# Wind and ladders



## ptbopainter

The last couple of days have been really windy. Today it's gusting up to 54 km/hour I think. Yesterday was worse
There were a few times when I held onto the house when a gust came up 
What's your cutoff point for wind speed? When do you call off ladder work. When do you call it a day completely?


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## Wildbill7145

I live on the eastern shore of Lake Huron so I can relate to your situation quite well.

I have no idea what actual wind speed I'd cut off high ladder work, but when it gets to the point you're holding the building.. It's time to come down. Surprise gusts are never fun.

Last two weeks in SW Ontario have been brutal for high winds, hail, constant potential for rain. Tornado struck near a town somewhere near Guelph I think on Monday night.


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## journeymanPainter

ptbopainter said:


> The last couple of days have been really windy. Today it's gusting up to 54 km/hour I think. Yesterday was worse
> There were a few times when I held onto the house when a gust came up
> What's your cutoff point for wind speed? When do you call off ladder work. When do you call it a day completely?


Call it off when you get knocked off. In our climate doing exteriors you work until the weather says stop. Wind isn't weather, it's an obstacle


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## TJ Paint

You guys ever get spooked when up high on a ladder? It's like the wind moves you a little or something happens and somethind internally is affected. When that happens, I have to get off the ladder and go back up. I can't remain on the ladder when that happens without going down first. It's like my system needs to reboot.

I have never fell off an extention ladder either, in 20 yrs of doing this.


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## Wildbill7145

TJ Paint said:


> You guys ever get spooked when up high on a ladder? It's like the wind moves you a little or something happens and somethind internally is affected. When that happens, I have to get off the ladder and go back up. I can't remain on the ladder when that happens without going down first. It's like my system needs to reboot.
> 
> I have never fell off an extention ladder either, in 20 yrs of doing this.


That's funny. I have to do exactly the same thing. It's almost like you need to ground yourself again or something. Glad to hear that someone else goes through the same thing.

I've never fallen off an extension ladder, but did come down off my friends old wooden 4'. He'd bought the thing at a garage sale for like $5. I called it the 'widow maker'. Really buggered up my left elbow, not sure if it ever completely healed properly.


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## ptbopainter

journeymanPainter said:


> Call it off when you get knocked off. In our climate doing exteriors you work until the weather says stop. Wind isn't weather, it's an obstacle


I was thinking that way yesterday. If it isn't rain then it's wind, or then it's cold... but the guy I'm working with on this job is 200 lbs and he was saying whoa a bunch of times. It's a long way down so we were kind of soiling our trousers a bit. Then it started raining and we bailed.


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## ptbopainter

TJ Paint said:


> You guys ever get spooked when up high on a ladder? It's like the wind moves you a little or something happens and somethind internally is affected. When that happens, I have to get off the ladder and go back up. I can't remain on the ladder when that happens without going down first. It's like my system needs to reboot.
> 
> I have never fell off an extention ladder either, in 20 yrs of doing this.


On this job because of the peak you have to lean out to work on the fascia at the very top (no ears on the ladder because it would make it too vertical) but after the lean I have to huddle under the soffit and mentally regroup. 

I find the older I get the louder my "worst-case-scenario inner monologue" gets. We went into Toronto for my sister's birthday on the weekend and went to the CN tower. I couldn't even stand on the glass floor. My kids did and I was dying watching them! Then a couple of days later I'm on a ladder swaying in the wind.


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## Wildbill7145

ptbopainter said:


> I was thinking that way yesterday. If it isn't rain then it's wind, or then it's cold... but the guy I'm working with on this job is 200 lbs and he was saying whoa a bunch of times. It's a long way down so we were kind of soiling our trousers a bit. Then it started raining and we bailed.


As for calling it off when you get knocked off, that's insane and I'm sure JP was just kidding. Don't work scared. Have respect for weather and gravity. It is a long way down. Getting killed so someone's house gets painted at this time of year due to high winds seriously isn't worth it.


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## ptbopainter

Wildbill7145 said:


> As for calling it off when you get knocked off, that's insane and I'm sure JP was just kidding. Don't work scared. Have respect for weather and gravity. It is a long way down. Getting killed so someone's house gets painted at this time of year due to high winds seriously isn't worth it.


Amen to that!


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## Wildbill7145

I jumped off the 108th floor of the Stratosphere Casino in Vegas a few years ago on a zip line. I swear I've been more scared painting off a 40' ladder than standing on the edge of a platform 108 floors up.

