i posted a thread in one of the other rooms that I am looking to buy some equipment to do my own home and then also do some family and friends for some side cash. I want to do it right and willing to put in the time to research rather than just jumping in feet first then looking.
I want to do the roof on my home and family/friends but do not know if I want to try and walk it. I am a big guy. 6’6" and about 270. Athletic build. Can easily touch the shingles from the ground. I am not super afraid of heights. I have sky dived before. So you would think being on a 1 story roof would be no issue. But I got up on my roof to clean out the dryer vent and had to scoot on my back side like a girl (no offense to girls, just a figure of speech!) up to the vent because at least with the shoes I was wearing, my feet kept slipping as the little gravel on the shingles moved around.
So do you guys always walk the roofs or have you tried to do most of it from the top of a ladder???
Is there a secret to getting better grip on the roof shy of buying the special shoes like Cougar Paws etc?? (maybe certain kinds of common shoes that do better than others.)
I’m a window cleaner, so can’t comment about roof cleaning…but I do get on roofs quite a bit IF I’m comfortable with the pitch and whether it’s metal or asphalt.
Shoes make all the difference. I go for Vibram soles, they seem to have a sticky compound.
I typically use a ladder and spay a section and then move the ladder over and spray the next section. It’s not often that I have to get on a roof. Having ladder stabilizers on the ladder helps a ton. Also having the proper spray equipment makes a big difference in whether or not you have to walk the roof.
Depends on the pitch and what you’re willing to do, also if it’s even worth it. That’s why people hire a company to do it.
I’ve had clients fall off tile stairs in their patio, and off kitchen counters. And heard of people falling off roofs and ladders changing light bulbs
Figure out yourself if it’s worth the chance of falling, or if you’re capable of actually doing it. Be honest with yourself and don’t force yourself to do something you don’t really feel like doing
Invest in a pair of Cougar Paws. You will feel way more comfortable walking roofs with them. You still won’t be able to walk crazy pitches but they stick like glue to normal roofs. I even use them on metal roofs occasionally even though they’re only intended for asphalt shingles.
The problem I run into is some of the shingles granules are “loose”, some aren’t. If it’s a newer roof I can walk the pitch, older I start sliding on the granules. Cougar paws will help with this?
Mine have held up for a few years and if needed you can replace the pads on the bottom. Loose granules are always irritating but cougar paws will always be a better option than regular boots or shoes. If you get on a lot of roofs they are well worth the investment.
I bought a pair last year. They work great. I was on a roof in October blowing out the gutters that I doubt I would have been able to even walk on without them.
I’m going to order some now. Theoretically if I did happen to fall off of a roof and I didn’t make the small investment for the shoes I’d sure as hell be angry at my stupidity. 10k in Doctor bills or $200 in the right safety equipment?
Are there different versions of the cougar paws to look for or is it a one size fits all situations type of product?
Picture above spells it out. I looked in their site and it looked like there were maybe 3 current styles.
They also have some rubber soles that slip on the bottom of the cougar paws that allow you to walk on concrete etc and not wear them out. Probably not a bad investment.
I obviously haven’t owned any so will let others comment on if any particular style has advantages etc.
For those that have used them, do you think cougar paws run true to size???
I wear a 13. I usually do my best to try on shoes but not sure they are carried anywhere local. Will check their site to see if they have local dealers. Otherwise will order online.
Even with Cougar Paws you’d be wise to get some information on safely working on roofs. Start with You Tube. Lots of videos of roofers explaining roof walking safely. Learn to identify roof pitch so you know before getting on what kind of gravitational pull to expect.
I love cougar paws but their quality has been inconsistent the last couple of years. A size 11 might be 11 or 8. Old boots would last 3 years easily. Last pair lasted a couple of months and all of the Velcro on the bottom has work off. Either way, they are worth it. Order from them and not Amazon or some other place. Makes returning them easier if they don’t fit
When I have a problem, I call and talk to Mrs Mary, or whoever answers the phone, and tell them the sizing didn’t fit, or whatever the problem is. They either tell me to keep the other pair and they’ll send me a different size today and when they come in use the box to mail back the others ones. Hard to do that with Amazon. Plus, if they sell for the same price on Amazon as cougar paws sells them for, cougar isn’t making as much when I use Amazon
