OT Working up on a copper roof

I need to do some repairs on some dormers . The roof is standing seam copper, about ten years old. Probably about a 6-12 pitch. Anyone have tips on how to avoid falling off? It is only about 18 feet to the ground but...

have it done by some one who knows what he is doing.6/12 is 45 degrees too steep for a novice.

(quoted from post at 18:45:13 10/18/10) 6/12 is 45 degrees too steep for a novice.

Click to expand...

12/12 is 45*

6/12 is approx. 27*

I know how steep it is, I was not asking what degree the roof was, just wanted to know other guys tricks or ideas. I am planning on clamping some walkboards to the standing seam with duckbill vise grips.

Glad you could post before..........because there may not be an after. Read post about getting a professional!!!!

Tennis Shoes and carpet padding help. Pull a rope over the house for something to hold to.

Believe me--having a professional do it will be much cheaper, and much safer, thasn you falling off the roof, with the ensuing Dr. and Hospital bills, the pain and suffering, and all of the other stuff that comes from a fall from your roof! HIRE SOME BODY WHO DOES IT FOR A LIVING!!
Yep--save money now--yer wife will have to spend more for yer funeral!
Also---Vise-grips have been known to come undone at the worst possible times! BTDT! All it takes is a "bump" and off they, and you, go!
"Look Ma, I'm flying!" THUMP!

Looks like you're pulling somebodies foot but couple set scaffolding for about $200 will get you in working range. We had mounted some in the back of a pickup.

You need to get you some of them there anti-gravity shoes. Failing that I'd recommend ladderhooks that go over the peak of the roof, or if that is not possible at least have a rope over the peak tied to something to give you a hand hold. I put a new top on a chimney on a garage with 9/12 pitch and painted metal roofing and it was as slick as I don't know what. Luckily I was only about 8' off the ground, and I didn't fall, but it was tricky.
Zach

we use foam out of couch cushions-absolutely no vise grips

Hay Hayseed
A 6/12 metal roof is easily walkable with soft soled work shoes or sneekers and soft shelled knee pads after the dew and any moisture is gone. If you are just going to do some minor DIY kaulking and flashing, go for it. The Vise grips will work well for roof jacks with a 2X across them. The teather rope is a good idea, just don't tie it to the wife's SUV. (you get the pic.) If you have to soder in vallies gutters or flashings you may need a pro. Bare in mind when you hire the pro. who does standing seam/copper, his price will be much higher than a regular roofer. Also you are paying for a 9 passanger van full of non productive people like Insurance agents, Inspectors, Code and OSHA, Paper chasers,Thousands of dollars worth of Equipment Etc. This is a bit of a rant,as I was a GC. Our small 2 man contracting business was paying out far more to these parisites in the van than we were keeping, especially when OSHA showed up.Someone mentioned a pickup and scafolding. I can show you $4,750.oo fines for having 3 tiers of billjacks strapped down on the steel deck of a 1Ton working on a pregraded subfloor inside a 6500sq. ft. clear span shop.
Anyway enough of that; just be careful and you will be fine.

Thanks Case Guy, that was what I was thinking. I'm not working on the roof, just the sides of the dormers. I'm a contractor and have been up on plenty of roofs. I was just curious about how other guys approached this. I guess most just hire someone else.

If you want more stability, build a chicken ladder that hooks over the ridge. I'd use Bean boots, the sole's soft enough to work with the copper on that slope. ViceGrips work very well.

Standing seam copper strikes me as DIY-friendly, going on my shop shortly. The roofer I borrow traditional standing seam tools from was picky about how I constructed my chicken ladder but he went out beyond the eave on it. I don't. Slope was too steep to walk on. Chicken ladder is real stable, lots of places to grab. Comfy if you cut the upper rung edge horizontal.

I also had fall protection, my roof was considerably higher than yours, but quickly understood why roofers dislike them.

use the essex tridirectional hover option!!!!

aaaaahhhhhhhhhh 6/12 is 22.5 degrees. Dan

I've got to disagree with some of the other "easy" comments for a 6"/1' pitch roof. Maybe somebody's has some magic anti-gravity tricks I'm not privy to - but I've worked on many steel and coppper roofs over the past 40 years. With a warm dry steel or copper roof, and wearing soft-sole sneakers - a 5"/1' pitch is about the safe "easy" limit. A 5.5"/1' pitch gets slippery, and a 6"/1' pitch almost impossible to walk safely and carefree. I just finished a steel roof this week that is all 5.5"/1' pitch and it was not easy and sure walking. When the sun came out and the steel was warm and dry, I could walk it, for the most part, with just a few slips and slides, now and then. When cold in the morning, or damp - I had to have something to hang to with hands for insurance. I'll add this was an exposed fastener job, so I had the raised screw-heads to help me get traction. With no exposed fasteners, it's even worse.

Asphalt of course is different. The old farm house I just did, was all alphalt at first with the 5.5"/1' pitch. No problem walking except when the occasional shingle broke to pieces, But, once the steel was on - no way was it an "easy walk."

I also recently finished a steel roof in the Adirondacks. 6"/12' pitch. Absolutely, no way could it be walked saftey without using ropes for hand-hold safety. I throw a rope over the roof and fasten somewhere on the other side. Then keep it tied to my belt or wrapped around my arm.

One comment. I'm only 5'9" and weight 150lbs. and have pretty good balance. Been working roofs and climbing trees much of my life. I'm not a huge guy that might be a bit more unstabile.

Why not rent yourself a manlift for the weekend.
That's what I plan to do next summer when I can get my son to go up and fix the roof.

Made a mistake on figures but I wont work on that roof.

A young carpenter fell 8 feet,stopped breathing.A fellow on the job knew CPR got him breathing again.