How to Remove Tar and Gravel Roof

Removing a tar and and gravel roof means hard labor. To cut down on the sweating and broken backs, the right tools are absolutely essential. If you just go at the tar and gravel roof with a shovel, you are going to be up there all day, all week or all month. Additionally, never try to remove a tar and gravel roof by yourself. Enlist the help of strong men or women who can work steadily and endure a good muscle burn. Pay attention to the weather and schedule the work for a warm, dry day.

Tip

If you choose to just remove the tar and the gravel from the roof without the membrane, extra skill and experience is needed to avoid marring the rubber. Chances are, however, you will have to replace the rubber as well.\n\nWork steadily and take frequent breaks. Telling jokes and talking with your fellow tear-off workers makes the time pass faster. Stay positive!

Warning

The sun is a dangerous foe. It will burn your skin, dehydrate you, make the tar hot to the touch, and otherwise beat the hell out of you. On breaks, get in the shade.\n\nAnyone who works on a roof even once should be up-to-date on their tetanus shots, as a matter of course. Hidden nails are like ninjas, striking without notice. Immunize yourself.\n\nMake sure your clean-up effort is thorough or even redundant. Nails and other debris left on the ground can hurt area adults and children alike.\n\nWhen using roofing tools such as carbide blades and roofing spudders, always, always think before you strike.

Weather, Safety and Work Attire

Pay attention to the weather. A warm, dry day is best for tearing off a tar and gravel roof. The warmth of the sun will soften the tar and make it easier to peel up.
Stay cool. If you must work in temperatures over 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, require your crew to wear sunscreen, sunglasses or safety glasses, hats with brims and white t-shirts to stay cool. Keep a full keg of ice water on the roof with you as you work.

Use breathing masks. The dust and other pollutants found on all roofs are carcinogens that can cause long- and short-term health problems. Change masks as the old one becomes saturated.
Have all crew members wear flat-soled shoes without any cleats or thick treads. Cleats and the like will pack the tar and gravel into the roofing membrane, making it chunky and hard to lift up even with the aid of the proper tools.

The Right Tools

Give each crew member a roofing tear-off shovel. Your tear-off shovel is your best friend when it comes to removing a tar and gravel roof. It should have a flat, relatively sharp lip with which to both shovel gravel and shave off tar from the roof membrane.
Break up the tar and gravel roof with a carbide roofing cutter. It must be carbide because it is stronger and stiffer than anything else. If you plan not to remove the roofing membrane along with the tar and gravel, make sure you are cutting only as deep as necessary.
Use a roofing spudder or pry bar when the tear-off shovel or cutter do not work. This is for the nitty-gritty work in which small bits of tar and gravel have stuck to the roofing membrane. Aim your shots with the roofing spudder and be sure to keep the blade away from your feet, shins, knees, thighs, and free hand.
If you are into spending the big bucks and wish to cut your workload down by a factor of ten, invest in a motorized roof saw, roof stripper, or spudding machine. These lawnmower-sized behemoths will eat your tar and gravel roof right up. They range in the thousands of dollars, but pay for themselves by saving on labor costs over the course of two or three tear-off jobs.

Waste Removal and Clean-Up

Use wheelbarrows, roofing carts, and/or tarps to transport tar and gravel to a tall-backed trailer. If using a tarp, make sure you use a heavy-duty, high-thread-count model. No tarp will last forever, but the heavy-duty ones will last much longer.
Keep the surrounding area clean. Use a nail magnet to sweep the area surrounding the structure and pick up any nails or other pieces of metal that might have been left on the roof from a previous era.
When every last bit of tar, gravel, and/or roofing rubber has been torn off, you are finished.

The Drip Cap

Removing a tar and and gravel roof means hard labor.
Pay attention to the weather and schedule the work for a warm, dry day.
The warmth of the sun will soften the tar and make it easier to peel up.
Cleats and the like will pack the tar and gravel into the roofing membrane, making it chunky and hard to lift up even with the aid of the proper tools.
Give each crew member a roofing tear-off shovel.
If you are into spending the big bucks and wish to cut your workload down by a factor of ten, invest in a motorized roof saw, roof stripper, or spudding machine.
Use wheelbarrows, roofing carts, and/or tarps to transport tar and gravel to a tall-backed trailer.