Walking On Slate Roof Tiles

While it s usually best to stay off your roof if possible you can still walk on the tiles if you need to make repairs.

Walking on slate roof tiles.

If you don t apply the right technique you can easily cause breaking and even the potential for you to seriously be hurt. If you re one of the lucky individuals who has a slate roof on his house you re almost guaranteed that you won t have to replace it for its first 60 to 100 years. If the tiles have water stains check for any hairline cracks. How to work on slate roofs.

Ideally you would only allow specially trained roofers to work on roofs covered in slate but for emergency repairs or the retrieval of the occasional frisbee it can t be avoided. A normal walk is not generally the best approach upon a tile roof. Clay and concrete tiles are a great roofing material since they re more durable than shingles but they can break or crack if you apply too much pressure while you re walking on them. How to walk on a tile roof.

Walking on a roof tiles are a very dangerous task both for you and the tiles. You can also do a fair amount of checking at ground level. Walking on a roof can be an unsettling affair doubly so for tile roofs. Essentially with each step place the heel of your foot in the gap between tiles roll the arch over the tile and end up with your toe in the next gap.

If you find yourself in the circumstances with no other choice you may use the guides above. This problem is known as delamination. Slate roofing tiles are very delicate and can easily crack and dislodge under your weight. Instead transfer your weight gradually as you walk and curve your step with the arc of the tile as it falls.

Before you can start walking you need to understand a little more about roofs in general. Ridge or hip tiles the tiles on the peak of your roof tiles in the valley of your roof. You can spot a sloped slate roof tile more easily from the ground. Otherwise it is still advised to ask for professional helps who knows how to walk on roof tiles safely and have the required knowledge and equipment for it.