(2nd try) How do you climb down from a roof?

[GPintheMitten]

A step ladder is not the right tool. You could get hurt. You could do it successfully but you might not. An extension ladder that goes beyond the eaves by a step or two is safer.

[EddieWalker]

Robert,

For me, getting up there and even carrying stuff up there is the easy part. Getting back on the ladder while on the roof is the scary part. One story or two, it's that transition of going from one to the other that makes me nervous. While three feet is probably perfect for most people, I really find it allot easier to go over the top of the ladder. If I can step over the top rung, and not catch on anything, I'm good to go.

Fear is always a matter of reasoning, and dealing with fear is usually playing games with my brain. Going one way is too scary, but going over the top is something I can deal with. Fear is what it is, finding tricks to deal with it is the challenge.

While heights are something I'm afraid of, small spaces terrify me. IF somebody has a good way to deal with crawl spaces, I'm all ears!! LOL

Eddie

[Robert_in_NY]

Originally Posted by EddieWalker

Robert,

For me, getting up there and even carrying stuff up there is the easy part. Getting back on the ladder while on the roof is the scary part. One story or two, it's that transition of going from one to the other that makes me nervous. While three feet is probably perfect for most people, I really find it allot easier to go over the top of the ladder. If I can step over the top rung, and not catch on anything, I'm good to go.

Fear is always a matter of reasoning, and dealing with fear is usually playing games with my brain. Going one way is too scary, but going over the top is something I can deal with. Fear is what it is, finding tricks to deal with it is the challenge.

While heights are something I'm afraid of, small spaces terrify me. IF somebody has a good way to deal with crawl spaces, I'm all ears!! LOL

Eddie

Working in crawl spaces is just something you have to get use to. I have been in nice crawl spaces where you have 3' below the floor joists on a concrete pad so there is no dirt or other issues and I have been under floors where I have had to dig my way across as there was only 4-5 inches of space. I use to always picture the floors colapsing as a lot of times we are going under there to support the floors but eventually I got use to that work enviorment and didn't think about it anymore. Best of luck to you in dealing with your fears.

[TUG HILL ADDICT]

The key to getting back on any ladder is simple, no matter how many feet are extended above the eave or if it does/doesn't have stabilizers:

When you are at the top of the ladder getting off study the sequence of the placement/movement of both hands and feet. Then when you go to get back on the ladder to go down simply reverse the process.

Key of course is to remember the process

[TUG HILL ADDICT]

Originally Posted by EddieWalker

Robert,
. IF somebody has a good way to deal with crawl spaces, I'm all ears!! LOL

Eddie

Lots of light

[Dave5264]

Originally Posted by smitty9266

I have had several versions of these products, they are called ladder stabilizers. Here is the one I have currently LadderMaxLLC lmhome

Would not be without one keeps you from smashing gutters and keeps the ladder from blowing down. They also have a lot of other uses.

Jeff

Have to agree with Jeff, i use these all the time, get some, theyre not expensive and they provids some stability while protecting the eves trough

[JB4310]

Some of my observations on this near and dear to me subject,

I agree with all that was said about the benefits of a stabilizer, especially for some one who is uncomfortable with getting on and off a ladder. I had a helper that refused to come down off the roof cause he was scared to get on the ladder, only after me telling him I was gonna call the FD did he come down.

I've been a roof monkey all my life and can tell you that transition is a very dangerous moment for even experienced roofers. My biggest ladder is a 40 footer but have used 48 fter and a church I work on has a 60 ft 3 section ladder that take 3 MEN to stand up!!

I've never seen a ladder fall back over from the top (except in Animal House) but have seen many slip out from the bottom, brought one guy to the ER and had it happen to myself also.

IMO it's safer with the ladder straighter up than on a greater angle, even so straight it feels a little uncomfortable to climb. problem with that is it is very light at the top and can slide sideways easily or possibly go over backwards if pushed on from the top.

Having the ladder extend above the roof is an OSHA requirement (3-4 ft?) but also can provide to much leverage to the bottom of the ladder causing it to slip out. Never step on a rung over the roof line and don't pull or push the raised above the roof section with out the bottom stabilized.

I think the bottom of the ladder is as or more important than the top, whenever We set up a ladder on soft ground we flip the feet up in front and dig the side rails into the ground. If on hard surface we try and tie off the bottom rung to the building or put something heavy at the feet, all to prevent that dreaded slip out from the bottom.

The stabilizer greatly reduces the risk of the bottom slipping out, especially on a low slope roof and almost completely eliminates and side movement risk. I keep one on the truck all the time, only use it when necessary but it sure comes in handy.
Whether or not we use the upper stabilizer we always stabilize/secure the bottom.

JB.

[LBrown59]

Originally Posted by Duffster

No offense but if you have to ask questions like this you don't belong on a roof.

So I deduce you think it would be better for him to do it with out asking in that case.

Originally Posted by foggy1111

"No offense but if you have to ask questions like this you don't belong on a roof." <---- 2nd this


*Oh com'mon now!!! The OP asks a question to help him feel better getting on and off a ladder.....I see little issue with this. Getting on and off a roof properly is worth talking about and asking about. Nobody is born with the best methods on how to use a ladder safely (or tractors or other machines for that matter). I think his question is valid. So there!

[/quote] *Some times common sense gets trampled out by attitude.

[hitekcountry]

Speaking of rope and safety harness, I had to do some painting on a short wall above a roof (top right side of the pic) that was on the side of the house with a down hill slope. Standing up there on that roof scared me so I decided to tie a rope to a tree on the other side of the house and run it over the roof then tie myself to the rope just to be safe. I didn't want to use a slip knot so I used the old - rabbit out the hole and around the tree and back down the hole knot. So with the safety rope I was able to paint the wall even walking along the edge of the roof I felt completely comfortable. Then when I finished I went to untie the rope and as I started to untie the knot, the knot completely came apart on it's own. I had tied the knot wrong and the entire time I was working on the roof the rope was doing nothing but giving me confidence. This is not an approach I would recommend.

[drssg]

Good news. The roof is fixed, and I'm not broken.

I ended up using a different approach than I had planned. I started out by setting up the extension ladder on the 1st floor roof area (with 3-4' of ladder above the roof line) and just practiced getting on and off the roof a few times. It is interesting that EddieWalker indicates he is more comfortable with about one foot of ladder above the roof. That is the way I had been doing it, and I didn't know 3-4' was considered the norm. For me, this was a huge improvement. It was the first time that I didn't even feel awkward getting off the roof.

Then I tried setting up the ladder from ground level to the 2nd floor roof. When I extend my 24' ladder all the way, there was only about 2' above the gutter. I climbed up to the gutter, and the ladder step I would have used to step onto the roof has a warning saying you should not step on or above this step or you may loose your balance and fall. (I'm briefly reminded of the Simpsons episode where Homer says, "You see Lisa, because of me, they have a warning!") I decided this was not good. I considered buying a longer ladder, which costs over $300. But truth be told, I don't even like standing on a ladder that high. Even if I bought a longer ladder, I don't think I would have been relaxed when I step on and off of it.

I ended up using two ladders to get to 2nd floor, like this.

From a physical standpoint, I suspect this approach is actually less safe than a direct approach to the 2nd floor. But for some reason, my mind is able to accept this approach better, and both of the ladders actually felt quite stable to me.

Before posting here, I did a fair amout of Google searching. I found lots of general ladder safety pages, but I couldn't find information about getting on and off a roof. I wasn't expecting to get so many responses, and this has been a good learning experience for me. I appreciate all the feedback.