important question guys---

I would use a broom or plastic rake. A metal rake could/would do some damage.

a direct answer is not no, but hell no. i wouldn't use anything "harsher" than a stiff broom. remember that anything that displaces the granuals on the shingles damages the roof to some degree.

if ya'll ain't planning on doing the roof too, i would take whatever steps necessary to protect it (plywood, tarps, old carpet, etc.). what you choose to use really depends on the situation.

for example, often times ya gotta tear off the main roof on a 2 story house, and you'll have a lower flat addition under ya. in these situations i'll usually lay a tarp on the flat, lay plywood over the tarp, and another tarp over the ply.

all it takes is one boo-boo for the customer to loose confidance, then they'll start looking for other things to nit-pick. better to be safe tham sorry.

A leaf blower blows debri off a roof very well. :thumbsup:

We always use it after installing ridge vents, box vents, doing repairs, etc. to clean up the mess.

enforcer said:

when cleaning debris off a roof,particularly wood shakes from a siding tear off,is it ok to use a metal rake to clean off the debris from the roof?

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I fully agree with Dan I would frist lay plywood even 1/4" would work and then a bunk cover since they are heavy than reg tarps and they are free at ur lcal lumber yard

just stupid ! you guys are exactly right. now the home owner is going to be nit picking because everything will be on their radar. a friggin rake for gods sakes! i wanted to kill the guy.i told the home owner it is done often as long as its done gently.

A stiff broom and a leaf blower will clean the roof just fine.

these are the little things that make a guy look professional or unprofessional.
also,these are complaints that could have been totally avoided and its what causes stress to a job that should be stress free; all self induced and no one to blame but myself..why me? i am the one that hired them so its up to me to make sure they do the right thing..

enforcer
I have been in this predictament myself and its something i can never get used to. you need to always remind the guys as to what is expected and whats not expected. Its good that you blame yourself,after all,they work for you. chalk this up as a lesson and make sure you keep the peace with the home owner,don't let anything else get out of control. good luck.

In the right hands it would work well, the trick is to not use any down pressure and use it to kinda back scoop the shakes... not like raking a yard. With shakes you want to lift and pull, a plastic rake you would tend to push down and that is what you do not to do...

I would be more concerned about the shakes falling with the nails protruding. A plywood cover with tarps should have been used from the get go...

enforcer said:

these are the little things that make a guy look professional or unprofessional.
also,these are complaints that could have been totally avoided and its what causes stress to a job that should be stress free; all self induced and no one to blame but myself..why me? i am the one that hired them so its up to me to make sure they do the right thing..

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Good to see you stand up and be a man about it. :thumbsup:

Most guys just pass the blame to their subs, or better yet, they don't even show up to the job to see what is going on.

enforcer said:

these are the little things that make a guy look professional or unprofessional.
also,these are complaints that could have been totally avoided and its what causes stress to a job that should be stress free; all self induced and no one to blame but myself..why me? i am the one that hired them so its up to me to make sure they do the right thing..

Click to expand...

My advice is that you write up a manual which is primarily a picture book explaining what you expect from the start to the finish including setup, details, and cleanup. Then with each job write up a detailed work order again explaining what needs to be done. Finally you gotta visit the job during and after to make sure everything gets done properly. I don't care if they are employees or subs, this should be a standard amongst any company that cares about quality and the owner doesn't work with the crews.

You can also work up some kind of bonus system for perfect completion. I know lots of guys have bonus systems for on time completion, but guys can rush through a job and make a big mess just to get their bonus. I'd rather it be done right, probably cheaper to pay them to slow down and do it right the first time than it is to pay them to fix their mistakes basically doing the work twice.

Hi, i see this is an older post, however, i need to toss in a couple points here. I work in mills in manufactureing cedar shakes and shingles and cedar is a tough material, however care is needed in the life of the application. Tossing a steel rake into the fibres of the natural wood will damage the ageing process of the roof. One other thing to watch out for is disturbing the nails that were use to apply the roof, if too strong of force is used damage can be done. Best to use a strong corn type broom and gently sweep; take notice to make sure the key ways (spaces between shakes) are free from debris. This area is crucial for roof failure as this area is where debris will get under the shakes and cause leakages or loose nails to form. If you use a steel rake you will also leave yourself the chances of hitting the shakes too hard a splitting them.

hope this might help