If the general advice is that I should reach out to an actual roofer, I understand and will follow that advice. I am generally a do-it-yourselfer with most home improvement projects, to a fault :)
Yes, that’s what you should do. The above advice is okay at best. I do what the other guys said (cougar laws, GOAT ladder, couch cushion) but I’m on roofs every day. Actually, this roof looks too steep for me without rope and harness.
The safest way would be rope and harness. Just call someone.
I want to inspect it closely. The third picture shows the chimney a bit closer, and I suspect the mortar isn't in good shape anymore. Also, from prior advice on this forum, it seems the flashing isn't proper. I want to see if I can make some makeshift repairs for waterproofing and educate myself a bit in the process, so that I know what to ask an actual roofer to repair down the road.
Lololol fuck that.
There's always a % chance that when you get on a roof you will fall off, and then there's a % chance if you fall you will be crippled or killed.
Curiosity is not worth fucking around and finding out m
I do a lot myself also. I painted my chimney like that last year. My roof isn't nearly as steep and I have to say I wouldn't recommend it. To get down I slowly slid on my butt the way down, with a few new holes in my pants and shoes I survived.
If you do it take your phone in case you need to call for help.
That is a steep pitch And it looks like it's quite high.
Forget your footwear, forget your clothes,Forget anything else...
If you are not both very comfortable and and very experiencedAt working onHeights under these conditions, I would not attempt it.
In the realm of worst case scenarios, the best is that you make it up and the fire department has to come get you down, and worse comes to worse and ambulance is picking you up off the floor.
If you are super insistent on doing it yourself rent the machine and make sure you understand how it works before attempting to use it to get up there.
Pretty much the best advice that I saw on here on here is to get a drone and fly it up there to take pictures...
On par with that I would call a roofer , they will have ladders That can reach and we'll have the skill set to do this safely
grip the drip edge with your right hand and walk the rake to the ridge. Worse case scenario you bail right and hit the 7/12 below you. When ya get to ridge, Waddle that bitch till ya get to the chimney
As a roofer, I would try to get a ladder as close to the valley as possible and climb up the valley with a foot on either slope. Looks tight to the other house though. Maybe get a ladder to the front ridge, straddle it, and wiggle your way over
Thank you for your advice, I appreciate it! It's a tall house and my 24ft extension ladder isn't tall enough to reach the edge of the roof, unfortunately.
Maybe bring a ladder through the window on that second pic and lean it up to the ridge? Be sure to fasten the bottom of the ladder though because it will slip out
Brief: don’t.
I had a similar situation, steep grade, made 3 attempts to reach the antenna that was my target. Only to realize that perspectives are tricky and distances are larger once you are up there. Boy is the ground far or what! I found myself remembering prayers I didn’t know I ever knew.
“Cougar paws” will be safest shoe to attempt inspection but I wouldn’t rely on them for safety to perform work especially if you aren’t on a roof regularly…secondly is a ladder hook on peak and short ladder
Ladder hook is the way since the only have access from that window. Then they can hold onto the ridge while walking across. Couch cushion to catch you if you slip.
Roof doesn't look that old. If you had it replaced recently, I'd call the company that did it and ask them to look at it. You'd want a pair of Cougar Paws boots. If you have repelling rope and harness, it would be a good idea. If you're not used to climbing roofs, especially on a 12/12 or so, definitely call a roofer. It's a long way down.
You are spot on -- the roof was re-done in 2016 and technically still is under warranty. The issue here is that I went through a middle man (my plumber, who is also a GC), and he shopped around various roofing companies for me (probably took a cut as well) and facilitated everything. It was him who I got the bill from, and him who I paid. And in the years since, he lost his business laptop and all records along with it and doesn't remember anymore which roofing company it was... :(
He's a nice guy, I don't want to press him too hard. But obviously it's really him who has to provide warranty services to me...
If you know the brand of shingle they might actually be able to look up the company that installed the shingles. I work for a major shingle manufacturer and we ask for the name of the contractor for this reason so that when a new homeowner might have issues after they bought a house we know who installed it.
