Safe To Walk On Flat Roof

Walking on your roof.

Safe to walk on flat roof.

Max baker s marvelous book. Sure concrete tiles are strong. Sometimes you need to be able to access your roof. Your roof seems like it should be strong after all it needs to be able to withstand massive gusts of wind pelting from hail dosing in rain that can add hundreds of pounds of weight and so much more.

Benefits of being able to walk on your flat roof. However standing seam or screw down metal panels are not practical to walk on. It s something that seems like it should be so simple and yet presents so many risks. Also see building safety hazards guide and see our list of inspector safety articles at home inspection education services safety articles.

Metal flat roofing flat or low slope commercial roofs can also be covered with steel zinc aluminum or copper. Crouch down slightly to walk down a metal roof safely. Generally speaking it is as safe to walk on a metal roof 30 or 50 years after installation as the day it was installed. The answer depends on several factors such as the rv manufacturer s recommended weight limit the type of material used to construct the roof system and the condition of the roof.

But they re not really made to be walked on. The book now out of print was sponsored by the national research council of canada and it brought together information into one document from canadian building science digests research papers and building science seminars and workshops from the division of building research. Walk up or down a slightly inclined roof by walking as you would on the ground but slowly. Walk up a steep roof sideways.

People ask all the time if it s safe to walk on their rv roof to perform maintenance view a beautiful sunset or watch a nascar race. 4 steps for walking on metal roofs the first thing to do is check the manufacturer s advice for their recommended method of walking on that particular roof product. The majority of flat roofs are not built to withstand the pressure of being walked on and doing so may cause weakness over time not only making it a health hazard but also putting your investment at risk. Wet icy or snow covered roofs are unsafe to walk on in most circumstances possibly excepting expert inspection of flat roofs with safe parapets or railings installed.

The steeper the metal roof the more you ll need to lean over. I am a buildings surveyor be careful when walking on a flat roof as it can shorten the life of the covering. First off we don t recommend that you walk on your concrete tile roof if you can avoid it and neither do tile manufacturers. Walk up a roof and lean your body over towards the roof to help maintain your balance.

Cleaning your roof without walking on it.