The Notre Dame fire is a roofer's worst fear come to life

[Javaman]

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/4/18/18412805/notre-dame-on-fire-cathedral-spire

I know how easy it is for a small mistake on any construction site to cause a massive disaster.

My social media feeds have been overwhelmed by my friends and colleagues mourning the burning of Notre Dame Cathedral these past two days. As a scholar of medieval studies, I get it — the building had a special resonance for lovers of history, architecture, and art.

But when I read that the fire was most likely caused by restoration workers, my heart broke for them. These roofers and restoration experts do the tireless work of keeping these buildings functional for all of us, and they do it at great personal risk and with little recognition.

My father is a roofer. My brother spent 30 years roofing, while I did it for seven summers. I know how easy it is for a small mistake on any construction site to cause a massive disaster.

I’m sure there are dozens of workers associated with Notre Dame who are thinking and rethinking every single action they took Monday trying to figure out if they are in any way responsible. My heart is shattered for them. They might never know for certain and they may never forgive themselves thinking it’s their fault. I have been in their boots.

more at link...

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having worked construction myself, I know exactly what these writer means. and I support everything he says.

[hlthe2b]

1. One of my favorite houses in Denver's Capitol Hill erupted in flames during roofing repair

I was staying next door with friends. At the time I thought surely they would have contracted with the very best (this was a very expensive old stately home) and just thought it inexplicable this could happen. Since then, I've found how very vulnerable are these structures during renovations of nearly any kind.

I remain heart-broken but I know those workers and firefighters are as well. All we can do is hope for the best and especially that the best of the best can come together to ensure the work to restore is worthy of history and the $$ are there to do it right (as seems likely given current donations).

And since I know there will be a few who think that kind of $$ spent on a historical Cathedral is indefensible or who believe that its ties to Catholicism should render it unworthy of all the sadness and attention, I merely say to you that you do not understand. The times I spent sitting quietly in that wonderful place gave me a sense of peace and overwhelming history that can scarcely be replicated. And, I say this from a very secular point of view.

[marble falls]

2. Just sweating pipes have burnt down houses and developments.

https://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/aug/09/plumbers-torch-starts-fire-causes-50000-damage/

[hunter]

7. One reason I'm a PEX enthusiast.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-linked_polyethylene

It has a smaller environmental footprint than copper and plumbers are much less likely to burn down your house.

I live in a place with fairly aggressive water. It used to be one of the few places in California where CPVC plastic pipe was approved for that reason.

We have copper plumbing and the insides of our toilet tanks are green. That green is copper that's dissolved from the pipes. Eventually this will be a problem.

I replace copper with PEX without hesitation and send the copper on to be recycled. In a very small way this reduces the pressure to mine new copper.

With modern low energy technology, LED lighting and such, we might also significantly reduce the use of copper in home electrical systems. Today's homes are wired so you can put hundred watt incandescent bulbs in every light fixture, or plug a window air conditioner into any outlet. At a nominal 120 VAC, that requires a lot of copper.

As for Notre Dame, I would not reject modern materials out of hand. In a few hundred years they too will become part of the history of the place. I'd especially oppose cutting down any huge old trees to replace the burned timbers, or recovering the new roof in toxic lead.

[marble falls]

9. I agree about Notre Dame - do we need to used 13th century materials, particularly in the ...

areas behind stone and plaster. Would it practical to put fire suppression in the "attics", too. Why lead when steel is lighter and stronger?

I agree about 120 power, too. Diodes are brighter and more dependable, and don't require heavy wiring.

[world wide wally]

3. I have thought the same thing.

A pile of rags? A radio left plugged in. A bottle of cleaning or stripping solvent? Maybe they will figure it out.

[mnhtnbb]

4. I have a friend in France who is a retired architect.

I saw a post from him--in French--yesterday, I think it was?--that the investigators are looking closely at the elevator-- and it's electrical source--that the workers were using to get to the spire for the restoration work on it. It could turn out to not be a mistake by any of the workers.

[Javaman]

5. oh man, if it's the elevator...

that's on the construction company.

if it's a crew elevator, they installed it.

hopefully they have plenty of insurance.

full disclosure: I work for an arch company in con admin.

[Rollo]

6. They are still investigating the cause...

Interesting that the initial alarm was sounded, but a fire could not be found. Then about 23 minutes later, the fire was obvious but it was too late.

The spire and probably the roof were clad in lead. I am wondering if they were set up there to melt lead to patch things, and somehow some flammable material caught fire as a result.

Pure speculation.

[csziggy]

8. Roofing fires happen and it can be tragic

My Dad used to tell the story of driving by the first Publix store in Lakeland, Florida - this would have been in the 1950s. Suddenly he saw a half dozen men jump off the roof of the building - then saw flames. In those days they used tar to seal tar paper and shingles down on the flat roofs that were common in that area. He never knew if the liquid tar caught fire at the source where they were melting it or if it caught fire as they were pouring it out. A couple of the roofers had broken bones and the building was not seriously damaged, but it made a big impression on my Dad who saw the entire event.