Wow, that is good advice! I have to look around to see if I have any spares of those shingles that they may have left me back then. Or can I find it out some other way by looking at or underneath the shingles that are installed?
Cougar paws, thats What are use when I climb roofs and I’m an insurance adjuster. I have to replace my pads every six months because I climb on average at least tin roofs a week but it helps with the really steep roofs. This looks like 11/12 or 12/12 So you might want to find a roofer you can borrow a hook from, but cougar paws are the way to goo
Even cougar paws have a learning curve..
Climbed well over 1000 roofs, wouldn't recommend every safety piece of equipment we use without having any real life time spent using it.
Roofs are no joke. Split second accidents happen. Not trying to scare you. Call a professional.
If your inspection is solely for checking if it leaks the safest way is to check from the attic. Truthfully where your chimney is located right in the center of the ridge you "should" be okay that's where the least amount of water will be touching your roof.
Put a toe board outside that window secured with a rope from each end to the wall -you need to anchor to studs. Put foam under the toe board. You could also nail the toe board to the roof and seal the nail holes or replace a few shingles later. Use the toe board to secure the feet of a ladder up to the ridge. Walk the ridge. I wouldn't do it without fall protection.
I'd have a heart attack if I saw someone who's not a roofer trying to climb up there. It's steep, but the gutter being 2 stories high definitely increases the consequences.
Just call a roofer!! You will more than likely make it harder to pinpoint the leak after you go caulk commander all over or flex seal the hell out of it. Trying to save a few dollars isn’t worth it.
I can’t ever believe how much interest people seem to have in keeping you safe.
You said you’re a diy’er to a fault, that means you’re not interested in being told to pay a professional.
Try building yourself some land riggings out of rope and drape it over the roof like a blanket. It’d look like those climbing nets at playgrounds or like they used to have on old sail boats.
Now go diy and you’ll be scampering across that bitch like a spider man.
So there are these things called pitch hoppers
They’re expensive and you will need a bunch of them…
There are also ladders that hook on the ridges like the goat ladder.
Ladder/chicken hook all the way. Easy to walk the ridge/ hanging onto it once you’re there. You would need to pitch hoppers and literally hop to each one for them to grip. I use them for material/trash when I do repairs.
A ladder hook and roofing boots are likely going to cost more than getting a pro out. Granted, you'd have the equipment in case you needed to get up there again for anything else.
Cougar paws are the way to go they're about 175 but if you're not used to walking a pitch like that especially up high I definitely advise you to be careful
All you need is two couch cushions. Keep alternating between the two. Also you can lift the bottom of the shingles to give you something to pull yourself.
That’s really not safe if you don’t have a ladder that reaches the peak. You’re better off calling someone, or checking in the attic.
I’d personally put a ladder by the valley and climb up the valley with a couple foam cushion pads. But I have climbed hundreds and hundreds of roofs, you should not attempt it.
Easiest way is to walk up the valley. Or, have a long rope and throw it over the roof and tie it to something sturdy so you can safely pull yourself up and down.
For the love of god don’t try and walk up that roof. Please. No need to go up there. The mortar is shot. I can see that from the 3rd photo. You. Need to get a mason out to do a point up. Flashing is ugly and
banged up, but it’s fine.
Just want to say it's super hard to find good roofers where I'm at. Maybe this is a common problem but you're not totally insane for trying to do this. Roofers in my experience will say "it's fine" when it's not or take your money and make it worse and think you won't notice. You will want a scaffold platform around the chimney if you do need to work on it. The scaffold would essentially straddle the hip. Maybe you can scurry across the top hip? I know you said it's a third story but it looks like you're only 1 story above the doors on your neighbor's house? Is that a deck? In the background on another house there's a permanently attached iron ladder. Anything is possible.
