I've got to re-roof my garage. It's got a 45-degree pitch and I would rather not fall off and break my neck or damage my tools. What's the best way to stabilize myself and my equipment?

It sounds as though your roof has a pitch greater than 6:12. If this is the case, I would bring in a roofing contractor. The money would be well spent—it's just not worth the risk of getting hurt. Professionally speaking, I only worked on slopes with a pitch of 6:12 or less.

If you decide to do the work, you'll need ladder jacks or roof jacks for roof slopes over 4:12 and safety lines and a full body harness (to be worn) when working on slopes 6:12 and greater. The safety line can be run over the roof and tied off to a support on the ground. A second rope can be used to secure a small platform or container to hold and secure tools and material.

Tying a rope around your waist can cause serious injury if you should fall. Wear shoes designed to give proper ankle support and to provide a firm grip on the roofing being installed. Be careful, though, as some soles are great on dry surfaces but extremely poor on wet surfaces. Be sure to contact your local building department for their permit and safety requirements.

[ Back to Top ]

C.R.S., Inc. · Spokane, Washington · USA