Jump to content

Menu

Does an 8 year old belong on the roof?


Recommended Posts

In Victoria you have to have a roofing licence to replace your roof. Mostly it is plumbers that have the roofing licence.

 

Electricians have a licence to do work on the roof that involves removing sections of the roof to get inside.

 

My DH, (very much a do it yourself man) did our plumbing and put the cladding on our roof. Unfortunately he got caught. And he had to go to court and had a 1 year good behaviour bond.

 

Being from the U.S., now I'm just curious. In our area anyone can do anything, but you have to take out permits and the city inspects the work. If it's something important that will be sealed inside walls they inspect the work as it goes. So I guess there isn't as much of a culture of building your own house yourself, unless you're licensed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With dad, I assume? Nothing wrong with it. Especially if the slope of the roof isn't steep, and if the kid is mature enough to know how to act up there. Not a regular thing, but if dad is fixing something on the weekend I don't see it as a big deal - I know my 8yo would jump at the chance.

Granted, that's part of what DH does, and his dad, too - both had/have construction businesses and fil is a contractor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no way I would have allowed my daughter on the roof at the age of 8, but I am amazed we made it to age 9 with her. She was always doing dangerous things at age 8. She wasn't disobedient really, just wouldn't think things through before she did them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being from the U.S., now I'm just curious. In our area anyone can do anything, but you have to take out permits and the city inspects the work. If it's something important that will be sealed inside walls they inspect the work as it goes. So I guess there isn't as much of a culture of building your own house yourself, unless you're licensed?

 

Sure you can build your house yourself. there are some things you are not allowed to do unless you are licenced. These are all electrical work, all plumbing work , and cladding the roof.

My DH built our house. My father is an electrician and did the electrical, My DH did all the plumbing and roofing plus every thing else.

Unfortunately he then did not have the paperwork signed off from a plumber, so had to go to court.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Definitely depends on the 8 year old. In most cases, no. I have known (and had) some 8 year olds who would have been fine, staying on task, focused, and actually helping with the task at hand. Other children in my house (including my nearly-8 year old) would be playing, and probably a danger to herself and others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My oldest I wouldn't have a problem with going up there and my dd I wouldn't have a problem with either. My youngest ds though, well he's been on the roof but not because he's allowed to be.

 

This past winter the kids were in the yard making snowmen and pretty much just playing and I stepped inside to get supper going and hot chocolate made for everyone. Next thing I knew I hear this banging from on top of the roof. My youngest ds had managed to drag the step ladder to the house from the shop (I still think one of the olders helped him :glare:), he took his crazy carpet up with him and was using the roof to slide down. NOT COOL!! It just about gave me a heart attack. Suffice it to say that I might not let him near a roof until he's 20.

 

In other words, some kids are completely trustworthy to help dad on the roof, others are just not. Depends on the kid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...