Roof Jacks and Toe Boards

Roof jacks, also called roof brackets or staging brackets, are steel brackets fastened through the roof sheathing into the framing to support a horizontal plank. The plank, often called a toe board, gives roofers a level place to stand, stops materials and tools from sliding off, and provides a work platform on steep roofs. Simpler toe boards may be timber battens nailed directly to the roof.

Types

• Fixed-angle brackets set the plank at a single angle.
• Adjustable brackets can be set to level the plank on different slopes.
• Brackets with integral guardrail posts support a temporary guardrail as well as a plank.

Installation practice

Guidance in trade publications includes:

• Fastening through the sheathing into rafters or trusses with suitable nails, such as 8d or 16d common nails, rather than short roofing nails, which can pull out or have heads that pop off.
• Using the widest plank the bracket accepts; a 2 x 10 (about 38 x 235 mm) plank is preferred over narrower boards where it fits.
• Planking that can support its own weight and at least four times the intended load, with limited deflection (one guideline is no more than 1/60 of the span).
• Setting brackets about 6 to 12 in (150 to 300 mm) from plank ends so stepping on an overhang cannot tip the plank, and overlapping planks over a bracket on long runs.
• Placing brackets so they are covered by the next course of shingles, then removing them by driving the bracket up off the nails and sealing or driving the nails flush.

Not fall protection on their own

Roof jacks and toe boards help with footing and material control, but they are not fall protection in themselves. In the United States, OSHA requires fall protection for residential roofing work 6 ft (1.8 m) or more above a lower level, typically a personal fall arrest system tied to an anchor rated at 5,000 lb (about 22 kN) per worker, or guardrails or safety nets. OSHA interpretations address when roof brackets and slide guards may be part of a compliant system. Other countries set their own height thresholds and rules, often favouring scaffolding with edge protection on domestic roofs.