# Roof Wedge



## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

New Equipment

We just finished painting a home that has steeper roofs, with several siding areas above the roof that needed painting.


I picked up these Pitch Hoppers a few months ago, knowing that we paint a lot of these types of areas, and always looking for ways to make the job simpler and safer.

I would typically use a Pivit and rope/harness, but the Pivit does not grip well on steep roofs, and is not comfortable to sit or stand on.

The Pitch Hopper is miles better for sitting/standing on Asphalt shingles. It uses a memory foam on the bottom, which grips extremely well. The memory foam showed some wear after painting 7 of these small roof areas, but if they even last a couple years I would be happy.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

That looks like a pretty neat tool to have in the arsenal. I picked up a pivit a couple years ago and while it is nice it it does have it's limits concerning slope as you mentioned. I currently use roof jacks for steeper pitches, but this looks like a nice time saver in certain situations.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

fromthenorthwest said:


> That looks like a pretty neat tool to have in the arsenal. I picked up a pivit a couple years ago and while it is nice it it does have it's limits concerning slope as you mentioned. I currently use roof jacks for steeper pitches, but this looks like a nice time saver in certain situations.


my biggest complaint is that they take up storage room. I won’t be able to keep then in the trailer.

This house was probably 8/12 pitch, so a person can stand on it, but not comfortably, and not for very long. Roof jacks across seven faces would be a lot of holes in their roof.

I would agree it is a niche tool, but useful in specific applications. It is grippy and stable on asphalt shingles, it’s nice to have somewhere level to sit or stand when working. In the past I have also used chicken ladders, and ladder hooks, but getting them into position can create some challenging situations. On 12/12 roofs we haul up the chicken ladder and give it the full nine yards.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

We added a few Pitch Hoppers to the rotation this year as well. We also have Pivot tools as well. The Pitch Hoppers get a thumbs up from me. I just hope they last long enough as well. Two seasons would be nice and I have warned the guys to treat them with care.


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## 54pontiac (Jan 7, 2014)

So I noticed the Hispanic roofers using foam cushions to hold tools or sit on while roofing, so I keep one for dormers, etc. But I hadn’t thought to set my Pivit tool on one or against one, or maybe bungee them together. Genius!


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

54pontiac said:


> So I noticed the Hispanic roofers using foam cushions to hold tools or sit on while roofing, so I keep one for dormers, etc. But I hadn’t thought to set my Pivit tool on one or against one, or maybe bungee them together. Genius!


Using foam pads is pretty well-known for standing on roofs, but might be dangerous to use the Pivit with a foam pad: it was not designed to to be used that way, could potentially comprising the stability of the Pivit. The Pivit is tall, narrow and hard, and is already a little tippy when standing on. Might work, but if your just standing the PitchHopper has a wider more stable surface area to stand on.

Ladders on roof, the Pivit all the way.

Sitting or standing on a roof, the PitchHopper is better. Worth considering if painting frequently on a roof.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

Maybe should have posted this in FMU/LMD...

The comfort and convenience of this set-up is the best I've been able to come up with so far.

Have been weighing this set up against a cumbersome ladder hook setup (which still requires a tie-off point), or traditional anchors into the roof (which I prefer not to do, especially with older, brittle shingles). 

I feel that this setup (RidgePro + harness, GOAT, and Roof Wedge) is safe. I can set this up and take it down myself, and have an anchor point that exceeds OSHA specs.

PT is for exchanging ideas, and improving, correct? Is there a better way? Any _constructive_ comments? (roof pitch is 10/12)


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

Holland said:


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Pretty bombproof setup @Holland. The only thing I'd add is stabilizers on the ladder. I have 4 of the Pitch Hoppers and have found them to be invaluable, especially during Christmas Light Season, where about 90% of my work is done from roofs. They have now come out with yellow ones & I think gray or silver, but it'd be nice if they made a version with replaceable foam, since when the foam gets worn down, it renders the entire thing useless. Deeper insets on the tops & bottom to aid in carrying would be an improvement as well.

