Roof ladders

[PJ]

Having never seen one being used I wondered why they are such an unusual shape rather than a simple angled ladder. e.g.

[Tim Watts]

On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:23:12 +0100, PJ wibbled:

climb the face to the ridge. But what if you are trying to climb up the other hipped face? Is there some ladder magic to help there?

[Steve Walker]

1. Depending on the angle of the roof, a simple angled end might only be held in place by the very top edge and if the ridge tiles moved, the jerk might dislodge you or the ladder.
2. The ladder shown seems to have a couple of rungs on the far side and if they are, they'd allow you to straddle the ridge while working on the ridge or a chimney stack - a simple angled end could see-saw on the ridge if it didn't exactly match the roof angle.

SteveW

[Toby]

Like this

[Andrew Gabriel]

face without touching the ridge (which might otherwise get damaged, or worse, might provide the support for the ladder, break off, and leave the ladder and whoever is on it whizzing down the roof to a sticky end).

The standoff's raise the rungs above the roof face so you can get a foot grip on the rungs. They're sometimes padded to reduce chance of damage to the roof.

The wheels allow it to be flipped onto it's back and pushed up the roof to the ridge, whereupon it's flipped back the right way around.

I have a kit which you bolt to the end of a ladder to make it into a roof ladder. It came from screwfix about 5 years ago, but I don't see it on their website now.

[js.b1]

Problem is usually climbing onto the roof :-)

Well worth hunting around hire places for cheap alloy tower rates - Jewsons often can be the cheapest, independents can beat them tho. With a mini tower + outriggers + properly tied to house wall you could tie the roof ladder to that - at least removing the "wild, albeit last, sledging ride on the way to the spinal injuries ward".

[PJ]

Actually Toby, as has been said many time on this group, a picture makes it far more clear. I expected a roof ladder to lay flat on both sides of the roof to spread the load but there is a need for toe space when climbing.

I can understand Andrew's point about not touching the ridge since some older houses locally have elaborate ridge tiles.

Looking at the image, provided by Toby, it still looks precarious and the Screwfix ladder has a sharper angle which would hold the ladder further away from the roof on the reverse slope.

I have nothing but admiration for the folk who daily use them it seems rather like throwing a grappling hook over the ridge.

[PJ]

Looking at the image of the chap on the roof ladder I can certainly agree with that. I do not think that aerial riggers are paid enough.

Thanks for all the comments.

PJ

[John Rumm]

I have one of those - take bleeding ages to fix on each time you need it.

[Mark]

A skyhook or scaffolding if you are too chicken to just walk up it. 

[tony sayer]

When I were a lad..we had to rig aerials for the TV shop I worked at. We didn't have this sort of luxury just a straight wooden ladder picked up at a junk sale somewhere, with a couple of bits of flat steel around an inch wide and quarter thick to hook over the ridge screwed to the sides of the ladder..

We used that in all weathers, blinding rain or snow it was expected and we just had to do it. And to cap it all the tight old barstard we worked for bought a van less heater as that was going to cost him extra.

Tight old sod he's long dead now and ... well never mind;!...

And we were paid bugger all but knew no different really...

[george [dicegeorge]]

The wheels are so you can roll it up then flip it over.

I bought just the wheels and bent bit, they bolted on to a normal ladder.

[g]

[george [dicegeorge]]

There is a picture in the roofers bible of a hook ladder with only one hook which could go diagonally.

I use a long hook ladder and then a short hook ladder to get in the diagonals.

[g]

[g]

[george [dicegeorge]]

The roofers last week just cemented the ridges in at the joins, longwise, they didnt bed them in, so a system like yours would probably loosen them and you'd slide down the roof to the floor then have a rdige tile land on your head.

or should I say my head.

[g]

[Tim Watts]

On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:09:53 +0100, "george [dicegeorge]" wibbled:

You mean you put the long ladder over the ridge near one end, then hang a short hook ladder off the long ladder at an angle?

Cheers

Tim

[george [dicegeorge]]

no, i'm not sure what you mean- i dont hink i have any hips... , Near a valley i can have a long ladder to get up to the ridge, then a short ladder to reach down nearer the top of the valley.

[Tim Watts]

On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:51:02 +0100, John Rumm wibbled:

Er - how many times do you go up on the roof John!? ;->

Or does your roof overlook some sporting fixture like another here?

Me - I'd spend 3 hours conditioning my mind before I went up there and I have a bungalow - the wheels would be irrelevant!!

[Tim Watts]

On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:51:20 +0100, "george [dicegeorge]" wibbled:

Oh - I see.

I don't have any valleys so it didn't occur to me...

Cheers

Tim

[John Rumm]

Not that often it has to be said... the tiles don't often thank me when I do! Usually for titting about with aerials. I do need to replace a few slates though...

The time irritation is more a case of when you need it on the ladder for some parts of a job, but not on for others - a couple of swaps on an off could swallow 10 mins for each application or removal (6 U bolts, 6 plate washers, 12 ordinary washers, and nylock nuts to assemble/dismantle each time).

Nope, don't think you can see anything from there you can't almost as easily see from elsewhere. ;-)

Technically speaking our current place is (was) a bungalow as well - however in reality by the time you are on the apex of the roof its as high as many modern houses. So the other single story roof access trick of laying a long ladder up the slope of the roof from the ground, and staking it at the base does not work too well here either.

[Chris J Dixon]

Sounds like you must be getting through the nylocks at some rate.

Chris