roofing equipment

[Flyingpig]

My house is really tall(2 story with full walkup attic) and Im having trouble finding anybody that will do a reshingle job for me. The only lifts Ive been able to find are HEAVY duty and not suitable for a soft sloping lawn. Ive seen some small lifts on "boat" trailers but none are available to rent or buy. Does anyone have any ideas on what I could use, build or modify to get people and or materials to the roof? Ive thought about bringing an old corn elevator in from the farm but Im not sure Ive got the space for that to work either. I dont have the money to buy any new commercial equipment ($3000) and most is made for single story ranch style homes(too short).

Id take any helpful suggestions here. Even snarky sarcasm might spawn an idea.

[aametalmaster]

And no Amish guys in your area. I have the same problem but i can rent a towable lift to get around my house. I just watched a company put on a green steel roof in my neighborhood and they had their own bucket truck like the tree guys use that was 65 foot...Bob

[Tony D]

I don't know about using a bucket but I have done some steep roofs with metal and shingles roof jacks are a mans best friend...

Now I don't know where you are looking for roofers but 2 stories are usually pretty low pitched and takes the difficulty level down quite a bit,and the loading of the roof will just take a good crew and a couple backs to move that stuff up there ....is how I did it for 20 years near Detroit and most were re deck cedear tear offs and there was no crane to move materials ...

now it sounds like your trying to do this yourself or all the roofers you called are sissies not belonging in the field of roofing and if you can't physically carry a bundle up there your in no shape to do the job just my thoughts, there is alot of ways to get them up there but with 3 guys and a ladder the bundles will move a bundle a minute and I don't see that being a MGM production as moving equipment and such..

and the lift ladders go high as the sky if you pay for extensions don't try to make one though I never trusted them anyhow cheesy lifts
there is no easy way to do it yourself though good luck

P.S. that's about all the jobs I would work the crew on were the ones the wus roofers turned down because they couldn't throw it in a day or two ,and made more money than them but it has took it's toll on me ...as I can't run circles around these kids now a days but that is how it's done!!!

and I do exclusively Metal roofing now and do NOT do shingles can install 30 SQ. in a day with one guy and do a ranch house in 7 hours by myself sorry but screw the shingles when 30 year metal is 63.00 a square for 26 GA. and 29 GA. is 45.00 a square....
the profit just on material besides tear off and paper and all the work I'm sticking with metal roofs they go on 10 times faster now I make all my trim and average about 3500-5000 per roof down here in Oklahoma... making more money laying metal then in Michigan shingling 6 days a week sun up to sun down now I work till lunch time and is like retirement.... when it's 104 you gotta hit it at 5 in the morning though ...well as I said good luck doing your roof and be careful up there if you are having a company do it GET A COPY OF THERE INSURANCE OR NUMBERS AND CALL TO VERIFY TO COVER YOURSELF


and if you put your family up there doing it think if it;s worth it there has gotta be a roofer that will do your roo!!!!!
the sales men take your order and hand it to the contractors or the newest contractor gets all the fun roofs like yours and they don't pay him any more they get a set square price they just have a few more steps to the top that is how it is in the roofing industry.

I would do your roof for 200.00 a square tear off too only if it has to be only takes till lunch time for it all to hit the ground/dump truck....if it were metal and could get some guys to shingle it for 225.00 a square ... maybe but I refuse to do shingles LOL now that metal price is blowing peoples minds ..
keeping me working through these hard times but the locals are getting upset they are shingling for less and bustin there a$$es for sure
enough on that BE CAREFUL up there

[monte55]

My house is really tall(2 story with full walkup attic) and Im having trouble finding anybody that will do a reshingle job for me. The only lifts Ive been able to find are HEAVY duty and not suitable for a soft sloping lawn. Ive seen some small lifts on "boat" trailers but none are available to rent or buy. Does anyone have any ideas on what I could use, build or modify to get people and or materials to the roof? Ive thought about bringing an old corn elevator in from the farm but Im not sure Ive got the space for that to work either. I dont have the money to buy any new commercial equipment ($3000) and most is made for single story ranch style homes(too short).

