It’s a guideline for the selection of roofing systems that maximizes energy efficiency and minimizes environmental impact; • It’s a checklist to evaluate the many ways roofing systems provide economic and environmental benefits; • It’s an assessment system to compare alternative sustainable roofing strategies; and • It’s a recognition program to reward environmental innovation in roofing.

Firestone award Firestone Building Products Company, LLC, a leading manufacturer and supplier of roofing products, was awarded the 2012 RoofPoint Excellence in Design Award in two categories: Global Leadership and Advancing Sustainable Roofing.

The Global Leadership Award is for a project that has demonstrated the best application of RoofPoint beyond the borders of the United States. Firestone took the award for the roof on the new Lowes store in Toronto.

The building features 80 mil Firestone UltraPly TPO Platinum membrane and V-Force vapour barrier membrane. UltraPly TPO walkway pads were added to help

reduce wear caused by rooftop foot traffic and the weight of solar self-ballasted panels. The building features the Platinum PV Program, helping to transform the rooftop into a solar power system and allowing the facility to capitalize on the environmental and financial benefits of renewable energy.

According to Firestone, the building has an exceptional R-Value of 32.5, with two layers of ISO 95+ polyiso insulation, and a top layer of adhered Isogard HD Cover Board to minimize heat loss and resist extreme weather conditions. â–

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Roofing looks up, way up

VANCOUVER – The City of Vancouver is entering a new wave of office construction, the biggest in more than two decades, as developers plan 20 new office towers in the city in the next few years.

Many of the buildings, such as 735 Thurlow Street, will feature some form of green roofing, architects note.

The downtown Vancouver office vacancy is around 3.4 percent and the vacancy in the city’s top towers has dropped to 1.1 percent, according to recent surveys.

The Blue Chip Building Index, prepared

by Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL), tracked a score of premier Vancouver office towers this year: it found that eight are 100 percent leased and the remainder are close to full.

Gavin Reynolds, JLL’s senior vicepresident in Vancouver, said Vancouver’s top office buildings have the second lowest vacancy rate in Canada. He said the market was prime for the LEED standard buildings now being planned.

Maury Dubuque, Colliers International senior vice-president of office leasing, agreed.

“We track eight Class AAA buildings in Vancouver, and they will be, on average, 24 years old when the new downtown buildings hit the market,” he said. “The old design of perimeter offices and support staff in the interior without access to natural light – those days are all long gone.”

There were office building booms in Vancouver during the 1980s and 1990s, and Dubuque said the city is embarking on another one right now.

However, some insiders have wondered if all of the 20 new office buildings will proceed, noting that some of the new buildings have yet to attract anchor tenants. ■

BC Investment Management Corp. will include a green roof atop its 23-storey office tower at 745 Thurlow Street, Vancouver.

Inset: Green plantings are evident on the roof plans for the 30-storey Credit Suisse office tower, under construction in the 800 block of West Pender Street, Vancouver.

Photos: Building Owners and Managers Association/BC

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Firestone welcomes new technical rep Firestone Building Products Canada is pleased to announce that Chris Dees has accepted the new position of Field Technical Representative for Western Canada, replacing Peter Cox who retired on December 31, 2012.

Chris will be responsible for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Chris has been involved in the roofing industry for over 12 years.

In 2006, Chris successfully completed the RCABC’s Apprenticeship Roofing Program, and went on to work for RCABC members Flynn Canada (Langley, Abbotsford and Kelowna) and Raven Roofing, based in Surrey. He has worked as a journeyman roofer, a lead hand and a foreman, installing different roofing systems throughout British Columbia, including green roofs.

Chris will be working from his home office in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, where he lives with his wife Suzette, who works in the field of Special Education, and their five children. He can be reached at 604-787-2019 or DeesChris@firestonebp.ca ■ The green roof atop the Vancouver Public Library is undergoing renovation to make it accessible to the public. Photo: City of Vancouver

Library’s green roof to be renovated VANCOUVER – The green roof atop the Vancouver Public Library in downtown Vancouver, one of the first large-scale green roofs in BC, is set for a renovation that will make about half the roof open for public access.

Original architect Moshe Safdie and landscape architect Cornelia Oberlander will work on the transformation of the eighth and ninth floors.

