Commercial flat roofs in summer: the surface hits 150 degrees. Add torch work for modified bitumen and you're handling heat from every direction. Ana has the burns to prove it.
"Hot tar, torch flames, superheated surfaces. Your hands are constantly at risk. Heavy gloves help but kill dexterity when you need precision."
The Heat Strategy
Ana rotates between protection levels: heavy gloves for torch work, tape wraps for detail work, bare hands only when absolutely necessary. Each task gets appropriate coverage.
"The key is thinking ahead. What's this task going to demand? What protection matches that? Don't use the same approach for everything."
Staying In the Game
Flat roof work is skilled, well-paid labor. Ana plans to keep doing it for decades. That long view guides her hand protection choices.
"Burns heal slowly. Scar tissue doesn't handle heat as well as normal skin. Every burn you get makes you more vulnerable to the next one. Break that cycle early."