Id take any helpful suggestions here. Even snarky sarcasm might spawn an idea.

I'm sure someone will shoot this idea down but I have thought about it for years.
Take a "good" parallel sided extension ladder that will safely reach the work area without being over extended. Make or find 4 small wheels with a lip on one side like a train wheel to ride the side rails of the ladder. Attatch them
to an adjustable angle carriage frame. You can buy a 120 volt electric hoist
from places like Harbor for under a $100 that single line can easily lift 440 lbs.
A bundle of shingles weighs about 50-80 lb depending on the style. I wouldn't
advise people riding this but for shingles, I think it would be fine. Once on the roof they can be carried to where need be. Now, I said hoist and not a winch.
A hoist will lock in when stopped and that's important. The next time I do my roof I will make one. Carring a bundles up a ladder is hard work and a bit dangerous. My stepson was carrying a bundle up a ladder, the bottom slipped
out, he fell, broke his arm and destroyed the ladder. He was only seven feet up .

[Sonora Iron]

I'm sure someone will shoot this idea down but I have thought about it for years.
Take a "good" parallel sided extension ladder that will safely reach the work area without being over extended. Make or find 4 small wheels with a lip on one side like a train wheel to ride the side rails of the ladder. Attatch them
to an adjustable angle carriage frame. You can buy a 120 volt electric hoist
from places like Harbor for under a $100 that single line can easily lift 440 lbs.
A bundle of shingles weighs about 50-80 lb depending on the style. I wouldn't
advise people riding this but for shingles, I think it would be fine. Once on the roof they can be carried to where need be. Now, I said hoist and not a winch.
A hoist will lock in when stopped and that's important. The next time I do my roof I will make one. Carring a bundles up a ladder is hard work and a bit dangerous. My stepson was carrying a bundle up a ladder, the bottom slipped
out, he fell, broke his arm and destroyed the ladder. He was only seven feet up .

I think you have a very good idea!
Have you given any thought to where the sides of the ladder have a step / jog? How will the cart pass this bump?

[monte55]

I've thought of that. Go slow and be careful. So there's a bump in the middle.
No big deal.

[Sonora Iron]

I've thought of that. Go slow and be careful. So there's a bump in the middle.
No big deal.

I find it works best to go very fast over bumps.

[monte55]

Not in this case. We do not need a derail

[nocheepgas]

Based off of Monte's idea, how about making the same type of trolley, but instead of using a ladder, construct the side rails out of angle iron, making it long enough to reach the intended height. A pulley at the top on a cross rail of sufficient strength, moderately spaced cross rails the length of the trolley and thus eliminating the 'bump in the road'.

[willy]

My house is really tall(2 story with full walkup attic) and Im having trouble finding anybody that will do a reshingle job for me. The only lifts Ive been able to find are HEAVY duty and not suitable for a soft sloping lawn. Ive seen some small lifts on "boat" trailers but none are available to rent or buy. Does anyone have any ideas on what I could use, build or modify to get people and or materials to the roof? Ive thought about bringing an old corn elevator in from the farm but Im not sure Ive got the space for that to work either. I dont have the money to buy any new commercial equipment ($3000) and most is made for single story ranch style homes(too short).

Id take any helpful suggestions here. Even snarky sarcasm might spawn an idea.

Hey Flyingpig - My folks had their house done by Palace Roofing in Clutier - they were pretty reasonable on price, did nice work, and got it done quick... Send me PM if you need their number.....

[mattbrissey]

jlg lift

jlg makes a boom lift that is on crawler tracks. dont know if there are anybody who rents them, you can take a look at their site and see if its what what you may want to look into(renting)

[Flyingpig]

When I was 4 a bale of hay chase me down the ladder in the barn. I went back to the house unconscious. That pretty much cured me of being off the ground. Im also over 300# so the roof with questionable wood isnt the place for me. One of the kids was going to do it and started on a porch roof but encountered 5-6 layers and then didnt have time to finish before school started again. He now has "no interest" in do the job.

