Roof Brackets

Roof brackets, also called roof jacks or toe-board brackets, are steel or timber supports fastened to a sloping roof so that a horizontal plank can be laid across them. The plank gives roofers a stable foothold and a place to set bundles and tools on a steep slope. Brackets are a work-positioning aid; on their own they do not satisfy fall protection rules in most jurisdictions.

Types

Canadian roofing guidance describes two common timber types: the flat jack, which takes a 38 x 89 mm (1 1/2 x 3 1/2 in) board set on edge and suits an average house roof up to 1:1 (12:12) pitch, and the solid jack, which takes a 38 x 189 mm (1 1/2 x 7 1/2 in) board set perpendicular to the roof. Manufactured adjustable steel brackets allow the plank angle to be set level on different pitches.

Installation

• Nail the bracket where a later shingle course will cover the nails, in the same positions as shingle nails.
• Use long nails and drive them into rafters or solid framing where possible.
• Use straight-grained planks, and add an intermediate bracket on boards longer than 3 m (10 ft).
• Do not overload a plank, and allow for the weight of shingle bundles stored on it.

Removal

When the roof is finished, the brackets are removed by lifting the covering shingle tabs and knocking the brackets free of their nails, then driving the nails flush so the finished roof lies smooth.

Safety context

US OSHA guidance states that slide guards cannot by themselves replace conventional fall protection and may be used only within a written fall protection plan where conventional methods are infeasible. Canadian guidance notes that some solid-jack arrangements may not meet provincial occupational safety requirements. Brackets are therefore used alongside harness systems, scaffolding at the eaves or other approved fall protection.