Tools & Equipment

The tools, machines and inspection technology roofers use. 30 entries.

• Aviation SnipsCompound-lever hand shears for cutting sheet metal, colour-coded by cut direction: red for left, green for right, yellow for straight.
• Chalk LineA reel of string coated in powdered chalk that is stretched and snapped to mark long straight lines for laying shingle courses, battens and panels.
• Drone Roof InspectionUse of small unmanned aircraft with cameras to photograph, measure and map roofs without climbing onto them.
• Electronic Leak Detection (ELD)Methods that use low or high voltage and a conductive layer under a membrane to pinpoint breaches in roofing and waterproofing.
• Hand SeamerA plier-like sheet metal tool with broad flat jaws used to bend, fold, flatten and close edges and seams on flashing and metal roofing.
• Hemming ToolA sheet metal tool that folds a panel edge back on itself, forming the hems used at metal roof eaves, valleys, rakes and trims.
• Hot-Air WelderA tool that blows heated air between overlapping thermoplastic membrane sheets, fusing seams on TPO and PVC roofs.
• Infrared Roof ThermographyThermal imaging of a roof, usually after sunset, to find areas where wet insulation holds heat differently from dry areas.
• Ladder Standoff and Roof Ladder AccessoriesAttachments that hold a ladder away from gutters and walls, extend its rails above the roof edge, or secure it, improving access to roofs.
• Magnetic SweeperA wheeled or hand-held magnet used to pick up dropped roofing nails and metal debris from lawns, driveways and decks after roof work.
• Mechanical and Electric SeamersMotorised or hand-cranked machines that travel along standing seam metal roof panels, folding the seams into single or double locks.
• Moisture Meter (Roofing)A handheld instrument that indicates moisture in roof materials, either through pins that measure resistance or pinless sensors.
• Pitch Gauge and Roofing CalculatorTools and methods for measuring roof slope, expressed as rise per run or degrees, and for converting roof dimensions into material quantities.
• Portable Roll FormerA trailer- or truck-mounted machine that forms metal roofing panels from flat coil on the job site, allowing long continuous panels.
• Roof Jacks and Toe BoardsMetal brackets nailed to a pitched roof to hold planks that give roofers footing and catch materials; toe boards are the planks or cleats they support.
• Roof Moisture SurveyA systematic test of a low-slope roof to locate wet insulation, using infrared, nuclear or impedance scanning verified by core samples.
• Roof Tile Cutting ToolsTools for cutting clay and concrete roof tiles, chiefly angle grinders and saws with diamond blades, plus manual cutters that limit silica dust.
• Roofing Harness and Anchors (Personal Fall Arrest)A full-body harness, connector and roof anchor system that stops a roofer's fall; required in many countries for work at height.
• Roofing Hatchet (Shingling Hatchet)A hammer-hatchet used for hand-nailing and trimming shingles and shakes, often with an adjustable gauge for setting exposure.
• Roofing Hoists and ConveyorsPowered lifts, ladder hoists, conveyors and cranes that move shingles, tiles and other roofing materials from the ground to the roof.
• Roofing KettleA fuel-fired tank that melts and heats asphalt or coal tar for hot-applied built-up roofing and other hot-mopped systems.
• Roofing Nailer (Coil Nailer)A pneumatic or cordless nail gun fed by coils of short, wide-headed nails, used mainly to fasten asphalt shingles and underlayment.
• Roofing Shovel (Tear-Off Tool)A long-handled spade with a notched or serrated blade and a fulcrum heel, used to strip old shingles and nails during tear-off.
• Roofing TorchA propane-fuelled open-flame torch used to melt the bitumen on torch-applied modified bitumen membranes during installation.
• Seam ProbeA small hooked or blunt-pointed hand tool drawn along the edge of welded or taped membrane seams to find unbonded voids.
• Sheet Metal BrakeA bending machine that clamps sheet metal and folds it along a straight line, used to make flashings, trims, drip edges and panels.
• Slate CutterA lever-action shear, often called a guillotine, that trims roofing slates to size and may also punch nail holes.
• Slate RipperA long, thin steel blade with hooked notches used to reach under slates or tiles and cut or pull the hidden nails holding a damaged unit.
• Slater's Hammer and ZaxTraditional slating hand tools: the slater's hammer drives nails, punches holes and trims slate; the zax is a bladed cutter with a punch point.
• Utility Knife with Hook BladeA retractable or fixed utility knife fitted with hook-shaped blades for pull-cutting asphalt shingles, roofing felt and membranes.