Even the Amish jacked up the rate when they saw the house. Ive had bids anywhere between $4500 and 8000 just for the labor. I have ALL the materials except for wood which we dont know how much is needed. The roof is solid not slats and doesnt need wood all over. Maybe Im a tight a$$ but I think 4500 is a bit much for a day and a half work.

Last night I traded my neighbor a nearly new central air unit for half the roof. He isnt in the best of physical condition but can do the job slowly. We will have to do the tear off.

The overhangs are rotting so we need a way to work off the roof till its safe. The edge of the roof is 28 ft off the ground at the lowest point. That takes a lot of ladder.

Im going to look at one of the elevators on the farm but those take quite a bit of real estate to set up. I figured that could take the shingles up as well as make a ladder for people. Still need a way to get plywood up there. Ive been looking for bale elevators but all are far too short.

[Wacko Welder]

Please use . . . .

Please use a harness system . . . . I worked as a State Farm Catastrophe Adjuster for a few years . . . several Macho adjusters are no longer with us today . . . . they refused to use a harness . . .

Any type of harness system is better than none at that height . . .

Steve

[metalmeltr]

I saw i picture in a book one time where they took a ladder and set the plywood up aginst the ladder and tied a piece of rope around the plywood and pulled it up the ladder. It would go slow but it would gt the job done

[Bodybagger]

It seems to me that the original question was something to the effect of "Can I build something ingenious that will make roofing much easier and cheaper?"

No.

If there was, it would be in every trade magazine. It would be the talk of the town at construction industry expositions.

The ability to successfully execute a roofing job comes from experience. It's hard, dirty work, and once tear off is started, there is no going back. You have to be equipped to re-sheet the entire roof immediately if necessary. You have to be ready to have a roof dried-in within 1-2 hours from your initial warning of bad weather.

A couple handymen can't do this. I have been the guy that documents the results when a handyman ends up on a roof. I have been the liaison with OSHA in their death investigation. I have seen the lawsuits against the company and the homeowner. I have seen the medical bills alone from one fall exceed 1 million dollars. I have seen the wheelchair. I have cleaned up the blood from a 20+ year veteran roofer that I was friends with for over a decade. I went to the hospital when he was in a coma for 2 weeks. I attended his funeral. He fell 7'10" through an opening in a flat roof.

Even the best die while roofing.

I have only one suggested course of action. Find a contractor that specializes in roofing and has been in business for 10 years. Get a list of references from jobs that are 5+ years old. Ask the references if there has been any problems. Make sure the contract says 4 things:

*Shingles will be installed to manufacturers specifications
*Installation will conform to International Residential Code, with special attention paid to waterproofing membrane around eaves
*Everyone on site will comply with OSHA regulations, with specific attention to fall protection guidelines for Residential Construction (OSHA STD 03-00-001)
*Payment is due upon completion. If you're providing materials, there is no need for an up-front deposit. If you don't pay, they have mechanic's lien recourse.

Expect to pay $6000 (includes materials) for a 2000 sq ft home to have it done right by a legit contractor.

If someone falls, the homeowner gets sued anyway, whether the contractor has liability and workers comp, or not. Make sure they wear full body harnesses. I actually had an accident which I never would have expected in a million years and it caused me to fall off a 22' roof while wearing a body harness and it saved my life. **** near gave me a heart attack, but the only injuries were abrasions.

Please take my word when I say that this is dangerous work that should only be done by the folks that do it day in and day out. Don't put your friends or family up there because the benefit is not worth one tenth of 1 percent of the risk.

That said, look at scaffolding rental and an articulated boom such as http://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equipm...342&catid=1214. You can get a better deal renting them weekly. But you'll have a good chunk toward rental that you could have otherwise spent having a pro do it.