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Finally fell on a roof


Denray

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Oh it was horrible alright. Look at this thing. What was I thinking?

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I was walking down the backside when it happened. That horrible feeling of my feet slipping out. Then the whistling of the air as I picked up speed. My life flashed before me. 24 inches later my butt hit the shingles. Out of control I slid another 24 inches. I'm lucky that I'm not quite 62 yet or I would have been finished. Ha. [:-monkeyd

So the rest of the story is the used car salesman chimney sweep guy had his teenage gopher go up that mossy side to look over the chimney. I couldn't believe that he didn't slip on that moss at all. When I was up there that moss was like dry carpeting. I walked it down the the chimney from the ridge, but no elsewhere. I crashed on the back side cause of the loose granules on the old roof. But, as we all should know, always keep a catchers mitt below you. I was about 2 feet down the field when I slipped out. I had the ridge just below me to catch me, but I think I only went a few feet.

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ALWAYS HAVE A CATCHERS MITT BELOW YOU IF YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING SKETCHY.

I tweaked my right wrist a bit. Two days later it's 90% recovered.

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Call me crazy, but there is more to see and feel when you are on it. Big deal that I slipped onto my butt. That chimney had a long crack up its backside. My first slip out in 8 years, done with a safety net, so to speak. I was a rock climber in a previous life.

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I hate that feeling when you first start slipping. All confidence in walking the roof suddenly vanishes and the ground now appears much farther away.

For me, it's always been more scary coming down than going up.

Yeah, glad you aren't hurt too bad.

Marc

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When I'm up on a dangerous one, I'm always lining myself up with a plumbing vent, valley, chimney, vent, skylite, or whatever I can grab or jam against should I start to slide.

No way in hell would I have been on that moss back mess. You slip on that quicker than thin shit goes through a tall Swede.

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It's so dry out here that that moss was like carpeting. Above that chimney was the only place I would walk it after seeing the kid walk on it. In case I slipped it would be down to the chimney. It was solid. Kinda took my mind a bit off the granule deal, yet I made sure I was still above something to stop me should I slip. [:-paperba

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When I'm up on a dangerous one, I'm always lining myself up with a plumbing vent, valley, chimney, vent, skylite, or whatever I can grab or jam against should I start to slide.

No way in hell would I have been on that moss back mess. You slip on that quicker than thin shit goes through a tall Swede.

Ditto.

On that one, go up the valley on the clean side. Then straight up to the ridge. Shimmy down to the chimney if you want but stay in line with the chimney so you can slide into it if needed. Then, back up to the ridge while staying in line with the chimney. Again, stay inline with the little porch dormer roof when moving back down the front side. Finally, back down that little valley to the ladder.

Gald you're ok.

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Denny, you made mention of the cracked chimney and the chimney inspector. When I'm at a house and there's a separate chimney guy, my report says I did not inspect the chimney, fireplace etc. "The chimney was inspected by a separate chimney pro; refer to their report". I cross it off the list and move on.

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I get paid to look at everything, I look at it all. I don't trust most of those other folks that show up to sell something, especially the used car type.....

I agree. Less than once in three times when I see a specialist, do I leave out my own observations.

Marc

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Learn to sit down really quickly. The more surface you can put in contact with the surface, the better. About the only place where sitting down really fast doesn't seem to apply the brakes is on wet shakes and shiny painted metal roofs. Everything else - it's pretty effective.

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It's interesting that the things one should do to stop sliding are all kind of counter intuitive......lean AWAY from the roof, sit down and spread out, etc.

Then again, if one finds themselves sliding, they've already made a couple grave tactical errors.....

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It's interesting that the things one should do to stop sliding are all kind of counter intuitive......lean AWAY from the roof, sit down and spread out, etc.

Then again, if one finds themselves sliding, they've already made a couple grave tactical errors.....

At the very least, walking that one like that!...... Huh? Come on man! I understand you're a risk taker. Some of your posts have proven that. Use your head.

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I don't understand. I'm talking about how to stop sliding and tactics and you are talking about.....what?

Sorry, Kurt. That was directed toward Denray. The tactical error of going up there to begin with. Didn't the poor guy just got patched back up from a previous injury?

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I went up this side. Not so difficult. The story wouldn't have been such an attention getter if I said I was on an older roof and slipped on some granules onto my butt. I set it up to look ominous when it really wasn't.

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And for thinking I'm a risk taker. That's ridiculous. This photo of me on top of Half Dome should prove that I'm not.

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Look closer. There's a rope around me.

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Yes, thanks for sharing. Most people learned to drive by making a lot of small errors and sliding just a bit a few times. Or just reading about it works too.

Read about your headplant over the handlebars, yep, that's educational stuff. [:)]

A rope in the truck makes me feel more secure, although I never use it. I could use it if I had to reach a chimney and I will someday when I don't have the right ladder with me.

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Learn to sit down really quickly. The more surface you can put in contact with the surface, the better. About the only place where sitting down really fast doesn't seem to apply the brakes is on wet shakes and shiny painted metal roofs. Everything else - it's pretty effective.

I'm trying to get Carhart to come out with "caulk pants" that would have carbide spikes sticking out of the knees and butt.

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