The project will include two outdoor terraces and an outdoor garden, according to Library staff.

The 28,000-square-foot roof is planted with fescue grass and was installed during construction of the library in 1995. It is expected that the roof renovations will complete by 2015. ■

RCI calls for abstracts RCI Inc. has issued a call for abstracts for its 29th International Convention and Trade Show to be held at the Hilton Anaheim Hotel & Anaheim Convention Center, March 20-25, 2014. RCI calls it “the premier event for roofing, waterproofing, and exterior wall consultants and related professionals”.

RCI invites abstracts for presentation in such areas as materials performance, forensic investigation, research, business management, case studies or environmental effects. Parties interested in presenting a paper detailing original research or innovative technology, an exploration of professional concepts or issues, or an instructive session on issues affecting the construction industry, can contact contact RCI at (800) 828-1902 or email rci@rci-online.org for a copy of the Abstract Submittal Form and RCI Guidelines for Presentations, with complete directions on formatting.

Abstracts (200 words) may be sent to Karen McElroy, Director of Conventions & Meetings, at kmcelroy@rci-online.org or mailed to RCI at 1500 Sunday Drive, Suite 204, Raleigh, NC 27607. Submissions are due by May 24, 2013 for peer review. Authors of accepted abstracts will be notified by July 8. If accepted, papers are due by September 6. ■

WorkSafeBC hosts Roof failure Day of Mourning subject of talk WorkSafeBC reports that last year, 149 workers in British Columbia died as a result of a workplace injury or illness. On Friday April 26 and Sunday, April 28, workers, employers, families, and others gathered at Day of Mourning ceremonies around BC to pay tribute to workers injured or killed on the job.

WorkSafeBC hosted a memorial event on April 26 at at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver. Guest speakers included George Morfitt, WorkSafeBC Chair; Jim Sinclair, BC Federation of Labour; Greg D’Avignon, Business Council of British Columbia; Nick Perry, injured young worker; and Lynn Rozenboom, wife of fatally injured worker Dirk Rozenboom.

“One workplace death is one too many. The Day of Mourning is an opportunity to reflect on these lost lives and seriously injured workers whose lives are forever changed. Today we recommit to ensuring workplaces across BC are safe and healthy,” said Al Johnson, vicepresident, Prevention Services, WorkSafeBC. ■

The BC Building Envelope Council has announced that its luncheon seminar for May will include a presentation entitled “Anatomy of a Roof Failure”, or “Things Ain’t Always What They Seem to Be”. The talk will be given by John Wells, RRO, of Wells Klein Consulting Group Inc. Wells served as Technical Manager of RCABC from 1985 to 1992. He is now a Registered Roof Observer accredited by RCI and is an RCABC accepted independent roofing inspector.

Wells’ presentation is based on the premature failure of a new single ply roof system on a high end high rise building that was less than six months old.

The luncheon seminar will be held on Wednesday, May 22, from 12:00 noon to 1:30pm at Harbour Towers, 345 Quebec Street in Victoria.

To register online, visit http://bcbec.com. For more information e-mail the BC Building Envelope Council at admin@bcbec.com or phone 604-294-0037. ■

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SPRING 2013

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Alternatives to felt underlay

Some types of asphalt felt underlayments can wrinkle and buckle if allowed to become wet before roof covering installation.

Also, asphalt felts cannot tolerate long-term exposure and generally should be covered as soon as possible after installation.

Synthetic sheet underlayments are produced with polyolefin-based resins, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, recycled rubber and/or similar components that do not fit into the organic or inorganic felt underlayment classifications.

Synthetic underlayments generally are characterized as being lightweight and having high-tensile strength, long-term ultraviolet resistance, low or no moisture absorption, and low shrinkage and wrinkling. Thickness, tensile strength and abrasion resistance for synthetic sheet underlayments vary.

Some synthetic sheet underlayments have a relatively low permeance rating – lower than those for organic and inorganic asphalt felt underlayments – and therefore may function as vapour retarders.

Synthetic sheets become a competing product for steep-slope roofs Courtesy: Jason P. Wilen

Synthetic products may be poised to take a run at asphalt-saturated and asphalt-impregnated felt underlayments, the most common steep-slope roof underlayments.

