Are ridge hooks enough to secure a roof ladder?
Ridge hooks alone often feel completely untrustworthy, leaving workers questioning whether they should attach roof brackets at the bottom or use a different type of ladder altogether. This uncertainty prevents people from trusting their setup enough to safely complete the job.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Use a strap or rope to tie the ladder to the chimney looking stack on the opposite side so it doesn’t slipDid this help you?
- 2getting the ladder 3 to 5 rungs higherDid this help you?
- 3sinking the ladder foot into the groundDid this help you?
- 4using rubber feet or attachments designed to prevent slidingDid this help you?
- 5Using ridge hook ladders and clamp-type standing seam anchorsDid this help you?
- 6Using a goat or Ridge Pro to hook over the edgeDid this help you?
- 7Setting up ladders in valleys and using magnetic bootsDid this help you?
- 8Using boom lifts to access hard-to-reach areas and install anchorsDid this help you?
- 9Removing ridge or hip caps to install temporary anchors underneathDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Its safe until you fall.”source ↗
“Every career roofer has at some point done dumber, and at some point done this and coached himself the whole way up how dumb it is.”source ↗
“How do you even anchor in for a harness on metal roofs?”source ↗
“How do you anchor to corrugated roof for temporary work? That’s most common in Central NM.”source ↗
“Do you think the ridge hooks are enough to secure the ladder? Should attach roof brackets at the bottom instead? Use a different type of ladder?”source ↗
“Would never trust that setup”source ↗
“That's a nope from me.”source ↗
“How do you connect your anchor point? I have steel walkers and a goat”source ↗
Where this came up
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