|
Hi Bill, NE IA and Lee in Iowa both mentioned ladders already, but I don't think that suggestion is exhausted yet. A ladder is difficult to work from (though much better than trying to work from a hospital bed, which using a ladder as suggested can do a lot to prevent.) Roof jacks and a plank, as shown, are comfortable to work from but require that you lift shingles to nail where the nail holes will be covered afterwards. Lifting shingles in the winter can increase the size of your repair project. What you can do is combine those ideas by putting a plank (2X6 is big enough) between two ladders which are secured by ladders on the opposite slope of the roof, or with hooks which you can either buy or make out of scrap plywood or lumber very quickly. Ladders on each side of the roof provides the greatest sense of security but then you'd need two extension ladders to take apart, and probably one more to get on and off the roof. Most people don't have that many ladders unless they're roofers, but you're probably not or you wouldn't be asking a roofing question. The way to deal with too few ladders is to do essentially the same thing using lumber instead of ladders. Nail the 2X4's or 2X6's together at the peak instead of using rope or chain, and if you're afraid that the nailing won't maintain the angle, run the boards each a foot or so past the peak and tack a gusset across so they can't straighten out. Whatever system you use to keep you from slipping doesn't have to be very strong, it only has to not slip. It's not like scaffolding which has to support your whole weight. Be careful, though. This is one of those situations where the setup to do the job safely could take quite a bit longer than the time it takes to do the actual job, but it would still be time well spent. All the best, Stan
|
