I hit my limits today, kind of bummed about it. I have all week off so I've been energetic about getting some things done around the house. It was a nice day in the 50's so I thought I might go check the chimney cap and clean if necessary. I clean from the bottom up with a SootEater and haven't checked the cap for a long time. So I get the ladder out and climb on the lower part above the garage and go to the ridge and that's where the fun ended. I climbed on the second part of the roof to get to the ridge but the gravel on the shingles was so loose I just slid. No traction what so ever. Scared the crap out of me. I crawled back down to the lower part and got off the roof. The roof is 8/12 pitch, two story about 30 off the ground. The shingles on the roof aren't that old maybe 6 years but the gravel sure is loose. Any way that's my story.
Bummed/Limits
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Sounds you did the smart thing!
They need to have trained monkeys for that type of work, LOL.
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They need to have trained monkeys for that type of work, LOL.
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Don't be bummed. Be happy it didn't turn out much worse. Stay wise and safe.
A real man knows his limits . . . before he ends up in the Emergency Room.
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
I'm surprised. Typically, the steeper the pitch the longer the roof lasts and the less problem you have with the asphalt granules coming loose. Maybe it's just your roof shedding the excess granules?
wildbill7145
Member
What's the ventilation in the attic area like? Sometimes if the ventilation isn't sufficient, shingles will literally cook during high temperature months causing the shingles to degrade and shed the granules. I'm a painter, so I have to climb around on shingles quite a bit during exterior season. I bought a pair of ladder hooks to install on half of an extension ladder this year. Wish I'd done so many years ago. Getting too old to tempt death.
Attach them to ladder, roll ladder up roof, flip it so it hooks over ridge. Done.
![[Hearth.com] Bummed/Limits](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/191/191434-acd9bd34fe8c94a2d1763132a256571a.jpg?hash=rNm9NP6MlK "[Hearth.com] Bummed/Limits")
Attach them to ladder, roll ladder up roof, flip it so it hooks over ridge. Done.
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
Yes improper ventilation will cause the shingles to heat soak and void your warranty. A company tech once told me, the roof could lose half it's usable life if the attic or sheathing below the shingles is not properly ventilated.
Wish I'd done so many years ago. Getting too old to tempt death.
.......
I've got bad news... old age is death's primary temptation... his meat and potatoes.. all the stupid dangerous stuff you do when you are young pale in comparison to age so far as death is concerned
But...I like the hook
G
.......
I've got bad news... old age is death's primary temptation... his meat and potatoes.. all the stupid dangerous stuff you do when you are young pale in comparison to age so far as death is concerned
But...I like the hook
G
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
I'm not sure if I'm grabbing a dog by the ears by saying this, I'm a little skeptical about the single wheel. Riding two wheels is difficult on The roadway let alone a single wheel on the 12/12 pitch... ha, ha! ( maybe that was funnier in my head).
![[Hearth.com] Bummed/Limits](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/191/191458-ce55cab492db7b57f4b5e6ce8f16ea18.jpg?hash=mKFQ3E33G4 "[Hearth.com] Bummed/Limits")
![[Hearth.com] Bummed/Limits](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/191/191459-97bcf2ff9f070b784376e3878f006055.jpg?hash=olZxaguW36 "[Hearth.com] Bummed/Limits")
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
double-d
Feeling the Heat
Get yourself a pair of Cougar Paws Roofing Boots, they have twice the traction and replaceable soles, not that a DIY would wear them out. They are not inexpensive, but are less than a trip to the hospital.
Back in the early 80's I worked with a carpenter building houses and have been on few roofs myself. I've never encountered loose gravel like this. I think the spikes would work but it might damage the roof. Maybe real short spikes. So close yet so far away. There's a roofing guy down the road, maybe I can bribe him to take a look.
VirginiaIron
Minister of Fire
What grade shingles are on the roof? Is it a 10, 15, or 50 year shingle? At six years Your shingles could be halfway through their expected lifespan.
Yes we took the wheels like that off of all of our ridge hooks we had the ladder roll down the roof on that swiveling wheel to many times. We now have a fixed rubber caster bolted to the side of our ridge ladders it works well. But you really need to have dedicated ridge ladders if you are going to do that
They dont help much with loose grit though. I had a pair and they were good but I didn't find them that much better to justify the added cost. I am just very picky about the tread pattern and compound and I do fine with regular boots.
I've been a maintenance mechanic for many years so any repairs on the property are done by me. I'm 60 now so I guess I need to step back a little and let younger generation do some of this stuff. Got to know your limits!
8/12 is not a bad pitch. But, if you are not comfy walking it, don't. You have a pretty nice set up there, but again, if you ain't comfy walling it, don't.
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