Replies

1. 
   Ryan_C | May 05, 2001 01:05pm | #1

   *
   Please explain the technique. And how much longer did it take?

1. 
   Ron_Budgell | May 05, 2001 01:31pm | #2

   *Stephen, You could send me a crate of beer just on the chance that I posted the original description. After all, I've seen roofs done that way and I would have posted the description if I had known about the payoff. It's a useful technique when you must do a roof alone because you can do the roof a bit at a time. Ryan, I'd bet you've figured it out by now. It's been half an hour since you posted your question. You just strip the top few rows of shingles and reshingle normally avoiding putting any nails into the old shingles that you're leaving. So you're working on only a few rows of shingles at one time. When you strip the next batch of old roof, the top row and a half will be under the new ones but that's not a real big problem.

1. 
   Schelling_McKinley | May 05, 2001 01:53pm | #3

   *Ryan- We use this technique on any roof that we can't walk on, either because it is too steep or too hot. We first strip as much roof as we can finish in a day from the top down. We start our first course as far down the roof where we can still reach the top. Nail the first course at the top and proceed upward as you would normally. When you are finished drop down another 5 feet and start again. You have to calculate the proper distance down and make sure you start with the correct vertical alignment. When you reach the top slide your shingles under the top section and nail them off. You can then nail off the bottom of the first shingle you installed on the top section. This last step can be tough with laminated shingles if the temp is below 20 degrees F.This method will not work where you have closed or woven valleys. It is slightly slower than roofing in the conventional way, but since we do less than 8 roofs a year we are slow anyway.

1. 
   Allyson_Stiles | May 05, 2001 02:45pm | #4

   *Stephen,What I can't believe is that you thought this a dumb idea. We've done felt and shingles like that. It's worked great for many for years.Billy

1. 
   bill_burns | May 05, 2001 02:54pm | #5

   *there was an article in a fine homebuilding several years ago. i'll try to find it and get back with the info. i used this method on an old house that i was extending the roof line upward and it worked well.

2. 
   blue_eyed_devil_ | May 05, 2001 02:58pm | #6

   *I still think it's a dumbass idea. But I also like dumbass ideas. I know that a lot of my dumbass ideas are quite useful in the proper situation.I've done only a few tear-offs. Usually, I don't have the proper manpower to do it without significant risk. If I'm working short (I've done them alone), then I just work a two tab vertical section at a time. I strip about 8' from ridge to eave.. I then lay that section, then move over and do it again. At the end of the day, I only have a very small area to waterproof if I can't get an entire section finished.There are more than one way to skin a cat.blue

3. 
   Stephen_Hazlett | May 05, 2001 07:58pm | #7

   *Sorry about the double posts guys. On this particular day we tore off the days work area in pretty much the regular way---from top down. then we dripedged,icegaurded and felted our way up to the top and shingled our way back down.I can see tons of situations where this is gonna come in handy. I can't believe I have never seen this done before. I live in a pretty good sized city and from March to november it is a pretty rare week when we don't tear-off at least one roof.I have never, ever seen this done before. Apparently it is commonly done in other parts of the country.speaking of dumbassed ideas-----some of you may remember a while ago I mentioned roofing while sitting on foam rubber cushions(old couch cushions exactly) This was another idea I originally dismissed as stupid untill I tried it myself and instantly converted.there are now at least 3 different companies(cougar paws,malco,and ajc) marketing roof cushions. apparently you can make a bundle if you market a dumbassed idea that actually works.stephen

4. 
   Allyson_Stiles | May 05, 2001 08:05pm | #8

   *Stephen,The first time I ever saw guys using old cushions on the roof, I thought they were crazy or lazy. Now, I think it's a great idea. It will help keep you on the roof better and is easier on the body. Go figure, I hadn't seen roof cushions being marketed, but it doesn't surprise me.Billy

5. 
   Coolflow_ | May 06, 2001 12:11am | #9

   *I seem to recall reading about this method in the "Tip and Technniques" section of FHB a few years ago too.

6. 
   Ryan_C | May 06, 2001 01:21am | #10

   *About the cushions. I'm not very fast but If I had to slide a cushion around under me everytime I moved, I'd never get anything done. And with my leather kneepads, it's my feet that hurt anyway.What I need is a hovering body harness that floats in mid air. Then I could roof, do siding, install windows, paint myself into a corner, and even reach to add a quart of oil to my truck.

7. 
   Mike_Smith | May 06, 2001 04:22am | #11

   *i got one of the Malco cushions , after i saw a pic. of stephen on one... don't get to use it much though , guys keep stealing it on me....another helper is one of the roof levelers, help to level laddeders, buckets of paint...there are lots of things for working on roofs thta you can use for more than just roofing...

2. 
   Stephen_Hazlett | May 06, 2001 04:22am | #12

   *
   About a year ago,someone here suggested roofing from the top down in hot weather.coming from Ohio,I had never seen this done and it sounded completely un-workable. After the proper technique was explained to me I could see that it might work,but it still seemed like one dumb-assed idea.It turns out that I am the dumb-assed one.

   I had a chance to roof top down on this past thursday and it worked fantastic on an 11/12 pitch.the tie-ins around a dormer and a chimney were a snap,wear and tear on the shingles from foot traffic was non-existant,and the closer to the ladder we got the easier everything became 'cause the shingles did not have to be carried as far.

   I only wish I could remember who suggested this technique so I could send them a case of their favorite beer in gratitude for a truly GREAT idea.

   Thanks again,Stephen