Widows Walk On Metal Roof

Functionally a widow s walk needs to be safe easily accessible and weatherproof.

Widows walk on metal roof.

Since metal roofing is really popular these days now is the perfect time to put your safety first and learn how to walk on metal roofs without slipping. A widow s walk flat roof deck or observation platform on the roof of a house enclosed by a railing or balustrade is sometimes formed by truncating the top of a hip roof. Legacy flat roofing sheet metal 1 211 views. That means that on all but the largest homes a widow s walk that sits directly on top of the roof s surface may seem a little too large and imposing.

Generally most building codes require that open railings on roofs measure at least 36 inches high to prevent falls. Metal roofs were popular in the 1800s and early 1900s. A widow s walk also known as a widow s watch or roofwalk is a railed rooftop platform often with a small enclosed cupola frequently found on 19th century north american coastal houses. Metal roofing is more dangerous than for example asphalt roofing because the metal surface can get.

Designing your widow s walk amending for size. Many victorian house plans feature accents like dormers widow s walk and turreted towers. There are still instances when you may need to walk on a metal roof though like to inspect it. Most widow s walks were accessed by a ladder and a trap door from the top floor or attic.

If you work in the roofing industry you should expect to install more and more metal roofs since its gaining popularity year by year. The quintessential new england widow s walk was a small platform on the roof with a short picturesque railing around it. Some feature metal standing seam roofs as either accents or on the entire roof. The beauty in that is that we do create custom designs and sizes.

Widow s walks can be as tall or as short as you need them to be. The name is said to come from the wives of mariners who would watch for their spouses return often in vain as the ocean took the lives of the mariners leaving the women widows. Homeowners found themselves walking on old metal roofs to apply sealers and nail loose sheets down. Enough of the romance.

Today s metal roofs are virtually leakproof rustproof and are low maintenance. We have many traditional victorian styles but also offer cottage or shingles styles as well as a more rural country victorian feel. Thomas ontario duration. Widows walk re roof legacy flat roofing sheet metal st.