The roofing crew I use has a pretty good system for getting the shingles laid. They typically stock all the shingles on the peak, and then they have a guy up there “throwing” shingles to the nailers. One “thrower” can feed two nailers quite efficiently.
I’ve shingled a few roofs in my days and I never used a system like this. I’m now sorry I never did because it really appears to be a very efficient system. Occasionally, when I’m there inspecting the progress, I often sit up there and toss a few squares down myself. It sure beats the heck out of wrestling bundles and double handling them.
Anyone else use this system?
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That's pretty much how it's done here. If I'm lucky enough to have a helper on the roof it sure beats breaking the packages at the peak, throwing out a course and then going back and nailing them down.
Last roof I did by myself, 6/12, had to move each shingle, one by one, or risk losing them sliding off the roof. Gravity overcomes friction. What a pain in the butt.
The crew I use have anywhere between 5 and 10 guys depending on the size and difficulty of the roof so there always "helper" available. Sometimes though, there will be one guy in a section working alone and thats when I toss him a few bundles...depending on my schedule. Its a much easier system than anything I've ever done.
When I worked with another guy, he would nail the shingles and I would flop them down in front of him, so he just had to position the shingle and nail it. I'd have an open bundle always at hand and would hold about a third of a bundle and throw down from that. We could do a roof pretty quickly that way and the guy doing the nailing didn't have to be scrambling for shingles.
Having two people keeps you from having to get up to get the shingles.
The same thing goes for flooring. One guy up and the other down.
"There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."Will Rogers
I would be concerned about all that weight on the ridge.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Don't lose sleep over it. Every roof I ever did got stocked at the ridge.Well, OK, 98% of them
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"I would be concerned about all that weight on the ridge."
I know of a stick framed house that collapsed when they stocked the ridge. We ended up building trusses to replace the rafters.
But - Only one in 20+ years of trusses, so I don't think it's too common.
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I saw a finished roof that collapsed once. It was a mtn cabin with three feet of heavy wet snow on it.I was shoveling snow off the one three doors down, shoveling both sides from ridge down to eave.The guy on that one shoveled only one side off first, left the load on the opposite side while he went to lunch, and when he came back, he didn't need to worry about shoveling snow off the roof - there was no roof any more.I can't remember if it was stick framed or trussed.
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How do you shovel roofs? Are you standing on the ridge or ground or inbetween?
I usually run a 2 man renovation crew. That is what we do 1 nails while one feeds him, Bundles are spread out along the ridge and we put a few coils of nails 4 or 5 every so often so when we run out of nails they are near. I go up on the angle so there is less body movement.
How is it a "peak" now that you're a roofer, but it was a "ridge" for 30 years before that?
Sorry, had to ask. I have "cupboards" in my kitchen even after many years as a cabinetmaker.
LOL.
I never gave it much thought but if the work "peak" came out, it probably was a term that I often used. Remember, most of my experience was with trusses and we rarely had ridges.
That's the method I've always used. Everybody stocks, whether it's packing or rooftop delivery. Then, one throws to two "rolling", while one "cuts in".
copper p0rn
What blew me totally away was when I found these roofers I hired to do a 85 sq roof on a 150+ old mansion I was working on less than two years ago here in town.
The HO could not find one roofing company big or small that even wanted the job b/c access was difficult and it needed a rip of three layers including the wood shingle original roof.....mountains and mountains of debris. One company told him it'd cost about 80K just to set up scaffolding.
My roofer came in with his crew of about 10-12 guys. They were done in 7 days.
Zero scaffolds and just one ladder and it was by no means a walker.
They worked off of ropes tied into hooks at the ridge line connected to their harnesses.
As you said...they had two guys at the ridge feeding shingles too the guys below.
A rep from GAF even came and took photos.
You should have only seen
the mountains of debris all around the mansion. these guys used those big green landscapers garbage cans. Loaded em' up and walked all the roofing to about 8-10 40 yard dumpsters about 100' away from the house.
