access top of roof without using a ladder

[Jolav]

I need to access the edge of the roofing tiles at the top of the angled side. I have been told never to lean a ladder against the tiles which cover the top half of my house (not talking about the roofing tiles here). The repair is easy to do, I just can't get to it. Please advise me. More detail if you look at the photos: there is a gap in the cement channel to the left of the pinnacle, between the layer of roof tiles and the bargeboard. I can't lean my ladder against the side tiles to get to it.

 

[vinn]

The short answer is dont bother.
There are ladder stand-offs available - buy or rent.
Only climb a ladder or go on a roof if another adult is present to foot the ladder.

 

[^woody^]

You can lean the ladder on tiles of you walk up it gently.

Bear in mind that any mortar you point over the top of that verge will fall out within a few years. A proper repair requires the tiles to be re-beded on new mortar.

 

[Jolav]

Thank you Vinn and Woody for your replies. I will bother doing it. A standoff will be no use at all because it is not wide enough to stretch across the bargeboards at that point. My mum will be footing the ladder. It is a possibility that I could go gently up the ladder without cracking any tiles, but it's a risk I don't want to take. I will try and get the mortar to 'take ' to the tiles by spraying them with water first. I understand it may not last long, but it's anybody's guess really, isn't it. I have chatted about this problem with someone else and we have come up with a solution - which is to buy a 'spreader bar' which attaches at the very top of the ladder. It will not be wide enough so I will have to construct a wooden attachment using U bolts to make it the width of the bargeboards. Then I can safely get up there on a ladder. Cheers.

 

[Nozzle]

Perhaps you can bolt some shaped timber across the top so rather than your weight being spread across only two small points on the ladder end, it is spread over a few square feet instead.

Nozzle

 

[^woody^]

construct a wooden attachment using U bolts to make it the width of the bargeboards

Wrap this with something like dense foam or rags to soften the load. You can do this to just the ladder ends.

The trick is to be gentle on the ladder.