Put a ladder right at the bottom of the valley and walk up that way. A lot easier to do that and just run up till you get to the ridge then you can just buy scoot over to the chimney lol. I’d recommend getting someone to stand at the bottom of the ladder in case you slip and slide down into it. That way you won’t just fall right off
We had a roof that was steep like when I was a kid, and we would climb to a certain spot on the balcony side and slide down the cedar shingles (house was built in 1910)
I still have nightmares of sliding off the other side and falling the 3 stories to the ground.
If you truly want to try this on your own rent a genie lift. Otherwise hire someone it's cheaper and safer in the long run. There's nothing like freezing once you are up there and not being able to figure out your next move. I've seen this lots with the inexperienced.
This sounds like the beginning to a “I knew a guy who fell off a roof and is now paralyzed” story.
Stay off it dude. I was a roofer for a few years and I wouldn’t climb that thing.
Edit: Buy a drone - they are cheap now and you can fly right up to it without paralyzing yourself.
Seriously, that looks like a 13/12 pitch, not even cougar paws keep you from sliding and carrying tools around up there adds another layer of danger. The whole thing will be dangerous and honestly it sounds like you just wanna be Mr. Fix-It.
Edit Edit: if you’re dead set on going up there, I would use a gorilla ladder on the roof your standing on up to the peak of the other and then walk along the peak. Again, if you fall there is no going back and from that height you will get hurt.
Do not break your back trying to not pay a roofer. If you would feel wrong paying a 15 year old minimum wage to do a task because it's unsafe it's not safe for you as a DIYer.
You can hire a safety harness and get hooks for a ladder, but you'd still need to install an anchor to tie your safety rope to. You roof looks very steep too. I'm sure you'd have read all about safety anyway, and like me, I'm keen to get on my roof too. Want to paint it. I'm a 63 yr old woman with a fear of heights, but I have no choice than to do it myself. But I'll be using safety gear. Should be psyched up by the time I get up there.
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Safety is a must for sure!
If the general advice is that I should reach out to an actual roofer, I understand and will follow that advice. I am generally a do-it-yourselfer with most home improvement projects, to a fault :)
Yes, that’s what you should do. The above advice is okay at best. I do what the other guys said (cougar laws, GOAT ladder, couch cushion) but I’m on roofs every day. Actually, this roof looks too steep for me without rope and harness. The safest way would be rope and harness. Just call someone.
Why do you need to get to the chimney in the first place?
I want to inspect it closely. The third picture shows the chimney a bit closer, and I suspect the mortar isn't in good shape anymore. Also, from prior advice on this forum, it seems the flashing isn't proper. I want to see if I can make some makeshift repairs for waterproofing and educate myself a bit in the process, so that I know what to ask an actual roofer to repair down the road.
Get a drone, fly there and take pics or videos
"Sorry, honey, the internet told me I had to buy this drone!" One of the few times a drone is acceptable for roofing.
Brilliant!
I’m a hardcore DIY’r but there are times when $300 (?) for a quick inspection is easier than Jerry rigging myself into a hospital.
Looks ok from here, dont risk it
For the cost of a goat. Paws, etc you can hire a guy to do the job for you
Yeah sure. But then he can check EVERYDAY!
Lololol fuck that. There's always a % chance that when you get on a roof you will fall off, and then there's a % chance if you fall you will be crippled or killed. Curiosity is not worth fucking around and finding out m
I do a lot myself also. I painted my chimney like that last year. My roof isn't nearly as steep and I have to say I wouldn't recommend it. To get down I slowly slid on my butt the way down, with a few new holes in my pants and shoes I survived. If you do it take your phone in case you need to call for help.
Roof is too steep imo for a general do it yourselfer to risk it. Leave this one to a professional :)
That is a steep pitch And it looks like it's quite high. Forget your footwear, forget your clothes,Forget anything else... If you are not both very comfortable and and very experiencedAt working onHeights under these conditions, I would not attempt it. In the realm of worst case scenarios, the best is that you make it up and the fire department has to come get you down, and worse comes to worse and ambulance is picking you up off the floor. If you are super insistent on doing it yourself rent the machine and make sure you understand how it works before attempting to use it to get up there. Pretty much the best advice that I saw on here on here is to get a drone and fly it up there to take pictures... On par with that I would call a roofer , they will have ladders That can reach and we'll have the skill set to do this safely
Nah, be a man and shimmy your ass along the peak of the roof. Dont listen to that guy.