Asphalt types of underlayments are appealing because of their ease of installation, ability to perform intended functions and relatively low cost, notes Jason P Wilen, technical director of the U.S.-based National Roofing Contractors Association, in a recent article in Professional Roofing magazine.

A steep-slope roof system underlayment performs several functions, such as: • Weather protection for a limited time until a roof covering is installed; • A secondary weatherproofing barrier if moisture infiltrates the roof covering; and • Offering separation between a roof covering and substrate.

Manufacturers often tout new synthetic and composite products as being stronger, lighter or better weathering alternatives. The following will examine current requirements for underlayments used with steep-slope roof systems.

Asphalt-saturated and asphaltimpregnated felt, commonly called “asphalt felt” or “felt paper,” use an

RCABC accepted underlayments This excerpt from the RCABC Roofing Practices Manual outlines the accepted materials for use under asphalt shingles:

3.15.0 General Eave protection is used to protect the eave and valley areas of steep sloped roofs from ice dam damage.

An ice dam usually forms when the interior heat of the building warms the snow on the roof, causing it to melt and run down to the eaves.

Normally, the eaves are overhanging the building and not heated from the inside. This allows the water to freeze and form an ice dam. As the ice dam grows bigger, it forms a barrier, which prevents water from draining. The water backs up behind the dam and gradually forces its way under the shingles (or shakes, tiles, etc.), through the roof deck, and into the structure. The results can range from minor staining to severe water damage to the structural members.

Eave protection is designed to prevent the water from reaching the deck and leaking into the structure. Recently a number of companies have developed selfadhesive, rubberized asphalt composite sheet materials. Properly 22

Some types of asphalt felt can wrinkle and buckle if allowed to become wet.

Titanium underlays from Vancouver-based InterWrap are among the challengers to traditional asphalt-saturated felt. Photo: InterWrap

organic reinforcing mat, inorganic reinforcing mat or combination organic mat reinforced with formulated and installed, these sheets have the potential to provide a longer life and better performance. Only Self-Adhered materials qualify as eave protection membranes for the RoofStar Guarantee Program.

Underlayment is used in the field areas (where eave protection is not required) of the roof to provide a secondary protection beneath the shingles during weather events that force water back up the slope underneath the shingles. Nail applied materials qualify only as underlayment on roof slopes of more than 1:3 (4/12)

3.15.1 Accepted Materials 3.15.1.1 GAF • Shingle-Mate Fiberglass Reinforced Organic Felt – Nail Applied • Stormguard Fiberglass Reinforced Organic Felt – Nail Applied • Weather Watch Fiberglass Reinforced Organic Felt – Nail Applied • Deck Armor Polypropylene Synthetic – Nail Applied 3.15.1.2 HENRY COMPANY CANADA • Blueskin PE 200 HT SBS Modified Bituminous

inorganic fiber. Underlayments are reinforced with mats designed to support the asphalt. Reinforcing

mats of different thicknesses are used to produce underlayments of different weights.

Self-Adhered Membrane • Blueskin RF 100 SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Blueskin RF 200 SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Eaveguard SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Perma-Seal PG SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane 3.15.1.3 SOPREMA INC. • Lastoflex SBS Modified Bituminous Membrane – Nailed Applied • Lastobond 195 SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Lastobond 240 SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Lastobond Shield HT SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Lastobond Shield SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Sopraseal Stick 1100 SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane 3.15.1.4 IKO INDUSTRIES LTD. • Armourgard Ice & Water Protector SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane

• Roofgard SB Underlayment Spun Bonded Polypropylene Synthetic – Nail Applied • SBS Deck Base 44 SBS Modified Bituminous Membrane – Nail Applied • Roofgard Cool Grey SBS Modified Bituminous Membrane – Nail Applied 3.15.1.5 BUILDING PRODUCTS OF CANADA CORP. • Gripgard SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Progard SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • S-Gard SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane 3.15.1.6 MALARKEY ROOFING CO • Arctic Seal Ice & Water Guard SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Malarkey #501 UDL Base SBS Modified Bituminous Membrane Nail Applied 3.15.1.7 CERTAINTEED CORPORATION • WinterGuard Sand SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • WinterGuard HT (High Tack, High Temp.)

SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane

SPRING 2013

Drew Gagnier, marketing manager at Vancouver-based InterWrap Inc. notes that its synthetic underlay material, Titanium UDL25Plus and UDL30, now offer warranties of 30 years and 40 years respectively. The warranty is void, however, if the underlay is left uncovered for more than 180 days before the roof is installed. ■ • WinterGuard Granular SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane 3.15.1.8 INTERWRAP INC. • Titanium UDL 25 Plus, UDL 30 and UDL 50 Polypropylene Synthetic – Nail Applied • Titanium PSU 30 SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane 3.15.1.9 GRACE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS • Grace Ice & Water Shield SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Grace Ice & Water Shield HT SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Grace Ultra SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Grace Tri-Flex Polyolefin Synthetic – Nail Applied • Grace Tri-Flex XTreme Polyolefin Synthetic – Nail Applied 3.15.1.10 PROTECTO WRAP • Jiffy Seal Ice and Water Guard HT; SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane • Jiffy Seal Butyl Ice and Water Guard HT; SBS Modified Bituminous Self-Adhered Membrane ROOFING BC

RICABC donates to roofing education The Roofing Inspectors & Consultants Association of BC (RICABC) has made its fifth annual donation towards training roofers in BC, with a recent gift of $1500 to REF, the RCABC-affiliated Roofing Educational Foundation.

The Foundation is extremely grateful for the support shown by RICABC, and will be allocating the proceeds towards various educational initiatives at the Roofing Institute in Langley, home to REF. RICABC was founded in 1987, with membership

limited specifically to roofing inspectors and consultants. It currently has 14 members, all of whom are also RCABC Accepted Inspectors. The association has no affiliation with RCI (formerly Roof Consultants Institute).

RICABC meetings are held two or three times per year, generally the night before the RCABC’s Technical Committee meetings.

For information or membership inquiries fax RICABC at 250-595-4032. â–

CRCA conference will roll into Saskatoon OTTAWA – The Canadian Roofing Contractors Association will hold its annual general meeting and conference June 1-3 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan featuring a non-stop whirl of business sessions, speakers and social events.

To be held at the Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, the conference will welcome delegates with a ‘Taste of Saskatchewan’ reception featuring half a dozen stations of the finest local foods and backed by entertainers including a native hoop dancer.

The first business session sees CRCA Technical Director Peter Kalinger updating the technical issues that all roofers need to know.

Special sessions include tips on balancing work and families, with an emphasis on lifestyle skills.

The keynote luncheon speaker is

Keynote speaker is TSN broadcaster and former Rough Rider, Glen Suitor. Photo: TSN

former Saskatchewan Rough Rider and current TSN broadcaster Glen Suitor, who will be followed by the CRCA annual award presentations.

There will be plenty of opportunities for networking and just plain fun. A golf tournament will be held at the Willows Golf and Country Club, while non-duffers can join in a riverboat cruise. A tour of the giant Synchrotron and a local brewery are also pencilled in.

Evening entertainment ranges from top-flight dance bands to comedians and a pub crawl. The President’s Gala Evening caps off with dinner and dancing to Kenny Shields and Streetheart.

There are preferred membership room rates at the Sheraton Cavalier, but attendees are advised to book early by phoning 1-800-235-3535 and requesting the Saskatchewan Roofing Contractors Association block rate.

For details and registration, see www.roofingcanada.com. â–

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90-foot wooden tower being built in downtown Prince George, largest in North America.

Photo: Government of BC

Wooden tower to rise in Prince George

Soccer field installed on Tokyo department store is one of several around the world. Photo: Wikimedia

Soccer pitches claim rooftops NASHVILLE, TN – Soccer pitches are beginning to appear on rooftops from Asia to the United States and the United Kingdom with schools and inner-city high-rise roofs being converted into sports fields.

In Nashville, Tennessee, the Montgomery Bell Academy, a private school, erected a soccer field on the roof of a new parking garage.

