# Walking on an aluminum flat roof



## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

Is it an ribbed panel? What is holding the panels up rafters/decking? Got a picture.


If it's a standard wood framed structure with a exposed fastener roof then maybe if it has plywood decking, if it's just thin panels over rafters then you can but have to stand over the rafters. 

Now if it's a thin panel aluminum manufactured sun room I wouldn't stand on a number of those.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

Depends what is under the aluminum. If this is just a light porch awning then probably not. If this a full roof with rafters etc. probably it will support you.


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## herbie69? (Dec 24, 2014)

It is a manufactured sun room. The roof has ribbed panels with raised "seams". The panels are about 16 feet in length supported on the edges by the aluminum framed screen wall. 

So, I guess my best bet is to build some sort of scaffolding. This is a real challenge. It leaks in heavy rain (where it is against the wall).. which is why I want to caulk. Maybe, I should just tear the darn thing off and sell the aluminum for recycling.


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## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

With out a picture no one could say for sure, even then it's iffy. From the sounds of it I would not walk on that roof. To be honest the people who install them do not always have a good grasp of what flashing and counter flashing are. 

If it's in real bad shape maybe tearing it down and building one wood framed may be a good option.


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## herbie69? (Dec 24, 2014)

Thanks. I have fought leaks on this aluminum roof for years. Probably should bite the bullet and frame out a wooden structure. Problem with wood frame is the pitch of the house roof. I would have to dig into the shingles higher up for the start point (have had expensive estimates for this option), or go with another flat roof (which I really don't want). Maybe I will rent a cherry picker to get me over to do the caulking and painting.


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## 1985gt (Jan 8, 2011)

"flat" roofs are just fine if done correctly. Tie-in to shingles isn't a big deal either, again if it's done correctly. 

Good luck


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## pmd (Sep 20, 2014)

Herbie, do not walk on the aluminum roof. It is not a structural roof and you will ruin the aluminum roof pans. The roof pans are manufactured out of .024 or .032 aluminum coil and formed into the raised rib pan.

It sounds as though you have a florida screen room. To access the area above the aluminum room you can use a walkboard supported on both sides of the structure with ladders, therefore not putting any weight on the screen rooms aluminum roof.

Just check your local rental for a Werner Aluminum Walkboard, they are normally 24' or 30'. You will also need two ladders with the attachments for the walkboard.


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Well, I've had to do this before and here's how I have successfully done this: I use what I know to be a "dead man" under the aluminum panels of the roof and a piced of 4x4 plywood on the top to distribute the weight (I'm a bit over 200). The dead man is nothing more than a 2x4 lying horizontal nailed to the top of a vertical 2x4 and the dimensions of this dead man are exact so that it fits snug between the concrete floor and the underside of the panels. This dead man must be moved as you move across the top of the roof to do your painting or--you can build more than one dead man to support the roof so you can just move the plywood as you need to. Hopefully this will work in your case.


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