I've been helping my brother-in-law reroof his garage this past weekend, and man, it reminded me how sketchy things can get when you're up there. I'm not exactly afraid of heights, but you know, standing on a sloped roof with shingles sliding around under your feet...it's enough to make anyone a bit nervous.
Anyway, I figured I'd share a little trick we used that made things feel way safer. We took some old foam yoga mats (yeah, the ones collecting dust in the basement) and laid them down on the roof surface where we were working. Sounds kinda silly, but it actually gave us way better grip and cushioning underfoot. Plus, it kept tools from sliding off the roof every five minutes—saved us from climbing down the ladder constantly.
Also learned the hard way to always double-check your ladder placement. Thought ours was solid until I stepped on it and felt it shift slightly—heart skipped a beat there. Now we tie off the ladder at the top every time, just in case.
Curious if anyone else has some clever hacks or tips for staying safe when you're doing roofing or other high-up DIY stuff. I'm sure there's plenty of stuff we haven't thought of yet...
- Good call on the yoga mats, never thought of that one. I've been using old carpet scraps myself—same idea, gives decent grip and keeps tools from sliding off.
- Learned the hard way to always wear shoes with proper tread. Thought my old sneakers would be fine until I nearly slid off the edge...not fun.
- Also, I started using a tool belt instead of just leaving stuff lying around. Felt kinda goofy at first, but honestly it's way easier than constantly reaching or bending down.
- One thing I'm still figuring out is how to handle extension cords safely up there. Last time I nearly tripped over one dangling across the roof. Anyone got a good trick for managing cords without them getting in the way?