Conventional fill material would put too much axial load on the parking structure, so architects opted for 2,460 sheets of 6" x 4' x

8' Type EPS 20 Geofoam to lighten the load and allow for the soccer field to be built. The soccer field consists of an EPS Geofoam base, drainage and cushioning layer and a synthetic field turf. The project required 39,000 cubic feet of FoamControl EPS Geofoam from U.S.based ACH Foam Technologies.

As well, the artificial turf covering the complex helps collect rainwater into a 10,000-gallon cistern in the parking garage. The water is used to irrigate landscaping around the school buildings. More than

470,000 gallons of rainwater will be captured annually, architects believe.

In New York City’s Harlem neighbourhood, the Manchester City football club installed a $1.2 million dollar Astro-turf soccer field on the roof of an elementary school.

Meanwhile, the Tokyu department store in Tokyo installed an all-weather soccer pitch on its roof in the heart of one of the most crowded cities on Earth. Rooftop soccer fields are also being spotted in Shanghai, China and London, England. ■

Salt, shoddy work fingered in Ontario roof collapse ELLIOT LAKE, ON – Salt, leaks and shoddy construction could have all played a role in the roof collapse of the near-30-year old Algo Centre Mall in Elliot Lake, Ontario that killed two people and injured more than 20.

Doug Harman with Coreslab Structures, the company that supplied the roof decking years ago, admitted that salts are damaging to concrete but argued that waterproofing the material was

strictly out of his firm’s hands.

Harman made the statement in March during the public inquiry into last June’s collapse of the mall’s rooftop garage. He said waterproofing was up to the project architect or engineering team.

Coreslab made the precast hollow concrete slabs used on the building three decades ago.

Investigators believe water and salt penetration rusted out a critical weld on the underlying support

structure, causing the roof to fall.

The structural engineer who oversaw the original building said it was the worst construction work he has seen in his career — yet he still gave the project his seal of approval.

The engineer said he saw evidence of shoddy workmanship from the time the mall was built in 1978 and noted the mall was built using crooked columns and rusted steel beams. ■

PRINCE GEORGE – PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. (PCL) has been selected to design and build the Wood Innovation and Design Centre (WIDC) in downtown Prince George, a 90-foot tower that will be built from wood.

According to the BC government, it “launches British Columbia into the race to build the world’s first wood skyscraper.”

The six-storey structure will be the tallest contemporary wood building in North America, and will rival the tallest examples anywhere in the world.

The winning proposal was selected by an evaluation team comprised of leading experts in wood building design and construction, environment, engineering and other technical areas.

The WIDC will be built on a site selected and donated by the City of Prince George. Construction is expected to start this spring and finish by fall of 2014.

Programming provided in the WIDC will advance the province’s Wood First agenda and bring together professionals such as builders, architects, designers and engineers to advance the commercialization of value-added wood building and design products. The WIDC will house wood-related research facilities and classes as well as office space for industry and provincial use.

The government also reaffirmed its commitment to the establishment of a Tall Wood Building Construction committee at the WIDC – it will be working to establish an endowment of $2.25 million to support research in development, marketing and commercialization of innovative wood products. ■

Pro-Line grows in Alberta Pro-Line Construction Materials, based in Surrey, BC, has announced its seventh location, at 14445 Yellowhead Trail in Edmonton Alberta. Company co-owner Don MacAulay notes that the Calgary branch has been “extremely busy”, and that their Alberta customers had requested the additional outlet.

The new location will be overseen by Operations Manager Eric Schilling, who had been running the company’s Maple Ridge (BC) branch. Pro-Line also has stores in Chilliwack, Penticton and Kelowna, BC. ■

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Permits down moderately in Lower Mainland VANCOUVER – Total building permits in the Lower Mainland region were down 2 percent in February compared to a year earlier and off 4 percent from January, according to the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) and Statistics Canada.

“We saw a drop in permits in the region in February in line with seasonal trends,” said Jan Robinson, interim president of the VRCA. “However the rebound in commercial permits worked to offset the drop in total permit values.”

Total permit values in February

2013 slipped to $504.1 million compared to a revised $525.6 million in January 2013.

Non-residential permits climbed 21 percent from $132.1 million in January to $159.7 million in February. Commercial permits jumped 89 percent to $110.9 million from $58.7 million, while institutional-government permits dropped 41 percent to $31.1 million, and industrial permits fell 15 percent to $17.6 million in February 2013.

