On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 22:27:22 GMT, "aemeijers"
wrote:


"Wade Lippman" wrote in message
...
I have always been terrified of going up on my roof. Today I decided that
was silly; people spend all day on them, how dangerous could it be. It was
something I had to get over.
Walking up the roof is actually pretty easy, but walking down it is not.
Walking forward I feel like I might fall, and walking backwards is really
clumsy. I think it is just harder to keep your weight over your feet
going down than up.
How is it best done?
Diagonally. No, seriously. When you are going downhill on anything over
about a 5/12 pitch, zig-zag down like a skier- it will be less scary. And if
you slip, you will fall on your side and butt, not forward.

What is your roof pitch? At my age, anything over about 8/12, I leave to
the pros. I also don't scoot along on my butt on the roof edge to clean
gutters anymore- I use a leaf blower from several feet back, or do it from a
ladder. The old inner ear told me there was just too much chance of tumbling
sideways now.

12/12, like on a cape cod, should always be left to the pros, both due to
the chance of injury, and how easy it is to trash the roof with the jacks
and safety gear.

aem sends....

My wife will not stand up on a roof. But she scoots on her butt and
can drag a 40 pound load with her. It does get expensive with her
buying new jeans after a couple of days because she wears the seat
out.

So scoot on your butt.