PeakOfPerfection Report post Posted September 17, 2014 So we were out on a big 2 story house today. Steep pitch, very high. Lower roof prevented us from accessing the top roof from a ladder. So, up my guy went via ladder from the master bedroom balcony, and there he installed our safety anchors and clipped in. I watched as he washed the one side...then clipped in on the other side of the safety anchor and stepped onto the other side of the house to find...a fine layer of tree debris. DRY SLIPPERY tree debris. I watched as he stepped onto the roof and his feet immediately went out from under him. I watched as he went tumbling and sliding down the roof, scrabbling for grip, completely unable to stop and gaining speed...until his safety harness and lanyard brought him up short of the edge...exactly as designed. The anchor he installed not 15 minutes before worked exactly as designed. It was a very long way down. Had he not been wearing a safety harness and I hadn't insisted on installing safety anchors, I would have been at the hospital right now, very likely devastated. My guys grumble about having to put the anchors in. They grumble about wearing the harness. I can absolutely 100% GUARANTEE I will never hear another complaint about this from him again. Never forget, this is a very dangerous job. Never take your footing for granted. And never EVER skimp on safety. Anchors should be installed if you are on any roof over 1 story. They are a billable item to the client. There are times when you simply can NOT hit it from the ladder and have to go on the roof. At those times, do NOT take it for granted and work SAFELY. 3 JetBlueRacer, richard bond and Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Advantage Roof Cleaning Report post Posted September 17, 2014 Thank God your guys was not hurt. When I do use a harness I anchor it around something like a chimney. How do you usually anchor? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeakOfPerfection Report post Posted September 17, 2014 We install metal roof safety anchors. They are permanent. The ones we install give you a metal D-Ring on each side of the roof. We get $65 per anchor installed. They take about 15 minutes each. They meet all the OSHA safety requirements. It is worth it. The issue with using a chimney is positioning. If your chimney is on the edge of the roof, and you are on the far side cleaning and slip...think about how long your rope is and the swing you will do before your fall is arrested. Chances are, you are going over the edge. THERE IS A GOOD REASON THAT REGULATIONS CALL FOR ANCHOR INSTALLATIONS TO BE NO CLOSER THAN 6' from the edge. While having your fall arrested before you hit the ground is good, you then have the issue of being able to get back up. One of the most hazardous elements of a fall from heights does not involve the fall itself, but the prolonged effects of being suspended in a full-body safety harness after a fall. Circulation will be cut off and people have lost limbs or even died after being arrested but hanging too long. If you work solo, you need to know you have the strength to climb back up. If you use this system, you want rescue straps on your harness. These allow you to put foot loops around the rope so you can more easily climb back up. Even then, most people don't have the strength to get back up. Installing your own anchors allows you to position them in the ideal spot for each roof so that your fall is arrested BEFORE you hit the edge. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apple Roof Cleaning (813) 655-8777 Report post Posted September 17, 2014 This is a great post on roof cleaning safety, and the installation of anchors are a great idea. We only see 1 in 100 steep roofs here in Tampa, but out in the state of Washington, nearly every roof is a widow maker. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Advantage Roof Cleaning Report post Posted September 17, 2014 I have a metal anchor that came with my harness. Please post a photo of the one you use. You stated "We get $65 per anchor installed." Is that a price adder you roll into your quote? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeakOfPerfection Report post Posted September 18, 2014 I have a metal anchor that came with my harness. Please post a photo of the one you use. You stated "We get $65 per anchor installed." Is that a price adder you roll into your quote? This is the anchor we use. Made by Guardian systems. And yes, the anchors are added into the quote. I have never had a single objection to the price of the anchors when we explain they are permanent. Homeowners love the idea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Advantage Roof Cleaning Report post Posted September 18, 2014 The one I have looks to be re-usable. Is the purpose of a permanent installation to not leave holes? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeakOfPerfection Report post Posted September 18, 2014 The one I have looks to be re-usable. Is the purpose of a permanent installation to not leave holes? It is to not leave holes, plus it is there to serve the needs of any person who needs to be on the roof for any future work. Roofs should be maintained, so by setting permanent anchors you not only assist anybody who may need them in the future...including the homeowner; but you also set yourself up for the future maintenance sprays. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yurla Report post Posted September 19, 2014 Great post and very timely. At list in my area rain season is coming, so everything would be more slipery. Those anchors, do you just nail them down and put a silicon on top of the nails? Or you do something else? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yurla Report post Posted September 21, 2014 What I meant by my question, do you try to install it under the shingles? Or nail it over the shingles? Do you leave it exposed, or cover with another shingle? Thank you Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeakOfPerfection Report post Posted September 21, 2014 What I meant by my question, do you try to install it under the shingles? Or nail it over the shingles? Do you leave it exposed, or cover with another shingle? Thank you You pull the top cap and nail it into the truss below. Then replace the top cap with some added roof sealant for good measure. Takes about 10-15 minutes to install one. If you are not comfortable with roofing, set up a contract with a local roofing contractor to install the anchors for you. They get to walk the roof and make a customer contact, you get safety. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roof Cleaning Katy Texas Report post Posted September 21, 2014 Are there any tile roofs in your area? If so, what do you do to tie off on them? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeakOfPerfection Report post Posted September 22, 2014 Are there any tile roofs in your area? If so, what do you do to tie off on them? Tile roofs are very very rare in our area. When we get them, we hit them strictly from a ladder. or a lift. I never let any of my guys go onto a tile roof. First off...algae, lots and lots of algae. Plus, if a tile gets cracked, there are few roofers in our area who know how to do tile replacements. That being said, Guardian DOES make a safety anchor specifically for tile roofs. If you are familiar with removing and replacing the ridge cap, then you could install them yourself. Otherwise, hire a good tile roof company to install them for you. http://www.guardianfall.com/performance-safety-products/anchor-points/residential-anchor-points/ridge-it-tile-anchor-1-d-ring Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeakOfPerfection Report post Posted September 22, 2014 There is another type of Anchor we are looking into installing. It is also made by Guardian and is called the Hitch clip. Advantage to the hitch clip is that you don't need to pull the top cap to install. It screws in with the screws being placed underneath the course of the shingles. The drawback is that you have to lift the shingle up and there is always a chance of cracking. The other disadvantage is that you need to install two versus one...but that can be a good thing if the roofs have very different designs on each side. Here is the information... http://www.guardianfall.com/performance-safety-products/anchor-points/residential-anchor-points/hitchclip Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Advantage Roof Cleaning Report post Posted October 1, 2014 I was just looking at the hitch clip at one of the stores. My concern, as you have already mentioned, is that it requires you to significantly lift up a shingle tab. This may not be an issue for a new shingle but for 99% of the roofs we clean the tab will certainly crack. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeakOfPerfection Report post Posted October 2, 2014 I was just looking at the hitch clip at one of the stores. My concern, as you have already mentioned, is that it requires you to significantly lift up a shingle tab. This may not be an issue for a new shingle but for 99% of the roofs we clean the tab will certainly crack. That is definitely a concern. I am thinking 90 degree impact driver since you CAN put the hitch clips in with screws. Then again...if the shingles are that bad then replacing a cracked one would be cake. Would just need to be very thoroughly explained to the customer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
