Replies

1. 
   ravenwind | Dec 17, 2003 06:41am | #1

   Ive used a flat head shovel/coal shovel/gravel shovel they seem to work o.k. I did buy a tool that you could find in the roofing dept at home depot the handle is about 55 in or more , it has an angled scraper about 10 in across and 5 big notches that look like teeth. cost about 40.00 bucks  it does work good worth the money.  happy ripping                          dogboy

2. 
   handhewn | Dec 17, 2003 07:11am | #2

   If you can work from the inside of the attic, use a chunk of 2x4 and smash out from the inside. This will work if there is no plywood between the courses. If you are going to replace the cedar with new cedar then don't destroy the lath. Start at the top and work your way down.

   Karl

   Hand Hewn Restorations Inc.

   Restoring the past for the future.

1. 
   andybuildz | Dec 17, 2003 03:29pm | #3

   Curly...I've tried that...major pain in the arse..I ended up top with a GOOD shingle ripper. Not the cheap HD one which bent up on me over nada.

   Shingles came off so fast it was almost fun. I said "almost"..ok?

   Another good tip is to have a large tarp below the roof to catch the shingles and a dumpster you can empty the tarp into real close by.

   Cant wait to rip about 20 sq of wood shingles next summer here..ugh...oh yeh.its fun..specially 30' in the air on a7/12 pitch roof.

   Be safe !!!!!!!

           andyMy life is my practice!

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

3. 
   roofdoc | Dec 17, 2003 04:47pm | #4

   I have always used a good solid spadeing fork for cedar removal lets you slide in underneath them and get more of the shingle

1. 
   johnharkins | Dec 17, 2003 10:32pm | #5

   Hey Curly  always appreciate your posts but need some clarification ( I remember I was confused on Andy's garage roof post )  Do you guys in PA refer to skip or spaced sheathing as lath?

1. 
   handhewn | Dec 18, 2003 12:23am | #6

   John,

   I call 1x3 or 1x4 lath for roofing. I try to use true 1x's. Usually oak.

   Hand Hewn Restorations Inc.

   Restoring the past for the future.

   Edited 12/17/2003 4:24:56 PM ET by Curly

2. 
   andybuildz | Dec 18, 2003 03:09am | #8

   John

          I was sorta thinking the same thang.

   I sorta dug the idea of using lath over ply just to keep me weathered in for now but I also dug the use of 1x4 which was my original plan....I dont wanna do overkill with $$$$$ + being stupid.

   I lean towards 1x4 and tarps....my original plan

   BE always going the rough route

                                             andyMy life is my practice!

   http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM

4. 
   numbfinger | Dec 18, 2003 02:58am | #7

   We are just about to finish an 82 square tear off of cedar shakes and a re-roof. It was truly a nightmare! The shakes were installed over solid plywood sheathing and there were millions of staples!

   It would have been ok if the shakes were still in decent shape, however,most of them just split or fell apart, leaving broken staples and nails behind.

   We finally settled on using long handled shingle shovels (as mentioned in above post) and we worked the shingles up very gently, so as to break as few staples as possible.

   I seemed to have the best results by gently prying up as many courses high as I could reach. I mention "gently prying" because a couple of the younger guys just bashed away at the shingles and we spent more time pulling and pounding broken staples and bent nails then we spent actually tearing off.

   By the way, cedar shakes make some spectacular bonfires! (dangerous too!)

   Good luck!

5. 
   SHazlett | Dec 18, 2003 02:07pm | #9

   tooltom,

   I am a roofing contractor---so almost every workday starts with an hour or so of tear-off.

   the best tool we have found by FAR is made by the AJC Hatchet company---called the shingo shovel ( we call it the shingle eater). It will handle slate,shakes,asphalt shingles over shakes or slate---you name it. It has a fulcrum to give you excellent leverage and a special toothed blade which in practice lets you pull all the nails and tear off the material in the first pass. 

   A new blade will grab those little box nails that seem to be used on wood shingles.

   Much--MUCH faster than flat shovels,pitchforks etc. cost is about $45 each----but it will save you that $45 in the first hour you use it.

   also---in some decent sized cities there are  crews you can hire to do this for you. about $30/square to tear-off,clean-up and haul away.

1. 
   seeyou | Dec 18, 2003 03:16pm | #10

   Another handy tool (especially for steep pitches) is the small version of that tool. It may not be AJC (I went out to look at the brand name on mine, but apparently it's in somebodies truck). It's about 2' long and the toothed blade is about 4" wide. It doesn't let you bite off more than you can chew and grabs box nails very well.

   Hey Stephen, I was up your way Sunday before last. I looked for ya, but didn't see ya. Figured you'd be on roof somewhere I passed.;)

   Insert tag line here

1. 
   SHazlett | Dec 18, 2003 05:34pm | #11

   Greencu,

   I am mostly on vacation and enjoying myself untill mid march. I may go out and do some semi-emergency repairs in winter---but basically I don't think wintertime installation of asphalt shingles is in the best interests of the house,the homeowner OR myself.

1. 
   seeyou | Dec 18, 2003 08:32pm | #12

   Glad to hear it. Enjoy your downtime. We're getting snow about every other day, so I'm going at about 1/4 speed.