5 Top Tips to Keep in Mind to Ensure Safe Roof Maintenance

Very few people look forward to working on their house roof. Especially in the hot sun. However, roof maintenance is essential to ensuring that your gutters are clean and that any loose tiles are repaired.

It’s also during the seasonal roof maintenance that you can identify problem areas and then invest in the gutter repairs Melbourne locals rely on. If you have been maintaining your roof regularly, you may just need a simple cleaning.

Adopt a Safety First Rule for Roof Work

Local research has shown that at least 97% of all roofing accidents in Australia happen at home. These usually happen when ladders aren’t secured or when homeowners fall during work on the roof. Even though you’re only doing a simple clean-up, you still adopt a safety first approach. We’ve compiled a list of simple safety tips to help you with your annual roof clean-up.

1. Secure the Ladder

In most cases, you’ll need a ladder to get onto the roof. Always use a ladder that’s sturdy and can safely rest against one of the house walls. Wherever possible, secure the ladder so that you don’t fall off.

Tell everyone at home that you’ll be working on the roof so that they know not to move the ladder. It’s also a good idea to ask someone to keep kids and pets away from the ladder. It’s not uncommon for younger children to want to follow you up the ladder.

The most significant ladder rules to remember include the following:

• Ensure that you maintain a 3-point contact on the ladder.
• If your ladder is an extension ladder, make sure that all the locks are engaged.
• Place the ladder at the correct angle. Do this by placing the base at least a quarter of the working length from the house wall.

2. Wear the Right Clothes

You may think that just because you’re at home, and you’re just doing a quick clean up, it’s perfectly fine to work in your shorts and flip-flops. No matter how short the time you’re going to be spending on the roof, you should always wear the right clothing.

Wearing the right clothing will go a long way toward keeping you safe. Here’s an idea of what you should wear:

• Closed shoes: These should have rubber soles to avoid slipping, especially since the average roof is sloped.
• Hat and sunglasses: If you’ve ever worked outside in the Australian sun, you’ll understand why you need a hat and sunglasses. The last thing you want is to feel faint as a result of the heat and then fall off the roof. You may also want to opt for sunscreen as it only takes a short time on the roof to get sunburn.
• Gloves: Keep in mind that the tiles and gutters can get extremely hot in the sun and grabbing onto one of these hot items can leave a nasty burn. If you’re scooping leaves and debris out of the gutter with your bare hands, you’re also at risk of being bitten by an insect living in the leaves. Sturdy gloves can help prevent this.

3. Stay Hydrated

Whether you’re going up to the roof for 20 minutes or two hours, always take a cold bottle of water with you. It’s essential to stay hydrated to avoid feeling dizzy from being in the sun for an extended time.

4. Work in the Shade

Ideally, you should start working on the roof in the morning, when it’s not all that hot. Where possible, start working on the shady part of the roof. Remember that darker roofs can absorb and radiate heat back up at you while you’re bent over it.

If there’s no shade, and you’re forced to work in the sweltering sun, be sure to take regular breaks. Get down from the roof, sit in the shade, have water and make sure you feel fine before climbing back up.

5. Scoop Debris Out of the Gutter

It may seem easier to just scoop the debris out of the gutter and chuck it down to the ground. If you’re going to do this, or use a power washer to clean your gutters, be sure to tell everyone at home to stay inside. There could be nails, and pieces of broken tiles lying in the gutters, and they could hurt little people playing outside.

Another idea is to take a small bag up there with you and scoop the debris directly into the bag. Doing this also makes less work for you to do when you get down from the roof.

Final Thoughts

For the most part, roof maintenance only needs to be done once a year. Creating a maintenance schedule combined with our safety tips will ensure that you get all the roof work done as efficiently as possible. Regular maintenance ensures that your roof and gutters stay free of debris and also means that you don’t have to get on the roof more than you need to!