How To Safely Walk On A Roof

Place the base of the ladder of its height away from your home and make sure it s on level ground so it stays sturdy.

How to safely walk on a roof.

However some homes pose a problem when it comes to walking on the roof to take care of these chores. Personal fall arrest systems consist of a full body harness a means to attach the anchor to roof trusses a lifeline and a shock absorbing lanyard. There are ways to walk on roofs though that will reduce your chance of slipping. While it isn t impossible to walk on a steep pitched roof it does require a little bit of planning and a lot of safety precautions.

Step 1 inspect your roof visually before attempting to walk on it. Avoid walking on the seams. Always move slowly and carefully to keep your balance. Also it s important that you use caution when walking on a shingle roof so you can avoid causing excess damage to the roof itself.

If you see any splits or areas that appear to be damaged avoid walking on them. Though it is okay to. The possibility of slipping and falling makes working on any roof dangerous but it s especially so if the roof rises more than 4 feet for every 12 feet of. Leaves twigs and dead insects that have collected on the roof and in gutters can cause injury on uncovered hands.

Don t walk on your roof if it is wet or icy. Placed the barriers a short distance up from the edge of the roof they can prevent falls and keep tools from rolling off of the roof. Snap hook of harness into loop. Choose a ladder that extends 3 feet 0 91 m taller than the edge of your roof so you can climb it safely.

Proceed to walk safely on the metal roof by staying on or at least near the rafters. Ways to work on a steeply pitched roof. Rafters are normally located 16 to 24 inches apart. Rubber soled shoes are an essential part of walking safely on a roof.

Once done use a hose to wash extra debris off the roof to remove extra algae and mold. Climb a ladder to access your roof safely. You ll know when you step on a rafter because it will feel solid underfoot unless the rafter is rotted of course. Roof brackets support 2x6 lumber standing on edge.

As far as possible walk only on line of screws on metal roofs and on front of roof tiles where they are double thickness and suppor ted by a timber batten underneath. Walking around on a slanted roof can be dangerous especially once you ve removed the textured shingles and only have the sheathing to walk on.