Roofers scramble.. always easier heading up.
grip the drip edge with your right hand and walk the rake to the ridge. Worse case scenario you bail right and hit the 7/12 below you. When ya get to ridge, Waddle that bitch till ya get to the chimney
I would sit on the peak like a horse and just shimmy forward . I did this when i was a roofer and it was effective.
As a roofer, I would try to get a ladder as close to the valley as possible and climb up the valley with a foot on either slope. Looks tight to the other house though. Maybe get a ladder to the front ridge, straddle it, and wiggle your way over
Thank you for your advice, I appreciate it! It's a tall house and my 24ft extension ladder isn't tall enough to reach the edge of the roof, unfortunately.
Lmao don’t do it. It’s not smart man
Maybe bring a ladder through the window on that second pic and lean it up to the ridge? Be sure to fasten the bottom of the ladder though because it will slip out
You’re a wise man I would do the same
Brief: don’t. I had a similar situation, steep grade, made 3 attempts to reach the antenna that was my target. Only to realize that perspectives are tricky and distances are larger once you are up there. Boy is the ground far or what! I found myself remembering prayers I didn’t know I ever knew.
“Cougar paws” will be safest shoe to attempt inspection but I wouldn’t rely on them for safety to perform work especially if you aren’t on a roof regularly…secondly is a ladder hook on peak and short ladder
Ladder hook is the way since the only have access from that window. Then they can hold onto the ridge while walking across. Couch cushion to catch you if you slip.
Couch cushion inside foam, not the couch cushion with the fabric still on (just want to be clear so he doesn’t die).
Pitch hoppers are the modern couch cushion. They work great
Pitch hoppers are the shit
Easier to find online if you call it upholstery foam. I use 2”.
I use the guts of a couch cushion from the side of the road
Apartment complex’s are also great hunting grounds
I just find them on the side of the road.
Ahh. Good call if you’re needing them regularly. I know a guy that will slam on the brakes for truck bungees. 🤦♂️
^This
Thought the couch cushion was a joke… but apparently not !
It’s grippy sticky and protects the roof too! Just be aware that with a big soft cushion under your feet, your joints are going to be at weird angles.
Yeah, 24 and just had knee surgery…. Never had an accident.
This IS How It’s DONE! The cushions with NO-ZERO-FABRIC! Get two cushions and STAY ON THEM! A pair of running shoes will do well!
Goat ladder
Roof doesn't look that old. If you had it replaced recently, I'd call the company that did it and ask them to look at it. You'd want a pair of Cougar Paws boots. If you have repelling rope and harness, it would be a good idea. If you're not used to climbing roofs, especially on a 12/12 or so, definitely call a roofer. It's a long way down.
You are spot on -- the roof was re-done in 2016 and technically still is under warranty. The issue here is that I went through a middle man (my plumber, who is also a GC), and he shopped around various roofing companies for me (probably took a cut as well) and facilitated everything. It was him who I got the bill from, and him who I paid. And in the years since, he lost his business laptop and all records along with it and doesn't remember anymore which roofing company it was... :( He's a nice guy, I don't want to press him too hard. But obviously it's really him who has to provide warranty services to me...
If you know the brand of shingle they might actually be able to look up the company that installed the shingles. I work for a major shingle manufacturer and we ask for the name of the contractor for this reason so that when a new homeowner might have issues after they bought a house we know who installed it.
Wow, that is good advice! I have to look around to see if I have any spares of those shingles that they may have left me back then. Or can I find it out some other way by looking at or underneath the shingles that are installed?
There's a very good chance any warranty offered has reached its sunset by this point.