Getting back to your setup, if there's a ton a work to do on those shakes, I'd just take one of my extensions that I've split in half and put ladder hooks over the side and line the underside of the extension with foam pipe insulation, but that'd be after the roof is masked. The ladder & foam would help to keep the masking in place as well, which, as you know, can be tricky for that type of roof. I know you didn't ask, but pitches like that are perfect for using a roofing underlayment to cover the roof. Very grippy, stays put, can be reused multiple times, etc. etc. Not trying to derail, just add. TigerpawTigerpaw


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> Pretty bombproof setup @Holland. The only thing I'd add is stabilizers on the ladder. I have 4 of the Pitch Hoppers and have found them to be invaluable, especially during Christmas Light Season, where about 90% of my work is done from roofs. They have now come out with yellow ones & I think gray or silver, but it'd be nice if they made a version with replaceable foam, since when the foam gets worn down, it renders the entire thing useless. Deeper insets on the tops & bottom to aid in carrying would be an improvement as well.
> 
> Getting back to your setup, if there's a ton a work to do on those shakes, I'd just take one of my extensions that I've split in half and put ladder hooks over the side and line the underside of the extension with foam pipe insulation, but that'd be after the roof is masked. The ladder & foam would help to keep the masking in place as well, which, as you know, can be tricky for that type of roof. I know you didn't ask, but pitches like that are perfect for using a roofing underlayment to cover the roof. Very grippy, stays put, can be reused multiple times, etc. etc. Not trying to derail, just add. TigerpawTigerpaw


Thank you @stelzerpaintinginc., appreciate the feedback.
I would be interested in understanding exactly what you mean by "roofing underlayment" to cover the roof. I usually am against using tarps when working on the roof for safety reasons. How do you use it? 
I have sandbags on both feet. What kind of stabilizers are you referring to? I have a few ladders clamps in my arsenal (one that clamps the ladder to the gutter and one that straps a rope around the ladder and nails to the fascia), and sometimes pull them out on second story climbs. 

The siding on this home is in need of some attention, but we were only tasked with trim and fascia at this time. Setup took about as much time as the painting.

I contacted Pitch Hopper earlier this year to ask them about the underside wearing out. They stated they do not offer replacement pads at this time. They have received multiple comments about it, and were considering adding such an option, but I didn't get the impression that it was something they were actually going to implement. When I suggested that maybe the end user could simply replace it with memory foam and some sort of adhesive, he said they they use proprietary memory foam that is more grippy than typical memory foam. At $100 USD, they have earned a place in frequent use, but I also wish they were a little more durable.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

I haven't heard of the Tiger paws, are those similar to the Cougar paws?


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

Holland said:


> Thank you @stelzerpaintinginc., appreciate the feedback.
> I would be interested in understanding exactly what you mean by "roofing underlayment" to cover the roof. I usually am against using tarps when working on the roof for safety reasons. How do you use it?
> I have sandbags on both feet. What kind of stabilizers are you referring to? I have a few ladders clamps in my arsenal (one that clamps the ladder to the gutter and one that straps a rope around the ladder and nails to the fascia), and sometimes pull them out on second story climbs.
> 
> ...


I use Tigerpaw to mask long runs of roofs on slopes. Works very well for interior kitchens too instead of floor paper. 

Tigerpaw


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> I use Tigerpaw to mask long runs of roofs on slopes. Works very well for interior kitchens too instead of floor paper.
> 
> Tigerpaw


Thanks for that info.

edit: “stabilizer”. 
Yes. I call them standoffs, so I wasn’t making the connection. Yes, standoffs would improve that setup. Thank you.









