Made this in 2017, my shop back wall is half covered by the backyard.  Only 5 feet from the ground to the roof.  Rather than get a ladder I came up with this short set of stairs to get to roof.  Shop roof overhangs the house roof slightly so you have access to all the roofs with one staircase and NO ladder.  Added a pole and some LED floodlights and enhanced the yard lighting at the same time. 

 

So... you expanded the play area?  On the front side of the roof (where the kids will be playing), how far from the roof to the ground/driveway?

Good & useful idea; but I could see the insurance co. not being to happy with it though.  But then I don't like insurance companies...

If I did something along that line, The raccoons would be having a party up there every night. As it is, I already have to hose their s--t off my deck periodically. No raccoons in your area, WBBN?

John

BTW, this is not meant as criticism, I'm just curious.

5 hours ago, HARO50 said:

No raccoons in your area, WBBN?

John

BTW, this is not meant as criticism, I'm just curious.

Mostly the cats chase them off, the few I have ever seen never seem to stick around.  BUT some nights the cats are in a mood and it is Wild Kingdom here.  

 

Now the CATS they think of it as a superhighway to the roof where it sometimes sounds like a heard of elephants are having a ho down.

13 hours ago, Cal said:

So... you expanded the play area?  On the front side of the roof (where the kids will be playing), how far from the roof to the ground/driveway?

Good & useful idea; but I could see the insurance co. not being to happy with it though.

I don't have kids so this was not really an issue. Let the next owners figure that one out.    Oddly the insurance guy had nothing to say.  It has proper rise and fall, has handrails and is lighted at night. (dusk to dawn sensor).  Told me it beats a ladder and left it at that.  The front of the house is a 10 ft drop so people cannot just get on the roof and over the top easily.  Not saying the determined type won't just not easily.  Only had one idiot try to break in all these years.  He had shall we say a "religious experience while bleeding on the floor."

My only concern, not intended as a criticism, is how about the wear on the shingles.  Roofing materials prices have drastically risen here.  It may have been due to the hurricane that went ashore across northwest Florida and into Georgia last fall.  Anyway to cover 20 squares, the materials cost over $5K, then the labor of another 2 grand.  It was cheap compared to other roofs, but expensive to a retired federal employee.  

Good pictures, I hope the tubs the posts sit in have drain holes.

Just saying,

Herb

1 hour ago, FlGatorwood said:

My only concern, not intended as a criticism, is how about the wear on the shingles.  Roofing materials prices have drastically risen here.  It may have been due to the hurricane that went ashore across northwest Florida and into Georgia last fall.  Anyway to cover 20 squares, the materials cost over $5K, then the labor of another 2 grand.  It was cheap compared to other roofs, but expensive to a retired federal employee.  

Good point but this is not somewhere I go all the time.  Just to clean gutters and do minor repairs.  From this standpoint you would get wear anyway.  I just eliminated the ladder from the equation.  

21 hours ago, Woodbutcherbynight said:

Good point but this is not somewhere I go all the time.  Just to clean gutters and do minor repairs.  From this standpoint you would get wear anyway.  I just eliminated the ladder from the equation.  

Good job on that, It is sturdy and well built. I don't like to get onto my roof anymore, be a good place to sit and look at the stars on a warm night though.

Herb

8 hours ago, Dadio said:

be a good place to sit and look at the stars on a warm night though.

My wife's cats agree with you!  Or just have some fun and run up and down the ladder half the night.