This may be caused by falling tree limbs ice dams in gutters valleys and chimney crickets the weight of a workman walking on the roof or a naturally occurring fault in the slate unit.
Walking on slate roof.
Occasionally there will be a porch roof in front of one of the upstairs windows.
Of these shingle is the most common because of the cheap installation costs.
Roofs come in plenty of different materials like wood metal clay slate asphalt and composite shingle.
The windows on these houses are usually the original cut ups with storms.
If it s absolutely necessary to walk on the slates walk on the middle of the slate and use soft soled shoes.
Ways to work on a steeply pitched roof.
Whatever the form of damage if it is caught soon enough the roof can usually be repaired or selectively replaced and deterioration mitigated.
The possibility of slipping and falling makes working on any roof dangerous but it s especially so if the roof rises more than 4 feet for every 12 feet of.
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Experienced slate installers never walk on a slate roof but instead erect scaffolding or prop hook ladders to the side of the building before beginning repairs.
Walking on slate roofs.
Clay and concrete tiles are a great roofing material since they re more durable than shingles but they can break or crack if you apply too much pressure while you re walking on them.
While it s usually best to stay off your roof if possible you can still walk on the tiles if you need to make repairs.
How to walk on a slate roof.
It s important not to introduce too much foot traffic on your roof and when you do a ladder safely hooked onto the roof edge is the best way to carry out a full and detailed inspection as this will help to spread your weight.
Slate roofing tiles are very delicate and can easily crack and dislodge under your weight.
The generally accepted method for working on slate roofs is via the use of hook ladders which hook over the ridge of the roof and allow the contractor to walk all over the roof without putting any weight on the roof itself.
Ideally you would only allow specially trained roofers to work on roofs covered in slate but for emergency repairs or the retrieval of the occasional frisbee it can t be.
Contractors who use ropes and walk on the slate roof should be avoided at all costs.