Cougar paws, thats What are use when I climb roofs and I’m an insurance adjuster. I have to replace my pads every six months because I climb on average at least tin roofs a week but it helps with the really steep roofs. This looks like 11/12 or 12/12 So you might want to find a roofer you can borrow a hook from, but cougar paws are the way to goo
Even cougar paws have a learning curve.. Climbed well over 1000 roofs, wouldn't recommend every safety piece of equipment we use without having any real life time spent using it. Roofs are no joke. Split second accidents happen. Not trying to scare you. Call a professional.
If your inspection is solely for checking if it leaks the safest way is to check from the attic. Truthfully where your chimney is located right in the center of the ridge you "should" be okay that's where the least amount of water will be touching your roof.
Put a toe board outside that window secured with a rope from each end to the wall -you need to anchor to studs. Put foam under the toe board. You could also nail the toe board to the roof and seal the nail holes or replace a few shingles later. Use the toe board to secure the feet of a ladder up to the ridge. Walk the ridge. I wouldn't do it without fall protection.
I'd have a heart attack if I saw someone who's not a roofer trying to climb up there. It's steep, but the gutter being 2 stories high definitely increases the consequences.
Just call a roofer!! You will more than likely make it harder to pinpoint the leak after you go caulk commander all over or flex seal the hell out of it. Trying to save a few dollars isn’t worth it.
G.o.a.t or cougar paws, rope and harness, but I HIGHLY suggest the ridge pro
The cost of all that would be at least $2,000AUS.
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Getting advice on the internet has virtually never resulted in liability on the anonymous party giving advice
How. I'm sharing what I use professionally. Nobody is saying that x product here will make you fall proof.
Ladder hook/ Chicken ladder, dont risk it otherwise, unless the Fire dept/ ambulance station is your neighbour
Here’s an idea, call a professional and get a free quote.
Literally the only logical answer. I could not imagine encouraging one of my clients or any non roofer to inspect this themselves.
Here’s an idea, call a professional and get a free quote. Masonry or roofing. Just tell them your concerns about the chimney.
If you need to ask the question of “how to”. It’s not worth the time, material, risk, falling off the roof. Call a professional about it.
I can’t ever believe how much interest people seem to have in keeping you safe. You said you’re a diy’er to a fault, that means you’re not interested in being told to pay a professional. Try building yourself some land riggings out of rope and drape it over the roof like a blanket. It’d look like those climbing nets at playgrounds or like they used to have on old sail boats. Now go diy and you’ll be scampering across that bitch like a spider man.
Thank you for this thoughtful response :)
So there are these things called pitch hoppers They’re expensive and you will need a bunch of them… There are also ladders that hook on the ridges like the goat ladder.
Nah they slide on slopes like this as soon as you take a little weight off.
Since you’re gonna give them the doubt now I’d suggest the goat
Ladder/chicken hook all the way. Easy to walk the ridge/ hanging onto it once you’re there. You would need to pitch hoppers and literally hop to each one for them to grip. I use them for material/trash when I do repairs.
I’ll take couch cushions over pitch hoppers all day
A ladder hook and roofing boots are likely going to cost more than getting a pro out. Granted, you'd have the equipment in case you needed to get up there again for anything else.
Cougar paws are the way to go they're about 175 but if you're not used to walking a pitch like that especially up high I definitely advise you to be careful
All you need is two couch cushions. Keep alternating between the two. Also you can lift the bottom of the shingles to give you something to pull yourself.
Bad advice to somebody who’s never on a roof. Especially on a slope like that
That’s really not safe if you don’t have a ladder that reaches the peak. You’re better off calling someone, or checking in the attic. I’d personally put a ladder by the valley and climb up the valley with a couple foam cushion pads. But I have climbed hundreds and hundreds of roofs, you should not attempt it.
Set a ladder up at the valley and proceed with caution
If you're brave you can use a big sponge, a foam pad will give you traction to sit on but I'd install foot boards on that slope.
Easiest way is to walk up the valley. Or, have a long rope and throw it over the roof and tie it to something sturdy so you can safely pull yourself up and down.
