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Any tricks to walking down a roof? Wade Lippman 07-07-2007
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Posted by Wade Lippman on July 7, 2007, 6:00 pm
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?


Plumbing 468x60
Posted by aemeijers on July 7, 2007, 6:27 pm

>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....



Posted by Jeff Wisnia on July 7, 2007, 8:06 pm
aemeijers wrote:

>
>>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.

That, and I heard from a Occupational Therapist that the nerves coming
from your feet and ankles don't transmit signals as well as they did 50
years back, giving you less feedback to help you balance.

I've started seeing how long I can stand on one foot while moving the
other foot around in a sort of circular pattern. When I first tried it
I'd have to put the raised foot down in a few seconds or fall on my ass.
After doing it for a couple of weeks I'm up to over 30 seconds now,
which the OT told me is about average for someone 30 years old.

I think that walking upstairs or up a slope is "easier" because you
realize that if you do fall forward it'll be a much "shorter" fall than
if you fell forward while facing down the stairs or slope.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.98*10^14 fathoms per fortnight.

Posted by mm on July 8, 2007, 3:03 am
On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 20:06:38 -0400, Jeff Wisnia

>
>I think that walking upstairs or up a slope is "easier" because you
>realize that if you do fall forward it'll be a much "shorter" fall than
>if you fell forward while facing down the stairs or slope.

And you have your hands to stop you and hold on.

When I'm really having trouble getting down a hill without slipping, I
turn and face the hill and get down on my hands and feet and walk
backwards down the hill on all fours.

Posted by ValveJob on July 8, 2007, 1:25 am
wrote:

>
>>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.


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