I don't even look at 40' ladders anymore. My 28' is as far up as I go these days. I whine about how heavy the thing is when I'm hauling it around but when I'm near the top of it I don't say a word about the weight.


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## ptbopainter

Wildbill7145 said:


> I jumped off the 108th floor of the Stratosphere Casino in Vegas a few years ago on a zip line. I swear I've been more scared painting off a 40' ladder than standing on the edge of a platform 108 floors up. I don't even look at 40' ladders anymore. My 28' is as far up as I go these days. I whine about how heavy the thing is when I'm hauling it around but when I'm near the top of it I don't say a word about the weight.


That's the thing! I used to be a rock climber. I did multi-pitch routes, crazy overhanging stuff etc but I was always tied in, attached with a harness and rope , strong carabiners, a belayer who paid attention...
On a ladder you're tied on by your white knuckles or in a lot of cases thigh pressure! The things you do to make a buck


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## Wildbill7145

ptbopainter said:


> That's the thing! I used to be a rock climber. I did multi-pitch routes, crazy overhanging stuff etc but I was always tied in, attached with a harness and rope , strong carabiners, a belayer who paid attention...
> On a ladder you're tied on by your white knuckles or in a lot of cases thigh pressure! The things you do to make a buck


Do a google image search for "russian climbers in Shanghai". Not one bit of safety equipment used. Absolutely terrifying.

Or watch the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKhv43DDZ_o


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## ptbopainter

Wildbill7145 said:


> Do a google image search for "russian climbers in Shanghai". Not one bit of safety equipment used. Absolutely terrifying.
> 
> Or watch the video:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKhv43DDZ_o


Oh my God

Those guys will probably die choking on cheetos

Then he stands up at the very top and doesn't hold onto anything. There are no words


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## mudbone

ptbopainter said:


> Oh my God
> 
> Those guys will probably die choking on cheetos
> 
> Then he stands up at the very top and doesn't hold onto anything. There are no words


Falling off of that would surely take the "wind"out of your sails!


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## CApainter

They could have at least changed the light bulb while they were up there.


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## oldccm

I used to kill myself for my job. Those were the days when I was stupid. It's a job, that's it. At the end of the day I want to go home to my wife and kids & die an old man in my sunroom watching sports highlights.


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## daArch

I don't don't know what y'all bitching about. FALLING never hurt anyone. It's the landing that's critical :thumbsup:

I guess it's time to repost this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMHjDqHL_Y


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## stelzerpaintinginc.

Wildbill7145 said:


> Do a google image search for "russian climbers in Shanghai". Not one bit of safety equipment used. Absolutely terrifying.
> 
> Or watch the video:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKhv43DDZ_o



That video made my feet hurt. Wow. If it were me, I woulda prolly missed the high-5 at the very top and plummeted to my death. 


Stelzer Painting Inc.


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## benthepainter

TJ Paint said:


> You guys ever get spooked when up high on a ladder? It's like the wind moves you a little or something happens and somethind internally is affected. When that happens, I have to get off the ladder and go back up. I can't remain on the ladder when that happens without going down first. It's like my system needs to reboot.
> 
> I have never fell off an extention ladder either, in 20 yrs of doing this.




I'm The Same TJ no fall in nearly 23yrs touch wood 

But I know what your talking about my first years in the trade was heaps of ladder work and being a big young Man I was able to handle the big extension ladders at seventeen even throwing up triples by myself lol talk about stupid 

But the amount of times being up on the extension ladder allot of times getting a gust of wind and I would just lean as tight to the building I could many times fingers grabbing tight into the brick mortar the gaps lol 

But like you sometimes I would need to come down to reboot 







Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com


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## ptbopainter

daArch said:


> I don't don't know what y'all bitching about. FALLING never hurt anyone. It's the landing that's critical :thumbsup:
> 
> I guess it's time to repost this
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMHjDqHL_Y


I wonder if people who do jobs like this have zero imagination or they are so confident that the thought of anything less than total success doesn't enter their mind. Or maybe that guy was crapping his pants the whole time and you can't tell... Kind of puts being on an extention ladder into perspective!


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## daArch

ptbopainter said:


> I wonder if people who do jobs like this have zero imagination or they are so confident that the thought of anything less than total success doesn't enter their mind. Or maybe that guy was crapping his pants the whole time and you can't tell... Kind of puts being on an extention ladder into perspective!


Every time I watch that, I crap MY pants


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## SemiproJohn

daArch said:


> Every time I watch that, I crap MY pants


I just experienced vertigo-at-the-desk. 