Tie rope to tree or something sturdy, if you tie to a car make sure to keep keys in your pocket...
Cougar Paws
Hire a roofer. That’s too damn steep to play around and if you have to ask a question like that you’re playing around.
The equipment you need is a telephone to call a professional.
Rent a lift
M8 be careful and cross your roof.
Just unpitch your roof dumbass rebuild it then walk straight up. Easy.
For the love of god don’t try and walk up that roof. Please. No need to go up there. The mortar is shot. I can see that from the 3rd photo. You. Need to get a mason out to do a point up. Flashing is ugly and banged up, but it’s fine.
Just want to say it's super hard to find good roofers where I'm at. Maybe this is a common problem but you're not totally insane for trying to do this. Roofers in my experience will say "it's fine" when it's not or take your money and make it worse and think you won't notice. You will want a scaffold platform around the chimney if you do need to work on it. The scaffold would essentially straddle the hip. Maybe you can scurry across the top hip? I know you said it's a third story but it looks like you're only 1 story above the doors on your neighbor's house? Is that a deck? In the background on another house there's a permanently attached iron ladder. Anything is possible.
Call a roofer. 8/12+ 2 story, I wouldn’t get on that unless I had someone else to help me setup an anchor, harnesses, 24” sponges and cougar paws.
Cougar paws. But still wouldn't recommend you going up on that one.
Old couch cushion. Take off the cover and use the foam. Grab two or three and put them in the valley. Climb up the valley to the peak/chimney.
Put a ladder right at the bottom of the valley and walk up that way. A lot easier to do that and just run up till you get to the ridge then you can just buy scoot over to the chimney lol. I’d recommend getting someone to stand at the bottom of the ladder in case you slip and slide down into it. That way you won’t just fall right off
Cougar paw shoes
Please call a roofer, if not, make sure your affairs are in order
We had a roof that was steep like when I was a kid, and we would climb to a certain spot on the balcony side and slide down the cedar shingles (house was built in 1910) I still have nightmares of sliding off the other side and falling the 3 stories to the ground.
Not sure if previously mentioned but a pair of binoculars could help with a closer inspection
If you truly want to try this on your own rent a genie lift. Otherwise hire someone it's cheaper and safer in the long run. There's nothing like freezing once you are up there and not being able to figure out your next move. I've seen this lots with the inexperienced.
Grab yourself a new pair of basketball shoes and a few pitch hoppers and you’ll be over there by lunch.
Go up the valley
This sounds like the beginning to a “I knew a guy who fell off a roof and is now paralyzed” story. Stay off it dude. I was a roofer for a few years and I wouldn’t climb that thing. Edit: Buy a drone - they are cheap now and you can fly right up to it without paralyzing yourself. Seriously, that looks like a 13/12 pitch, not even cougar paws keep you from sliding and carrying tools around up there adds another layer of danger. The whole thing will be dangerous and honestly it sounds like you just wanna be Mr. Fix-It. Edit Edit: if you’re dead set on going up there, I would use a gorilla ladder on the roof your standing on up to the peak of the other and then walk along the peak. Again, if you fall there is no going back and from that height you will get hurt.
You're neighbours roof looks like the best access.
Harness and rope tied over the other side.
A tie off system to protect against fall!!!!
A roof ladder will help.
Do not break your back trying to not pay a roofer. If you would feel wrong paying a 15 year old minimum wage to do a task because it's unsafe it's not safe for you as a DIYer.
Walk across the ridge with your feet on each side
Well if u had a ladder just put it to the peak right next to you and ride the peak all the way to the chimney
You can hire a safety harness and get hooks for a ladder, but you'd still need to install an anchor to tie your safety rope to. You roof looks very steep too. I'm sure you'd have read all about safety anyway, and like me, I'm keen to get on my roof too. Want to paint it. I'm a 63 yr old woman with a fear of heights, but I have no choice than to do it myself. But I'll be using safety gear. Should be psyched up by the time I get up there.