Torch Down Roof Fires

These two main base materials are melted together using a torch to form a thick layer.

Torch down roof fires. As a construction material modified bitumen is highly fire resistant. This layer now becomes a waterproof material that is ideal for both commercial and residential use. With this system the modified bitumen can bond tightly to metal flashings while the rubbery additives in the asphalt allow the roofing to expand and contract when other roofing systems. In this installation method sheets of modified bitumen are rolled out onto the roof and a roofing professional uses a hand held propane torch to heat the material and adhere it to the surface.

Most of these fires are immediately extinguished it being mandatory to have fire extinguishers present at all times. This process is popular with many contractors mainly because of its ease of installation and its adaptability. Torch on or sometimes referred to as torch down roofing is a combination of two ingredients modified asphalt and resin. Propane torch caused roof fires are a daily occurrence in b c.

Torch on roofing posses significant fire risks. They call into question whether old school torched down asphalt based roofing makes sense in residential construction any more. The primary downside of torch down roofing is that it is applied with an open flame and therefore always poses some level of fire hazard. Torch down roofing sometimes referred to as torch on roofing is so named because it requires an open flame propane torch.

Fires caused by open flame propane torches on flat roof installations splash across the news on a fairly regular basis like the one in toronto recently that burned down an entire row of new townhouses.