Cotney Consulting Group Canada

09/02/2026

Project risk doesn’t stop when the job is done.

In Part Three of this RoofersCoffeeShop article, John Kenney explains how proper project closeout helps contractors reduce future risk, improve processes, and strengthen long-term performance.

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By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Learn to identify key quantitative elements in your risk management plan. In part one and part two, we learned about the meaning of risk management and understanding risk with project management. In Part Two, we discussed recognizing and classifying risks bef...

09/01/2026

Operational Tuesdays – Project Management
PM discipline shows up in small habits.
Missed logs, late updates, and incomplete records compound quickly.
Operational discipline breaks down long before projects do.

08/31/2026

🏗️ This Week in Roofing History
📍 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | July 1895
This letter comes from Merchant & Co., manufacturers, importers, and dealers in tin, terne plates, metals, sheathing paper, and roofing nails.
At first glance, it’s a routine acknowledgment of an order.
But read closely—and it tells a much bigger story.
Key takeaways from this 1895 correspondence:
• The customer specifically ordered “Merchant’s Old Method” roofing
• The supplier confirms delivery of all system components, not just panels
• A price increase warning is communicated in advance
• The manufacturer reassures quality and continuity
• The relationship is built on trust, consistency, and brand preference
This isn’t commodity selling.
It’s system loyalty.
Even in the 1890s:
• Contractors preferred proven methods
• Manufacturers branded installation approaches
• Complete assemblies were shipped together
• Price escalation was already a reality
• Communication mattered as much as material
The phrase “Old Method” is especially telling—it suggests that even then, roofing had new methods and proven methods, and contractors chose reliability over novelty when risk was involved.
More than a century later, the lesson holds:
Contractors don’t buy products.
They buy confidence.
History reminder:
The tools change.
The responsibility doesn’t.

08/30/2026

Experience is important—but structure matters too.
When experience is supported by good processes and clear expectations, results are more consistent.

08/29/2026

🧰 Roof Penetrations: Where Most Leaks Try to Sneak In ⚠️

Pipes, vent stacks, pitch pans, small curbs—pe*******ons are unavoidable, but leaks don’t have to be.

Here’s the correct field approach when pe*******on flashings start to fail:

• Replace pe*******on flashings that are corroded through—patching won’t save them
• Wire-brush surface corrosion, then prime and coat with corrosion-resistant paint
• Remove cracked or deteriorated flash-in stripping at flanges or sleeves
• Clean and lightly prime the membrane—enough to promote adhesion, not saturate
• Reflash with modified bitumen stripping, extending at least 6" onto the field membrane
• Apply firm, even pressure to ensure full adhesion
• Address open seams or fishmouths immediately—pull back, clean, re-prime, and reflash

Penetrations don’t fail all at once—they fail one detail at a time.

File this one away—small details prevent big leaks.

08/26/2026

Project risk doesn’t end once the job starts—it evolves.

In Part Two of this MetalCoffeeShop article, John Kenney explains how roofing contractors can actively manage risk during ex*****on through communication, documentation, and leadership involvement.

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By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Learn more about project risk management and how to identify risks before they happen. In part one, we learned about the meaning of risk management and understanding risk with project management. Part two of this project risk series will discuss recognizing a...

08/25/2026

Operational Tuesdays – Estimating
Consistent estimating systems matter more than individual talent.
When every estimator prices work differently, results become unpredictable.
Inconsistent systems create risk that no amount of experience can offset.

08/24/2026

🏗️ This Week in Roofing History
📍 Baltimore, Maryland | Mid-20th Century
This advertising blotter promoted Flintkote Roofing and Siding, installed locally by Govans Roofing Co., and it shows just how sophisticated residential roofing sales had become.
The headline is telling:
“New Beauty and Comfort.”
And the pitch is even more familiar:
“A few dollars a month… can add hundreds of dollars to its value.”
Long before today’s financing programs and remodeling calculators, contractors were already selling:
• Monthly affordability
• Home value appreciation
• Comfort and energy benefits
• Curb appeal and aesthetics
• Free estimates as a trust builder
This wasn’t about emergency repair.
It was about planned investment.
Manufacturers like Flintkote equipped contractors with branded materials that helped shift the conversation from cost to value. Local firms like Govans Roofing put their own name, address, and phone number front and center—owning the customer relationship.
The strategy still holds today:
Sell outcomes, not squares.
Sell comfort, not components.
Sell value, not fear.
Different era.
Same playbook.
History reminder:
The tools change.
The responsibility doesn’t.

08/21/2026

Uncertainty is part of the roofing business—but poor decisions don’t have to be.

In Florida Roofing Magazine, “Decision Making During Volatile Conditions, Part One,” I outline how contractors can adjust operations, overhead, and strategy to stay stable during unpredictable market cycles.

Strong companies don’t panic—they plan, measure, and adapt.
https://issuu.com/roofingflorida/docs/may_2023
📖 Florida Roofing Magazine — May 2023, pg. 30

08/19/2026

Project risk doesn’t go away just because it isn’t discussed.

In Part One of this RoofersCoffeeShop article, John Kenney explains why roofing contractors must identify and manage project risks early—before they turn into schedule delays, cost overruns, or disputes.

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By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Learn more about project risk management and how to identify risks before they happen. Roofing projects, by their nature, are unique, and many of the more interesting ones are very complex. They frequently take place over an extended period of time and demand...