They left the site spicNspan and the GAF rep said the job was a major thumbs up.
And to boot just about everyday was in the ninties....but to Guatemalans that ain't squat.
The owner of the company who also was up there roofing was Jewish which I found funny.
I told him between the two of us we should investigate our ancestors and see if we were into building pyramids...lol
I have to say...it looked safer to me doing the roof that way than any other way I ever saw before...maybe b/c I'm into rock climbing and I know how safe it is with the right equipment.
http://picasaweb.google.com/andybuildz/COLDSPRINGHARBORHISTORICMANSIONRESTORATION#slideshow/5231926938830293634
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I've done that before once - I was the thrower.
The guys working up the slope had a pretty good rythym going, and I got the hang of it pretty quickly. I would toss the shingles so that they slid down and hit their feet just they put the last nail in.
Once in a while we'd get crossed up when they ran out of nails, and a shingle was sliding down towards them. Or when I had to stop to open a new bundle. But we were able to get back into the rythym pretty quickly each time.
The Cold Spring Harbor house is a gem!
Jeff
you should see the inside...and only one lil' ol' 90-something year old man lives there..
No one even knows the house exists. I lived around here for about 25 years and drove down that road a million times and never knew it was up this narrow little driveway way up-top the hill in the woods as you can see in my photos from up-top his roof.
The house is a total mess inside.View Image
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I know just the architect .... ;o)
set ladder to get to the ridge and start shoveling down.
I don't think you'll need that skill set in your current location though, LOL
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What keeps you from slipping off? You wear ice creepers LOL?
Edited 11/16/2009 7:27 am ET by jimAKAblue
The pile of snow between me and the eave that hasn't been shoveled off yet
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At some point, isnt the snow removed? What are you hanging onto then? Are these small roofs...or large steep monsters?
steep ones unload themselves pretty much.Most shoveling is on a basic ranch up to 6/12. By time you shovel 3-4 feet of snow off from ridge down to eave, there is a big old pile right under you to land in if you come off. I've seen worse lumps and jumps skiing
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Jim must have lived in the part of MI without snow!>G<
We never had to shovel any snow. I was in the SE MI. I also lived for awhile up in the NE on Lake Huron but I never had to shovel there either. Thank goodness. It was a 12/12 with 20 rafters. I can't imagine how I'd have shoveled that beast.
Hint, always start at the top!
Building an apartment building once and we had a snow storm that dropped 25" on us. Now imagine 10 guys with snow shovels and pieces of ply shoveling a deck! Roofs to shovel are fun as you don't get hurt when you fall off!!
He told us once that he rarely saw more than a few inches fall I think
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In MI?
We used to get blasted with a foot or so every once in a while. I just never had to shovel a roof.
Lucky boy
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I don't know that I'm so lucky. I walked out today and I darn near froze to death before I could run back in and get my second sweatshirt on. I think it was down there near 50.
I think it was down there near 50>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That was our high. I was outside in a tshirt!
Having a beautiful day up here. It should get all the way up to 49° today!
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I'm thinking of moving further south. I don't know if I should stop in Mexico or keep going onto Guatemala. It's too cold here...it went down to the 40s overnight...but it will be back to the 70s today. As soon as it warms up, I'll leave the house.
you should have stayed up north here1 i am done for the day-stayed home untill 9:00-went out and did a tile roof repair- home by lunch.
i beat the rain that strted 1-1/2 hours ago-it's about 58 right now temps still in the 30's,40's,50's early in the morning and I am running early mornings in a T shirt and wind pants still.
Stephen
Do you have to jump any frozen cadavers when you are out there running?
I had a 1974 Cadaver once that had to be jump started pretty regularly. Think it had a short in it someplace...
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Now that you explain the whole process, it sounds safe, but the first few posts did sound like a crazy person."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
jeez piffin, ever hear of a roof snow rake? http://www.roofrake.com/
yer gonna get yourself killed, or worse
you'll never unload a heavy snow with one of them.
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