For perspective, I bet Freddie Dibnuh (not sure of spelling) would eat these guys for breakfast. Ol' Freddie would be laughing..."These guys already have something to hold onto. I had to build my way to the top, section by section." God rest his soul.


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## Gough

SemiproJohn said:


> I just experienced vertigo-at-the-desk.
> 
> For perspective, I bet Freddie Dibnuh (not sure of spelling) would eat these guys for breakfast. Ol' Freddie would be laughing..."These guys already have something to hold onto. I had to build my way to the top, section by section." God rest his soul.


:thumbsup:

Dibnah,btw.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3R3-YwDZrzg


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## ptbopainter

I wonder what he'd say to the Russians


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## Workaholic

Years ago I was on a new build and it was the ever lovely lockout phase portion of the job. I was up on the roof painting some little odds and ends flashing. Wind picks up and drops the ladder. Thankfully we all had cell phones otherwise I might have been up there until I was missed and who knows how long that would of been. Be safe and always use cautions with ladders of all sizes.


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## Gough

Does everybody use ladder mitts? I'm always surprised when I see painters who don't. Not only is there the obvious benefit of not damaging the siding, but they make the ladder less likely to slide along a wall.


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## Wildbill7145

Gough said:


> Does everybody use ladder mitts? I'm always surprised when I see painters who don't. Not only is there the obvious benefit of not damaging the siding, but they make the ladder less likely to slide along a wall.


One pair for every extension ladder I own for exactly the reasons you mentioned. First guy who trained me used towels and wrapped them with tape, rewrapping every now and again when necessary.

Great guy, incredible painter, really fun to work with.

Cheapest guy I've ever worked with.


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## Gwarel

I have a few different types of stabilizers. They not only help in wind, but I like the angle you get at the overhang. I've got one that works great on corners.


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## PRC

TJ Paint said:


> You guys ever get spooked when up high on a ladder? It's like the wind moves you a little or something happens and somethind internally is affected. When that happens, I have to get off the ladder and go back up. I can't remain on the ladder when that happens without going down first. It's like my system needs to reboot.
> 
> I have never fell off an extention ladder either, in 20 yrs of doing this.


Early on in my career I had to take a 40 w/ mitts up the side of a precast tilt up to reach a corner. On the other side of the corner the ground sloped off 30 more feet. Just after starting to work at the top a gust came and started to slide me to the corner all I could do was hug the wall with everything I had and as soon as it stopped I came down that ladder faster than I thought possible. Definitely needed grounding!


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## Epoxy Pro

Gwarel said:


> I have a few different types of stabilizers. They not only help in wind, but I like the angle you get at the overhang. I've got one that works great on corners.


Every time I decide to go buy a corner stabilizer both HD and Lowes are sold out. I wont pay the paint store prices for one, we don't need it that bad.


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## Epoxy Pro

PRC said:


> Early on in my career I had to take a 40 w/ mitts up the side of a precast tilt up to reach a corner. On the other side of the corner the ground sloped off 30 more feet. Just after starting to work at the top a gust came and started to slide me to the corner all I could do was hug the wall with everything I had and as soon as it stopped I came down that ladder faster than I thought possible. Definitely needed grounding!


I've had this happen a couple of times. Yeah scares the living crap out of you. Last time it happened I don't think I even touched the rungs, fireman slide is what it felt like coming off that ladder that fast. I am a skinny guy so no extra padding to help keep me planted on windy days.


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## Epoxy Pro

One of the crew just called me and asked if he could go repair the siding on one of our current jobs. 2 problems. 

1) He isn't experienced enough on a ladder to send him up the 32' in this wind and rain.
2) It's to windy and rainy to even think about exterior work or climbing ladders.


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## Gwarel

cdpainting said:


> Every time I decide to go buy a corner stabilizer both HD and Lowes are sold out. I wont pay the paint store prices for one, we don't need it that bad.


I bought one online. I didn't trust the two u-clamps that came with it because of the triangular design so I added a third clamp where the bar meets the rung.


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## oldccm

Got one at a local ladder store. Great for chimneys


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## Epoxy Pro

Gwarel said:


> I bought one online. I didn't trust the two u-clamps that came with it because of the triangular design so I added a third clamp where the bar meets the rung.


A customer just gave me a stabilizer unlike any I have seen. It doesn't look very old. I didn't grab it while I was there so no pic yet, Monday pic will get posted maybe some one here will know who made it.


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## mudbone

Anymore I get out of wind just climbing a ladder!


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