Walking on a roof in the winter? Santa does it!

[woodpile]

At this point, given that there seems to be no break in the below freezing temperatures, I am about ready to just put a few bit of stove pipe up the flue and call it my new liner. I don't like walking around on the roof as it is, much less with snow up there. Any suggestions for how best to do this? Golf shoes? Boots with crampons? Salt the roof? None of these sound very good for the roof.

Once up there, is it adequate to strap a ladder to the chimney, or do I need to make a leveling platform? I would tie off to the top of the chimney with a harness and climbing gear, but I really do not want the experience of testing it out!

 

[saichele]

Personally, this would be the time when I'd go for the direct connect (assuming the tile is OK) and wait till spring for the full liner.

The old house had a relatively shallow pitch (1 rise to 3 run) and every couple years we'd get enough snow all at once that I'd have to get up and shovel it. That was a one story and still pretty alarming. A prof at the university was shoveling his roof, took a half gainer off on his head, and was killed instantly from a one story. What really gets you isn;t the snow so much as the icy/watery film at the shingles. for walking around, you might be better off with snow.

I think the golf shoes and crampons are out in that they're going to tear up the shingles. I've heard that the upscale potassium chloride snow melter isn't as destructive in roof applications as sodium chloride (of course, it's $10/bag instead of 5). There are some around that are organic (ethylene-glycol or something) based, but I haven't tried them. If forced, I think I'd dig out an area for the ladder base, throw some sort of icemelt inthere to try to get a good footing for the ladder, and proceed with a lot of care. Even if you don't have a mountain climbing rig, having a line tied to the chimney to grab onto int he event of a slide could be very useful.

As for dropping the liner in, I did it without a platform, just standing at the top of an extension ladder leaniing against the chimney. But it was October and sunny. This (winter liner install) is one of the few jobs I was prepared to pay someone to do. Just couldn't get anyone ot show up last winter.

Bottom line is be very careful. It can go badly fast. And there's not much to stop you sliding down an icy roof (hence the line).

Steve

 

[Corey]

I suspect that if you try any chemical ice melting methods, you may run into trouble. The chemicals work fine on relatively flat ground because as the ice melts, the chemicals just pool up and continue working in a slightly diluted state. On your roof, when the ice melts it will run into the gutter taking a substantial amount of melting chemicals with it.

If you don't plan on a melt any time soon, the short stub in the flue may be the best option. Others may be working straight from a ladder, tying a ladder off flat on the roof for traction, pushing the liner up from below if you dont have a lot of tight kinks to go around like a damper and smoke shelf. Just be careful what ever method you choose!

Good Luck
Corey

 

[quads]

Put it off until the weather is better. It's not worth a broken neck, or worse.

 

[roac]

I think if you have asphalt shingles you could get a propane torch attachment that you could attach to a 20# propane tank. Something like this...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=91037

They have others too, just remember not to overheat the roof. Keep it moving. They're great for melting ice and snow on sidewalks too.

 

[vgrund]

Roac, while I am waiting for Elkimmeg to freak out about this, I'll add that that approach is downright dangerous. Folks, please don't do this.

Personally I would wait. However if you must, you might look into ice dam melters which are basically just calcium chloride in a long sock. I've seen them at hardware stores for about $9 each. You could also make your own with nylon stockings and calcium chloride. Don't use rock salt.

 

[roac]

I'm not advocating doing it on high. On low they are more safe for this application. Have you ever used or seen one used? Do you realize how hot your roof gets in the summer? With a low flame it will throw mostly heat. I did say asphalt only too.

 

[bruce]

can you get a roof rake on it to clear the snow and let the sun melt it?
i rale around mine so i can clean it around new years

 

[fbelec]

i saw the roofers do this the other day after a snow storm. they wanted to put on a new roof for the 2nd floor addition. they got up on a ladder and used a stiff bristled floor broom, gave it a few hours under the sun and went up and finished the job. if you have to, do a little each day with the broom untill you can make it up to the chimney.

just a thought.

 

[woodpile]

Thanks all for the sound advice. I've tried sweeping it off, then letting the sun melt and dry it, but it keeps snowing! Last week we had a total of about 1-1/2 days of sun, the rest was overcast. I've decided to leave the full liner until spring. Instead, I've gone the direct connect route, and put 2' of 24 gauge stove pipe in the clay flue and a couple of elbows to get it to the firebox. I'm almost there!

 

[elkimmeg]

Whow Chemicles blow torches Does anyone have a well? What about any plants near by or your pets? Salts calcium very corrosive. Any idea what it does to shingles and gutters? Just look at the rusting away of cars might give one a clue, Me, I would use safety ropes, ladders attached with a roof hook over the peak, or if I had to do it setup roof brackets and a few planks. The torch is a clasic.( I chuckling as I am thinking about that one, a novice using the blow torch) These solutions are roofers dreams, garanteed employment for years to come. Missing is the one using an ax to chop off the ice.

 

[quads]

Missing is the one using an ax to chop off the ice.

Or a stick of dynamite and blow the snow off the roof! Ha ha! Of course, then the chimney would be closer to the ground too.