Ladder Lock Jaw


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> I use Tigerpaw to mask long runs of roofs on slopes. Works very well for interior kitchens too instead of floor paper.
> 
> Tigerpaw


Hey that stuff looks pretty handy. Beats the heck out of chasing your drops all over the roof. Thanks for the info.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> Pretty bombproof setup @Holland. The only thing I'd add is stabilizers on the ladder. I have 4 of the Pitch Hoppers and have found them to be invaluable, especially during Christmas Light Season, where about 90% of my work is done from roofs. They have now come out with yellow ones & I think gray or silver, but it'd be nice if they made a version with replaceable foam, since when the foam gets worn down, it renders the entire thing useless. Deeper insets on the tops & bottom to aid in carrying would be an improvement as well.
> 
> Getting back to your setup, if there's a ton a work to do on those shakes, I'd just take one of my extensions that I've split in half and put ladder hooks over the side and line the underside of the extension with foam pipe insulation, but that'd be after the roof is masked. The ladder & foam would help to keep the masking in place as well, which, as you know, can be tricky for that type of roof. I know you didn't ask, but pitches like that are perfect for using a roofing underlayment to cover the roof. Very grippy, stays put, can be reused multiple times, etc. etc. Not trying to derail, just add. TigerpawTigerpaw


Does that tiger paw stuff work on metal roofs at all? I've got one coming up and thought it might be handy.


stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> Pretty bombproof setup @Holland. The only thing I'd add is stabilizers on the ladder. I have 4 of the Pitch Hoppers and have found them to be invaluable, especially during Christmas Light Season, where about 90% of my work is done from roofs. They have now come out with yellow ones & I think gray or silver, but it'd be nice if they made a version with replaceable foam, since when the foam gets worn down, it renders the entire thing useless. Deeper insets on the tops & bottom to aid in carrying would be an improvement as well.
> 
> Getting back to your setup, if there's a ton a work to do on those shakes, I'd just take one of my extensions that I've split in half and put ladder hooks over the side and line the underside of the extension with foam pipe insulation, but that'd be after the roof is masked. The ladder & foam would help to keep the masking in place as well, which, as you know, can be tricky for that type of roof. I know you didn't ask, but pitches like that are perfect for using a roofing underlayment to cover the roof. Very grippy, stays put, can be reused multiple times, etc. etc. Not trying to derail, just add. TigerpawTigerpaw


Do you ever used tiger paw on metal roofs? Or only on aggregate? Don't do many jobs with metal roofs but have one coming up, was wondering if that stuff might work.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Does that tiger paw stuff work on metal roofs at all? I've got one coming up and thought it might be handy.
> 
> Do you ever used tiger paw on metal roofs? Or only on aggregate? Don't do many jobs with metal roofs but have one coming up, was wondering if that stuff might work.


TigerPaws ‘can’ work on metal roofs, but require a special (replaceable) pad specifically for metal roofs. The standard grips (at least mine) do not work well with metal, and are almost more slippery than regular shoes. I did not order the metal-specific sole in time for the last metal roof Job I did.

*A roll of memory foam is worth picking up, and can be cut to use as needed.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

So memory foam is a good idea on metal roof? That would probably work great. For the tiger paw I was actually thinking more along the lines of the roofing underlayment 'Tigerpaw' that Stelzer had mentioned. Are there shoes called tiger paws as well? I know I have heard of the cougar paws.


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## Holland (Feb 18, 2011)

fromthenorthwest said:


> So memory foam is a good idea on metal roof? That would probably work great. For the tiger paw I was actually thinking more along the lines of the roofing underlayment 'Tigerpaw' that Stelzer had mentioned. Are there shoes called tiger paws as well? I know I have heard of the cougar paws.


Yes, my mistake. Cougar paws are the shoes.

Memory foam works well on lower grade roof pitches.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

Holland said:


> Yes, my mistake. Cougar paws are the shoes.
> 
> Memory foam works well on lower grade roof pitches.
> 
> Cougars, tigers...


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

fromthenorthwest said:


> Does that tiger paw stuff work on metal roofs at all? I've got one coming up and thought it might be handy.
> 
> Do you ever used tiger paw on metal roofs? Or only on aggregate? Don't do many jobs with metal roofs but have one coming up, was wondering if that stuff might work.


It doesn't. For metal roofs, I use 40 oz synthetic jute carpet pad. That stuff sticks like glue.


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## fromthenorthwest (May 2, 2012)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> It doesn't. For metal roofs, I use 40 oz synthetic jute carpet pad. That stuff sticks like glue.


That's just the type of thing I was trying to figure out, thank you.


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