What a Homeowner Should Never Do on a Roof

As a homeowner, you want to cut costs on many of the most common maintenance and repair tasks. However, you could end up spending far more than you intended if you are trying to do something on your roof, or if you make a mistake and do something you shouldn’t on the roof. While most of these “don’t do” items should be common sense, it hasn’t stopped other homeowners from making almost fatal mistakes.

Walking on the Roof Without a Safety Line

Roofers walk on a roof with a safety line. They make sure that if they are going to be at least two stories up, they tie off with ropes and carabiners so that if they slip and roll, they won’t hit the ground. Don’t get up on a roof without a proverbial safety net. Make sure that you have some sort of safety harness on and that it’s secure. If you don’t have that, don’t get up and walk around on your roof.

No Jumping on the Roof to Prove It’s Solid

Despite the layers of roofing materials that make up a roof, roofs are not designed to withstand a couple of hundred pounds trying to use them as trampolines. It just takes one weak spot or one soft spot of decking underneath you to send your foot, or your whole self, through the roof by jumping on it. If you are on the roof, jumping up and down is a huge no.

No Pulling Back Shingles to Look Underneath

Shingles are layered in such a way as to keep the rows above protecting the rows below. Lifting shingles backward to look underneath them deforms those shingles and then nothing lays flat like it should. Shingles that aren’t lying flat are the perfect entry point for all rainwater, ice, and snow. Leave the shingles as they are. If you already have a few that are curling back or flapping backward in the wind, ask a contractor to either secure those shingles flat or replace them to protect the rest of the roof.

Don’t Stick Body Parts in the Chimney

You might think it’s a great idea to show kids how Santa gets into the chimney, but don’t do it. Chimneys are a lot narrower than you may realize. Even a leg or arm can get stuck. Avoid putting any part of your body in the chimney, no matter what time of the year it is or how easy you think it will be to fit. You may need a fire truck to break you out of the chimney if you get stuck.

While on the Topic of Chimneys, Don’t Try to Remove It

Some homeowners who are removing a fireplace want to remove the chimney too. Unfortunately, most chimneys are built into walls, or worse, into the interiors of older homes. Taking off the top part of the chimney with a sledgehammer may seem easy, but you could ruin the roof entirely. The weight of the sledgehammer could throw off your center of balance too, causing you to fall. Even if none of that happened, trying to remove the chimney to the ground creates a massive hole in your home and wall. Leave it to a professional instead.

Don’t Slide Down the Slope of a Roof and Try to Jump Off

People on a dare will slide down the slope of a roof and then attempt to jump off to land on their feet. You are not on a ski slope, nor are you a cat. Most of the time, shingles are rough enough that sliding doesn’t happen. You may end up rolling off, but then you will not jump from the edge but roll off it. This stunt only ends in major bodily trauma and a visit to the emergency room.

Don’t Try to Install Any Type of Roof Feature Yourself

Don’t try to install solar panels, satellite dishes, or sky lights in your roof yourself. Anything not properly secured can slide off the roof and land on someone’s head. Additionally, sky lights have to go down through your attic to get to the room in which you want more sunlight, and solar panels involve a lot of electrical wiring. If you want these features, hire a solar panel installer or a roofing and windows expert.