The Best Way You Can Tear Off a High Pitch Roof

Dangers

• Roofing companies recognize the greater degree of difficulty in tearing off a high-pitched roof by charging more for it. For example, a roofing company in Minnesota charges $20 more per 100 square feet for a high pitched roof. If the roof is pitched extremely steep, as with a tower or steeple, the charges may go even higher than that because of the need for a safety harness on the workers.

Scaffolding

• A scaffold, otherwise known as jacks or cleats, is the traditional way to remove high-pitched roof shingles. Starting about 2 feet from the gutter and working upward, a 2-by-4 wood stud is nailed horizontally across the roof every 4 feet or so until enough height is reached where the roofer can stand on the top one and remove the shingles up to the crest of the roof. After the shingles are removed above the stud, it is removed, and the roofer moves to the stud below and continues.

Scaffold Ladder

• A scaffold ladder may also be knocked together by the roofers to access small spaces, such as dormers that project from the roof. A scaffold ladder is made by hammering short pieces of the studs together into a ladder shape. A horizontal stud is hammered into the roof to give the ladder a solid support. A scaffold ladder is desirable, when working with shingles on either side, since the ones underneath the ladder are inaccessible while the roofer is on the ladder.

Safety Harness

• If the roof is pitched very steeply and covers a larger area, a safety harness may be necessary to protect the roofers from falls. Roofing contractors require harnesses in various places and in different styles, depending on their preference. Generally, the harness goes around the chest and upper legs of the roofer and is secured to the other side of the roof. The harness allows the worker to move freely across the face of the steep roof without fear of slipping.