How to Put Shingle Bundles on the Roof

eHow may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.

Things You'll Need

  • Gloves

  • Ladder with a stabilizer bar

  • Truck with a ten foot high sturdy standing surface

  • Power conveyor belt

Image Credit: Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images

When you consider the basic weight of a single bundle of shingles, about 70 pounds, it's not suprising you're wondering how to put shingle bundles on the roof. Essentially, there are three common ways to go about it: walk each bundle of shingles up a ladder by hand, on your shoulder; if the roof is low enough, pitch them or hand them from the top of a large truck, which is parked next to the roof's end, to someone standing on the roof; or, use a power conveyor belt. Since the shingles are heavy, and the shingles are needed for use all over the roof, you want to spread them out over the peaks, hips and rakes of the roof.

Advertisement

Ladder

Step 1

Put on your work gloves. Lift a bundle of shingles, using your hips and legs more so than your arms and back, and swing the bundle onto your shoulder.

Video of the Day

Step 2

Carry the bundle of shingles carefully up a stabilized ladder. Lean so as to allow the bundle to slide off your shoulder and onto the roof, once you're at roof level.

Step 3

Continue climbing up the ladder and onto the roof. Pull or pick up the bundle of shingles you just put onto the roof and reposition them onto a peak, hip or rake of the roof. Repeat this process until you've put all shingle bundles on the roof.

Truck

Step 1

Park a truck with a 10 foot high sturdy standing surface very near to the edge of a single story roof, with the surface of the truck that you'll stand on nearest to the roof. Put on your work gloves.

Advertisement

Step 2

Lift a bundle of shingles using the proper lifting technique, and place them onto the surface of the truck on which you're going stand. Have someone pass a bundle at a time to you while you stay on the truck.

Step 3

Climb onto the standing surface of the truck, grasp the bundle of shingles and swing or walk them onto the roof. Step from the truck to the roof, if you haven't done so already, and pull or pick them up and place them on a peak, hip or rake of the roof.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

Power Conveyor

Step 1

Position the power conveyor over the top of the roof. Have someone get on the roof, near the conveyor belt.

Step 2

Put on your work gloves. Turn on the power conveyor.

Advertisement

Step 3

Lift a bundle of shingles using the proper lifting technique, and put them onto the power conveyor. Continue lifting bundles of shingles and placing them on the power conveyor until you've put all shingle bundles on the roof, and according to how quick whomever is on the roof is able to grab them off of the conveyor belt.

Tip

The more hands the merrier, when putting bundles of shingles on a roof.

Warning

The weight of a single bundle of shingles starts at approximately 70 pounds and goes up from there. Use two man lifts or lift aids whenever possible to prevent possible injury.

Do not climb a ladder with a bundle of shingles if you're not fully capable of keeping your balance while carrying the bundle up the ladder.

Advertisement

references