I have had a few shingles blow off and I would like to replace. Only problem is that I have a roof with a steep pitch and I can't climb up on the roof without sliding off.

I have seen roofers nail 2 by 4's to have something to keep them from sliding off but I have a couple of questions:

Is this what you guys normally do to work on a steep roof? If not, what else do you do?

If you do nail 2 by 4's, what do you do about the hole that the nails leave in the shingles as you remove the 2 by 4's? Do you seal the holes with something? Is the roof likely to leak from the nail holes?

thanks

Hi,

When you see a guy up on a roof nailing 2x4's into the shingles to stand on, get his name and make sure you never call him to do work.

Call a real roofing contractor to do the repairs. If you get hurt you lose your source of income.

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www.HolencikRoofing.com
www.lehighvalleysuntunnels.com
http://blog.lehighvalleysuntunnels.com/

We use roof jacks.

Anybody who nails 2x4's to their completed roof is a freaking idiot and should be avoided.

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I don't need no freakin' signature, I Am Roofer.

Thats easy!!!

For steep roofs go to your local building supply store and ask them for a SKY HOOK. The red ones are the best. You can tie off to it. They are new to the industry. They can only be used one time.

They usually keep them in the same aisle as the shingle stretcher. We use it when we are getting near the end of a job and notice we may not have enough shingles.

Make sure that you buy enough shingles for the repair so that you wont have to rent the shingle stretcher. You will save money this way in the long run.

Good Luck

Wow- Three responses and none of them helpful. Imagine that

Use roof jacks.

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I don't need no freakin' signature, I Am Roofer.

the best answer is let somebody else do it, I usually use foam cushions like the ones from an old couch to sit on or put my feet on dont use carpet pad! it will roll up on you and you will be on an express route to the ground

Well you did get a few answers. Have someone else do it or use roof jacks.

I would use roof jacks unless I was a homeowner who did not know how to do it in the first place, then I would let someone who knows what they are doing fix it. Its even safer.

If the shingles are brittle, you can spike your jacks right on top. Pull the nails, and fix their holes by slipping a piece of step flashing under the affected tab. Yeah, it's hack, but it keeps 'em dry. Works slick getting off a brittle patch job.

Rope works nice if the job is light enough, and you can rig. Handy on tin.

I usually cats paw top down hook blading to the nearest tab, but I'd much rather blow it apart with a Razor Bar

Actually, Axiom's response was helpful, you just didn't understand what he told you.

And let me go one step further. When you follow Axiom's advice, make sure you hit the studs/rafters to be safe.

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Professional Roofing & Waterproofing Consultant

X's2 with 2x6's for extra support. You could even put a ladder on the board if your really chicken. Or you could keep working up to the repair spot with more 2x6's and roof jacks.

If your on here not knowing what to do you may want to consider contacting a local roofing contractor. For a minumal repair like this you could plan to spend from $100-500.

razorbar............that thing is funny. looks real professional. it looks like it would do a number on your elbows. what roofer tears from the eaves up anyway. i prefer to work with gravity not against it. then you still have to pluck all the nails? i can not see that thing doing anything but harm to a roofing operation.

Hi Empie,

Although razorbar is at its best on the steep jobs, I think this is kinda drifting outside the gentleman’s questions about patching a steep. I’ll have to set up a new topic on the razor bar. Hope to see you there.

Back on topic, I might cleat a 9 if the sticks were handy, but not when Lefty is looking

http://strippingiron.com/Razor_Bar.htm

I have either roof jacks for big jobs ,or a ladder hook that attaches to a rung of the ladder. You roll it to the peak,and flip the ladder over and the other side has a rounded hook that lays on the other side and hangs the ladder from the top.(chicken ladder) This is only good on cooler days,as the hook part can damage hot soft shingles...I use it all the time for steep strip jobs.I have also used 2 ladder hooks and ladder jacks with an aluminum plank spanning the roof on jobs that you cannot access the roof from the ground(house was so close to property line and fence,I could not set up a ladder at the bottom of 1 side.)12/12 ,2 layer,2 story,strip, sheet, and shingle.Shingles over slate...NASTY!!!
Hope this helps...

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When Quality Matters...

pardon me,
freakin idiot here.
nail the 2x4 through the shingle with 10p nail, perform repair , pull out board when done and seal holes , in shingles, made by 2x4 nails, with tar in a caulk tube.

gweedo.