Most professional installers have a host of roofing equipment designed to make their jobs easier and less labor intensive. Working on a roof is hard enough considering the weight of the materials that have to be taken to the top of a building and fact that roofing work is usually performed on hot, sunny days. In the early days of roofing, equipment was mainly a hammer, a tape measure and a pouch to hold nails.
A utility knife for cutting asphalt shingles is one of the small hand tools used with roofing equipment to make the job neater, but those installing tile, slate or metal roofing materials will need a different type of cutter to fit the pieces together properly. To make the job go faster, most roofers use nail guns. This piece of roofing equipment can either be powered by an air compressor, electric or battery. In addition to a hammer, this is an important part of the roofer's toolbox.
One of the most important piece of roofing equipment is a ladder used to get onto the roof. There are electric powered lifts that attach to ladders to help hoist the shingles onto the roof, since the average pack of asphalt shingles weighs about 80-pounds, they can get heavy lugging them up the ladder on a shoulder. If the roofer does not have a lift, the ladder has to be strong enough to support the person with the added weight of the shingles. For large jobs a contractor may rent a lift for an hour or two until all the shingles have been raised to the roof.
Some Equipment Used Only Part Time
An air compressor to power pneumatic tools or a generator to supply power to electric tools may also be roofing equipment that professionals have on hand. When working on a new building with no electricity connected, the generator can supply power to the compressor. Some contractors also use compressors to power small refrigerators to help keep drinks cold on hot days.
Safety should also be part of the roofing equipment used by professionals and can include goggles to wear while cutting wood when reworking a roof line or repairing a roof. And, they are recommended when using any power roofing equipment to fasten shingles. One of the most important pieces of safety equipment is a rope and harness, typically used on a high roof or one with a steep pitch. In the event the roofer looses their footing, the harness can suspend them in the air instead of allowing them to hit the ground.
