Roofing Question

[Runum]

Hey guys I need to put a new roof on my house. I know this is a garage forum but your roofing ideas may apply on my house too. I have bought some asphalt shingles. They almost killed my car trailer because of their weight. I really had no idea they were so dense. Anyway now they sit on the trailer and they won't jump up on the roof for me. Other than lugging them up the ladder several at a time, I wondered if you guys had a better method of getting them up there? Some sort of home made winch system? Ideas?

 

[bmwpower]

Rent a gas powered ladder hoist, if available. You need 2 guys to operate this thing - one at the top to grab the shingles and one at the bottom to run the hoist.

http://www.asequip.com/roofing/hoists/ladder.html

 

[Runum]

Great idea! Thanks, I didn't even know this existed. This site is awsome!

 

[Satatic]

Catapult.

 

[Matt Harwood]

Aw, go ahead and carry them, Nancy! I worked construction all through college, and when we couldn't get rooftop delivery of the shingles, we had to carry them up the ladder, two at a time (if you took only one, you would be heckled relentlessly by the others).

It's one hell of a workout too.

(Just kidding about the Nancy thing, by the way--if there's a better way to get shingles on a roof that doesn't involve carrying them, I'm all in favor of it!)

 

[byrdman]

Guess I'd have been heckled then- those ba$tards are HEAVY!

yours truly,
Nancy

 

[Runum]

You can call me Nancy, no problem. I guess I'm old enough to know my limits due to pushing my limits in my younger years. My 20 year old nephew has offered to carry them up to the roof for me. There are 90 bundles. I am going to check on the ladder lift thing tomorrow. I may just take him up on his offer. Now if I can get him to install them I will be all set.

 

[Matt Harwood]

Now that I'm 15 years older and wiser, carrying shingles up a ladder is about the last thing I'd ever want to do again. I've never seen one of the gas-powered lifts someone mentioned above, but it can't be much different than the conveyor belt that they use for rooftop delivery. If you can find one, it will make the worst part of the job the easiest and cut the job's time by 1/3, at least!

Roofing is easy--just make sure you stagger your rows so that the seams don't line up, snap some straight chalk lines as reference points along the roof, and if possible, rent a nail gun--it goes about 10x faster if you don't have to drive the nails by hand.

Best advice I ever got from the guys I worked with was: think like a drip. Water won't flow uphill, but it will get under shingles if you don't cover your nail holes with the next row.

Good luck with the project!

 

[Runum]

Thanks for the tips guys. This is exactly what I needed. I already bought a nail gun and the nails. I always look for an excuse to buy a new tool.

 

[kgwld1]

I bought a new one (porter-cable) haven't had a chance to use it yet.

 

[sberry]

Roofing supplies company have trucks with elevators on them, too late as you already bought them. I have fork lifted them, craned them, scizzor truck, never carried many,,, would quit my job if I was a roofer anyway,,, hahaha

 

[rickairmedic]

Cary aint you sposed too be out in the field pickin beries right now as too roofing I have done pretty much everything possible in residential construction buuuuut if you want me too do a roof you gotta be kiding no way no how other than my own roof hot dirty nasty and if you dont have a shingle lift or a couple of dawgs ilegals heeaaavy work


Rick

 

[sberry]

Ya, should be getting sleep so I can pick berries, instead fixing the cooler truck, found the problem anyway. Special solonoid took a dump,, but ground the end off, fixed it, made a new insulater for one of the studs, welded the end back on, good to go, found out a CDI was giving one of my golf carts fits so I am doing ok really.

 

[TOMWELDS]

Cut a hole in the roof and pass them up thru the bedroom ceiling....LOL

 

[Runum]

Hey guys, got the roof done. It took about a week to do the whole job. Finally wound up paying my 20 year old nephew to lug the shingles up. Money well spent. Thanks for all the ideas.

 

[sberry]

Buying a nail gun is a good idea, pays for itself and if you get weathered off or want to take your time you are not running it back and forth, paying rent, etc. You might have jumped the gun buying shingles, you can get them including roof top delevery. Dont need to abuse the trailer either, comes on a truck with elevator.