Residential permit values declined 12 percent to $344.4 million from $393.5 million during the same period.

“The outlook for regional commercial and industrial investment is modestly favourable,” says Robinson. “Some improvement in market conditions is likely since the regional economy and population base will continue to grow.”

Total building permit values were down to $504.1 million in February 2013 from $516.2 million in February 2012.

VRCA’s outlook for 2013 is modestly positive, but not without some risks. The residential sector, for instance, will likely continue to decline since housing sales and prices are easing, Robinson suggests. ■

Soprema to build new polyiso plant Soprema has announced the construction of a new polyisocyanurate manufacturing facility in Drummondville, Québec.

According to CEO Pierre-Étienne Bindschedler, the polyiso facility will feature the latest in manufacturing technology, housed in a newlyconstructed 250,000 square foot building.

The $43 million project (32.7M in property assets) will be carried out over the next two years, with the plant scheduled to begin operations in 2015. It will create 56 direct jobs and generate more than 100 others within the local transportation industry, the company projects.

Polyisocyanurate is a highperformance insulation product (closed-cell hydrophobic foam) with

multiple applications including roof insulation. Currently manufactured in Europe, the company believes it has a promising future in North America as it rounds out Soprema’s line of roofing sealants.

The market for polyiso is expanding in North America, particularly in Canada, where building standards are increasingly more stringent. Polyisocyanurate is one of the leading products on the market in terms of meeting the insulation requirements of commercial buildings, the company says.

Through this major project, Soprema believes it will become the only company in Canada able to offer its clients a complete solution to their roof sealant needs, thereby

consolidating its leadership position in the field.

“We chose Québec for this investment because of its many strengths, the vitality of our North American headquarters in Drummondville, and the generous support of governments,” said Bindschedler.

The Québec government is providing a $7.5 million loan and a non-refundable $1 million contribution through Investissement Québec for the project.

“Soprema fully intends to continue its growth in North America over the coming years, and this is a major part of that development strategy,” said Soprema’s North America VP and General Manager, Richard Voyer. ■

BC expected to see 29,100 housing starts this year.

Photo: Maisonette Homes

BC housing starts will increase VICTORIA – Housing starts in Metro Vancouver were tracking at an annual pace of 16,875 units in March, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and are forecast to reach 19,3000 starts this year. This would be down slightly from the 19,100 homes that started in 2012.

British Columbia’s overall housing starts are expected to rise from 28,500 in 2012 to 29,100 this year.

CMHC expects that most of the home starts will come in the form of multiple-family homes such as townhouses and apartment buildings.

“Home builders are expected to maintain a steady level of residential construction, particularly multiple-family projects, in response to stable economic conditions and favourable construction costs,” said CMHC senior market analyst Robyn Adamache.

CMHC forecasts that conditions in Vancouver’s resale market should return to “balanced territory” this year as resales pick up.

CMHC analysts predict that sales of existing homes, at 28,500 in 2012, will rise to 30,000 this year. Townhouses and condo buildings are also expected to gain market share over bungalows “based on their relative price.”

The average Multiple Listing Service (MLS) price is pegged at $730,000 in 2013 – down from $733,000 a year earlier – for the Greater Vancouver area, which includes the Tri-Cities, Burnaby, Richmond, Maple Ridge, South Delta, Squamish and the Sunshine Coast. A similar trend is expected for Fraser Valley real estate.

On a national basis, housing starts are expected to reach 190,300 homes this year, following a level of 214,827 units in 2012. In 2014, housing starts are expected to be around 194,100 units, CMHC forecasts. ■

WorkSafeBC levies $2.9M in penalties RICHMOND – In 2012, WorkSafeBC imposed 260 penalties, totaling $2.9 million against employers for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and the Workers Compensation Act. In recent years WorkSafeBC has increased its enforcement capacity, directing a more intensive focus to the industries that present the highest risk to workers and to employers where compliance is known to be an issue — such as steep slope roofing and asbestos abatement.

“Penalties are imposed to motivate employers to comply with health and safety laws,” says Al Johnson, Vice President Prevention Services. “While WorkSafeBC works with employers to ensure they understand their legal responsibilities to provide safe and healthy workplaces, our officers will impose a penalty or pursue court processes against employers who repeatedly fail to comply with the law.”

