The Basics of Roof Safety

Roofing projects may not sound too exciting, but they’re extremely important when it comes to the protection of your home. While it’s not recommended to DIY your own roof job, there are some safety precautions you should be aware of – just in case you take it upon yourself to complete small repairs, such as replacing missing shingles or repairing cracked flashing.

Follow these basic Roof safety tips to avoid injuries and costly mistakes.

General Tips

First off, it’s important to know general roof safety tips that could apply to any home improvement projects, such as organizing the work area and wearing the proper footwear. Follow these roofing safety procedures before getting started:

• • Take note of potentially dangerous areas around the roof, such as low power lines and unsafe roof access.
• • Make sure the work area is organized, clean, organized and inaccessible to curious children and pets.
• • Don’t work when the roof is slippery or wet.
• • Don’t work on the roof in extremely cold or hot weather, as extreme temperatures can cause damage to shingles or prevent them from sealing properly
• • Wear soft-soled footwear for the best traction.
• • Use safety equipment such as harnesses, ropes, toe boards, brackets, and a roof anchor that secures to the framing of the roof structure.

Ladder Safety

If you want to make a repair on the roof, it stands to reason that you actually have to get up on the roof. Ladders are the best way to do that. But keep in mind that falls are the top cause of unintentional injury across the country, with43 percent of fatal falls involving a ladder for people working on a structure.

Here are some ladder safety tips:

• • Make sure you place the ladder on level ground.
• • Use an appropriately sized ladder to reach the roof; one that is too short is too dangerous.
• • Use a roof ladder hook to secure your ladder.
• • At all times, keep three points of contact with the ladder.

Electrical Safety

Being careful around power lines is imperative. If you can’t safely avoid them, call your utility company before beginning work.

• • Use a wooden or fiberglass ladder instead of a metal one.
• • Take extra caution when working with metal flashing, as electricity can jump to a metal object many feet away.
• • Don’t touch hot wires with your tools or hands.

Nail Gun Safety

A pneumatic nail gun can be dangerous, so take extreme care when using one.

• • Don’t point nail guns at people.
• • Don’t tamper with the safety mechanism, and make sure it’s working properly.
• • Pull the trigger only when the tip of the nail gun has been pressed firmly against the material.
• • Clean your nail gun, inspect it and lubricate it before each use.
• • Don’t rest the nail gun against your body to avoid misfires.
• • Disconnect the air supply when finished using the gun, and don’t work with the tool while connected to a power supply.

If you don’t have the patience, time, skill or confidence to handle roof work, don’t hesitate to call an Elon NC roofer you can trust.

Contact Redeem Roofing

Our Burlington NC roofers are the ones to call for any roofing project, from installation to repair. We know all the proper safety procedures and can ensure an efficient job. For a free quote, ontact us us today at 336-350-1450.

Redeem Roofing did a fantastic job installing our new roof. We love the Certainteed Landmark Pro shingle. The crew did a great job with cleanup, we are very happy with the work.