# How to install permanent roof anchor



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Just slide a flat bar under them and start a poping um off. Once there off just start looking for where the nails ar holding down the sheathing. Most often there's gap enough at the peak to be able to look down inside and see the rafters.

What is it you doing that needs those?


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## westrock777 (Sep 13, 2012)

I've got to paint the trim and cedar shakes right up to the roof peak and I need the anchors to clip off the fall restraint lines. I presume the ridge caps can be reinstalled using the same nail holes, or new holes ?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I would just rent a man lift for a day and forget about all that mess. Your more likly to get hurt climbing up on the roof to clip on your safety rope doing it your way.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

+1

Be careful. If you are worried about the roof anchor installation, being on the ridge of a relatively steep roof is probably not the best place to be figuring it out.


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## westrock777 (Sep 13, 2012)

joecaption said:


> I would just rent a man lift for a day and forget about all that mess. Your more likly to get hurt climbing up on the roof to clip on your safety rope doing it your way.


I could do the front with a lift but the sides are on an incline and the lifts have incline limiters. I thought about a scaffold out through the windows but I would have to build one as no one rents them; I'd still need a safety line. I'm not crazy about installing the roof anchors but can't think of any other way to get up there to paint those peak fascia.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

I see nothing there that can’t be reached off a ladder. You can install roof jacks and a toe board on the garage roof and set a ladder off that. 

You can rent lifts (that you can tow) with outriggers that level on sloped surfaces.


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## westrock777 (Sep 13, 2012)

kwikfishron said:


> I see nothing there that can’t be reached off a ladder. You can install roof jacks and a toe board on the garage roof and set a ladder off that.
> 
> You can rent lifts (that you can tow) with outriggers that level on sloped surfaces.


No room for the lift outriggers at my house.

Roof jacks and a toe board would get me up there; it's the falling down part that I'm not crazy about. Perhaps there's another way to rig a safety line other than the roof anchor idea???


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## retired guy 60 (Jun 23, 2009)

A commonly told story is that a homeowner working on his roof placed the rope over the ridge and tied it to the bumper of his car. Everything would have been fine had his wife not decided to drive to the supermarket to get a container of milk. The morale to the story is don't forget to disconnect the battery if you want to improvise.
Can you drape the rope over the ridge and tie it to something solid like a big tree? I know those straps are rated to hold a man but unless they are attached correctly (as you know), you could end up a statistic.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

I guess the part I don’t understand is, if just being on a ladder puts the fear of falling into you then how do you plan on getting up on that 12/12 to install the anchors? There’s more risky work involved in that project than there is in painting off a ladder.

I’m thinking the best advice I can give you is to hire this out. It’s pretty simple, if you’re not comfortable with working up high then you shouldn’t be up there, harness or not.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Kwickfishron is right. A ladder is WAAYYY safer than messing around with roof anchors, etc. They make ladder levelers that can be attached to the legs of your ladder to balance almost any type of incline.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

The part that gets me is that they will be out in the weather. That means that the metal will corrode. Which means that they will no longer be same to use after a couple of years. Another WTHWIT moment, when it fails.


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## westrock777 (Sep 13, 2012)

Gymschu said:


> Kwickfishron is right. A ladder is WAAYYY safer than messing around with roof anchors, etc. They make ladder levelers that can be attached to the legs of your ladder to balance almost any type of incline.



I'm thinking this is the perfect solution; fully interactive ladder leveller, and full coverage health insurance.


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## retired guy 60 (Jun 23, 2009)

Some jobs are not safe for a homeowner. I agree with Kwickfishron. Hire someone and make certain he has insurance in the event of an accident.


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## bcdemon (Jul 12, 2010)

If you have ridge venting, forget about this and hire someone.
If not:

In order to find a truss before ripping off all the caps, just bang lightly with a hammer along the ridge (about a foot down) until you hear that you're hitting a truss. It's a definitive sound.

Once you find the cap you need to remove, tap a flat pry bar under the nail and slowly pry it up. You will have to remove the nails from the following cap in order to remove the cap you need. Depending on which ridge caps you have you may need to remove 2 or 3 caps.

Install your Double-D

Replace the caps using DIFFERENT holes. Use a tar based mastic to seal the old holes in the caps.

Walk up your valley (feet on either side), it will be much easier to get to the top, and don't walk on top of your caps either.


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