Is It Okay To Walk On Asphalt Roofs

Inspect your roof visually before attempting to walk on it.

Is it okay to walk on asphalt roofs.

We do not walk directly on any asphalt shingle roof that has one or more of these hazards. Don t walk on your roof if it is wet or icy. Aside from slipping on ice winter is not a bad time to walk on that roof but not the best time. There are a few devices and strategies you can use if you choose to walk on your roof.

Even asphalt gets damaged from repeated traffic something that isn t necessarily true of metal. In fact metal roofs can stand up to you walking on them better than ceramic tiles and some other roofing systems. These roofs are not safe to walk upon unless you know exactly where to step. There is no need to walk on the roof unless it is for the rare and occasional repair.

Walking on asphalt shingles is not a good practice unless it is done to inspect and repair the shingles. A pressure washer will loosen the granules embedded in the asphalt shingles and expose the asphalt to uv rays which will shorten its lifespan. Beyond asphalt shingles even wood shingles can become cracked or dislodged. But before you head up inspect the roof from the ground and keep an eye out for any badly deteriorated shingles.

Roof is uncomfortable or feels unsafe or too fragile for any reason in the opinion of the inspector. Generally speaking it is as safe to walk on a metal roof 30 or 50 years after installation as the day it was installed. Video of the day. Steep pitch roofs judgment of the inspector.

Advice about walking on inspecting asphalt shingle roofs. Even when absolutely necessary it should only be done by a professional. Generally these types of materials are far safer to walk on since you won t be risking damaging your roof in order to do so. Don t use a pressure washer.

What happens if you bend the shingle and how easy is it to scrape the protective grains off the surface. If you see any splits or areas that appear to be damaged avoid walking on them. High roofs judgment of the inspector. If the slope is too steep to easily traverse or if your house is more than one story you should hire a pro.

Some materials like asphalt shingles are flexible and don t necessarily crack under stress. If you have to walk on the roof to take care of a problem try to do it at the most mild time of day in the morning in the summer and the afternoon in the winter. Clean your roof only after determining that you can safely walk its surface. It is not a good idea to walk upon a roof for any other reason.

Then we manipulated each of them to check out two things. Walking on a roof when the shingles are brittle in cold weather or soft in hot weather can damage the shingles.