Working on a pitched roof is potentially dangerous, if you fear heights or if your roof is steeply pitched, the job is best left to a professional. But you can make repairs safely by taking these common-sense precautions.
Never work in wet, windy or cold weather. Roofing materials can become dangerously slippery when wet, and asphalt shingles are brittle when cold, crumbling underfoot.
Wear sneakers or shoes that have slip-resistant soels, and choose loose-fitting clothes so that you can move about freely.
Use an access ladder that extends above the eave so that you need never step over the top of the ladder. Keep your hips between the rails as you climb, and never lean over the side of the ladder to work on the roof.
Enlist a helper to steady the ladder as you climb and to feed you tools and materials once you are up there.
On a steep roof, use a roofing ladder with wood or metal brackets that hook over the roof ridge. These ladders not only provide secure hand and footholds, but distribute your weight over the shingles. On brittle roofing materials such as slate, tile or asbestos use a “chicken ladder”, a 1-by-12-inch board with 1-by-2-inch horizontal wood cleats.
Never work in wet, windy or cold weather. Roofing materials can become dangerously slippery when wet, and asphalt shingles are brittle when cold, crumbling underfoot.
Wear sneakers or shoes that have slip-resistant soels, and choose loose-fitting clothes so that you can move about freely.
Use an access ladder that extends above the eave so that you need never step over the top of the ladder. Keep your hips between the rails as you climb, and never lean over the side of the ladder to work on the roof.
Enlist a helper to steady the ladder as you climb and to feed you tools and materials once you are up there.
On a steep roof, use a roofing ladder with wood or metal brackets that hook over the roof ridge. These ladders not only provide secure hand and footholds, but distribute your weight over the shingles. On brittle roofing materials such as slate, tile or asbestos use a “chicken ladder”, a 1-by-12-inch board with 1-by-2-inch horizontal wood cleats.
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