According to WorkSafeBC, employers from the construction sector accounted for almost 85 percent of penalties. Most of these penalties were related to inadequate use of fall protection (59 percent) and exposing workers to asbestos (14 percent).

WorkSafeBC statistics show a total of 104,710 claims for 2012: 45,145 short-term disability, 7,893 long-term disability, 51,523 health care only, and 149 fatalities.

Workplace injury and illness resulted in 2,889,324 lost days of work for the year. Almost 2,800 claims are reported each week.

The maximum penalty amount permissible under the Workers Compensation Act is adjusted yearly — in 2012 it was $596,435.35. ■ ROOFING BC

SPRING 2013

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LEGAL AFFAIRS

somewhat hazy standard, the parties should then go a step further and set out the primary criteria by which the employee will be measured. These might include, for instance; attitude; compatibility with co-workers and clients; ability Employers must be to follow directions; demonstrated progress in acquiring the necessary certain employee skills of the job; good attendance; fits the job overall efficiency and output;

by Robert Smithson adherence to company policies; etc.

I sometimes refer to the probation Third, the length of the probation period as the Rodney Dangerfield of period should be clearly stated. The employment law (for those of you period is sometimes defined in not old enough to terms of time “...there simply is no know, that means it worked rather than gets no respect). But substitute for viewing just the passage of an individual on the calendar time few legal job in real work mechanisms can be (because time on the situations.” more effective in job is what’s getting employers required to assess out of employment relationships the individual’s suitability for which seemingly have no future. continued employment).

I’ve written previously that the I prefer to define the probation probation period can be viewed as period using the words found in the one long audition for a job, BC Employment Standards Act, revealing an individual’s true skills, being the first “three consecutive attitude, and ability to fit in. In my months of employment”. It is critical view, there simply is no substitute to ensure that the contractual terms, for viewing an individual on the job including the probation period, are in real work situations. compliant with the applicable But probation periods don’t just employment standards legislation. happen by magic. The Fourth, employer must take documentation should certain steps to be kept, during the ensure it has gained probation period, of the benefit of a the employee’s probation period. progress in relation to The employer and the agreed-upon employee should criteria. A good rule agree, in writing, of thumb is that there prior to the should be at least one commencement of the interim review of the employment, on the employee’s terms of a binding performance and Robert Smithson probationary period. conduct before the There are numerous preferred final decision on suitability is made. components of an enforceable During the probation period, the probation clause. employer should be pro-active in Three steps counseling the employee on his or First, the parties should define her shortcomings. This eliminates the standard of review – often the surprises for the employee when the standard adopted will be final review is performed. Specific “suitability” for ongoing instructions should be provided to employment. That’s a bit of a the employee on achieving the fancied-up way of saying the desired standard. All of this should, employee must be a good fit for the of course, be documented. job.

Finally, the employer should Second, because suitability is a conduct a final review, making a

Probationary periods

status by Sable Resources Ltd. in reasonable decision about 2010 after completing a presuitability, prior to the expiry of the apprenticeship program in heavy probation period. Court decisions mechanics. While Sable was aware indicate employers should, to that Geller did not yet have his whatever degree is possible, apply heavy-duty mechanic’s journeyman objective criteria in performing a ticket, it seemed good faith “...a probationary to think he was assessment of the employee must be farther along in probationary employee. given an opportunity to that process than Court ruling he actually was. demonstrate his ability A recent BC Sable’s hiring to meet the standard Supreme Court letter for Geller the employer set out.” decision stated, “Your first demonstrates that a probation three months of employment is period doesn’t give the employer a considered probationary. Permanent carte blanche entitlement to ditch employment will be determined the employee at the first based on mutual satisfaction and opportunity. job performance.”

Geller was hired on probationary A situation soon arose in which

Sable needed Geller to work in unsupervised circumstances. This would have been contrary to industry requirements that an apprentice receive training and practical experience under the direction of a qualified, certified tradesperson.

Geller informed Sable that he was willing to continue to work in a situation in which there was a qualified heavy-duty mechanic available to give him the “agreed apprentice training and practical experience.” Sable terminated Geller’s probationary employment and, in turn, Geller sued for wrongful dismissal.

The BC Supreme Court stated that “a probationary employee must be given an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to meet the standard the employer set out” at the time of hiring. It found that Sable and Geller did not have a common understanding of their respective “roles relative to the apprenticeship or the degree of supervision available or required.”

The Court went on to state that it was incumbent upon Sable to “make its expectations clearer to [Geller] than it did”. Geller, it found, did not “have a reasonable opportunity to demonstrate his suitability for the job”. His claim of wrongful dismissal was upheld and damages were awarded.

The point the Geller and Sable Resources Ltd. case drives home is that the employer can’t make an arbitrary decision to terminate a probationary employment relationship. It must apply rational thought to the decision and make a reasonable decision, in all the circumstances, about the employee’s future.

Utilized properly, the probation period is a powerful legal mechanism in the employer’s favour. Applied poorly, it’s a basis for a claim for damages by a jilted former employee. ■ Robert Smithson is a labour and employment lawyer, and operates Smithson Employment Law in Kelowna. For more information, visit www.smithsonlaw.ca. This subject matter is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

FALL 2011

IN THIS I SSUE:

FEATURES:

THE VOICE OF PROFESS

IONAL ROOFING CONTRAC

TORS

Dean DeHamel of Olympic

Member profile: Olymp

Former Olympic wrestler Dean DeHamel is turning his young company into an industry contender

By Frank O’Brien

Port Coquitlam roofer Dean DeHamel came within a match of representing Canada at the Beijing Olympics in 2010, and the nationally ranked wrestler young now has a solid grip on the local roofing industry.

Vol. 8, No. 3 • FALL

2011

Roofing

ic Roofing Ltd.

As founder and president of aptly named Olympic Roofing Ltd., and one of the latest members of the Roofing Contractors of BC, DeHamel believesAssociation he knows what it takes to build a winning company: hard work, talented crews and the experience to take on any contract. and guts

DeHamel, 34, started Roofing in 2001, shortly Olympic completing his RCABC after apprenticeship training with

Western Roofing Ltd. of Kamloops.

“It all started as a summer job,” he recalls, with his first roofing job the expansion of Thompson River University, where he worked on both flat roofs and metal sheets.

Recalls DeHamel: “I remember walking to school one morning in Kamloops with my nice clean clothes and I saw Western working on a warehouse Roofing with the tar kettle smoking and the workers on the roof with dust all over them.

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40014608 RETURN UNDELIVERABL E CANADIAN ADDRESSES

Member profile: Olympic Roofing ..........................1 LEED the new normal ............... 8 Nelson Roofing wins ASM awards ........................... ....12 Fall protection hierarchies.......

16 ASSOCIATION: President’s message .................. 3 Steep roofing partnership between RCABC, CITO...............

Admiral saves boathouse....... 6 20 INDUSTRY NEWS: New roof walkway system....... 6 Roofing Expo booking .............. 6 BC’s Commercial outlook brightens.................................... ..

Largest solar roof complete....109 Hurricane-proof nail................

11 Steep slope better in high winds................ ..................11 New wood building guide.......11 BC Building Code delayed.......11 Firestone’s SA TPO and weatherproof vapour barrier membrane....... ..............14 Metro building permits up......15 WorkSafeBC gets creative ...... 18 Roofing BC coming online .....18 BC Housing aids building science programs ......................19 China’s Ghost Cities empty .... 21 RCI waterproofing seminar ... 21 CSC presents free fair ............. 21 COLUMN Legal Affairs: Postemployment restrictions ....... 22

Award-winning ASM

I thought to myself, ‘man I would never want to do that job – it’s hot and dusty, glad I’m going today’, but only a couple to school later that’s right where of years I ended up, now I look back and just laugh.

DeHamel started Olympic ” with an old Ford pickup and Skidoo trailer he borrowed from his dad.

His first contract was installing shingles for Sears residential and he then moved onto commercial OLYMPIC continued

on page 4

Nelson Roofing takes ASM work to new heights. See page 12

Fall protection 101

First in a series. See

page 16

TO:

Roofing Contractor s Association of BC 9734 201 Street Langley, BC Canada V1M 3E8

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