# Stilts. Money maker



## Holdenholden (Feb 6, 2018)

I own two pairs of marshalltown sky walker stilts. Easy to put on and off and quick to adjust height. Can cut 10’ ceilings with ease. Great investment saves me so much time and wear and tear on the legs and feet. What does everyone else think? 


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Unfortunately, stilts are prohibited by Cal/OSHA.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Never been on stilts and too old to start now.


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

I'm not about to learn now, at age 57. That's a long way down if I fall just once.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

I always though it would be cool to learn them. I’m a fairly dexterous fellow I think, and I can see that skill being advantageous. But alas, I never took the time. And never really see a pressing need to do so. 

I’ve actually never seen a painter on stilts. Plenty of drywallers, but never a painter. I guess if you’re doing NC all the time, it could certainly be an advantage. 

If you’ve learned to use them productively, more power to ya. Post some vids so we can see you in action. 


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Holdenholden said:


> I own two pairs of marshalltown sky walker stilts. Easy to put on and off and quick to adjust height. Can cut 10’ ceilings with ease. Great investment saves me so much time and wear and tear on the legs and feet. What does everyone else think?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


"Step on a crack, break your mothers back", all kidding aside I've seen a few tapers over the years fall when they hit a piece of conduit or other debris on the floor! I hope you or your employer have a great workman's comp policy.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

Around here, dry wallers are allowed to use them but painters are not. No idea why that'd be the case, but I'd never use them anyways so it doesn't matter to me.


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## ParamountPaint (Aug 25, 2016)

We were painting an office building 2 mos ago for a TI and some other guys were painting the adjoining building. I happened to look out the window and one of their painters walked up the street, smoking a cig, on stilts.

We've never used them, but it seems that some do. I could see the advantage.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

I used them all the time when we did commercial and they certainly speed things up. Fell twice and was lucky both times. Ground man caught me once and kept me from going down. Stepped on a sheet metal screw another and used the wall to control my descent. They are dangerous, be careful.

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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

No thanks. I can move a ladder around a room pretty quickly, plus a mud pan is a hell of a lot less of a mess to clean up if someone went down. Another thing is painters only need to go around the edge of a room, while tapers need to work all over the ceiling. The efficiency is there a lot more for tapers than painters.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Woodco said:


> No thanks. I can move a ladder around a room pretty quickly, plus a mud pan is a hell of a lot less of a mess to clean up if someone went down. Another thing is painters only need to go around the edge of a room, while tapers need to work all over the ceiling. The efficiency is there a lot more for tapers than painters.


I agree. I've gotten pretty good at cutting in ceilings with a brush extension when I find an opportunity to use it. And I use a rolling platform, like a baker stage, whenever I need to make a lot of moves across the entire field of a ceiling.

There are just too many opportunities for injury with stilts. That's likely the reason CalOSHA has restricted them from use.


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

You have to admit CalOSHA goes pretty overboard sometimes though.

What we really need is a small motor to put on a scaffold to drive them around while on them. Like a scissor lift, but smaller, lighter, and most importantly cheaper.


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## Vylum (May 12, 2016)

if i was doing commercial or large nc homes i definitely would learn, would save tons of up and down. most of my jobs arnt large enough to justify it


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## Holdenholden (Feb 6, 2018)

I’ve used stilts for 10 yers now. Haven’t had an accident. Saves me about 3-4 hours cutting I a ceiling on an average house. Plus I’m not fatigued at the end of the day. No going up and down all day. 


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## ParamountPaint (Aug 25, 2016)

Woodco said:


> You have to admit CalOSHA goes pretty overboard sometimes though.
> 
> What we really need is a small motor to put on a scaffold to drive them around while on them. Like a scissor lift, but smaller, lighter, and most importantly cheaper.


They exist. https://www.graniteind.com/powersnappy/


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## Woodco (Nov 19, 2016)

ParamountPaint said:


> They exist. https://www.graniteind.com/powersnappy/


Interesting. I was hoping for a little less than $3000 though. It'd take a long time for that to pay for itself, for painting anyway. Big commercial jobs might be cool.

What we need is an even smaller version you can put stepladders on and drive them around.


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## Holdenholden (Feb 6, 2018)

Interesting scaffold. Costly though 


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## AngieM (Apr 13, 2016)

Late to join the conversation, like usual . I'm surprised no one has talked about walking the ladder! My 6 ft fiberglass werner is my trusty steed. I can walk that thing on carpet with dropcloths. I named her Bessie. 

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## rosespainting (Mar 16, 2014)

My lead painter has stilts... I've used them a few times. they defiantly save some time.


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## kmp (Jan 30, 2011)

Woodco said:


> Interesting. I was hoping for a little less than $3000 though. It'd take a long time for that to pay for itself, for painting anyway. Big commercial jobs might be cool.
> 
> What we need is an even smaller version you can put stepladders on and drive them around.


Don't remember where I saw it but there is a small device that attach's to a 6' rolling scaffold that you use with a cordless drill to drive around. Not very fast and would probably wear down the battery but would be handy and less than 3000.00


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## gdovejr (Dec 18, 2018)

I’ve used them for years, only way to cut the tops. Even someone who thinks they are pretty quick with a ladder, you can do 2 rooms to 1 on stilts if not more.


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## Fman (Aug 20, 2011)

Aside from being too old for such stunt-painting, stilts would mean I'd have to hold my cut bucket, which I don't like doing. I learned in Little League to "use two hands out there, young man" and I like being able to go to my left.


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## woodcoyote (Dec 30, 2012)

Woodco said:


> You have to admit CalOSHA goes pretty overboard sometimes though.
> 
> What we really need is a small motor to put on a scaffold to drive them around while on them. Like a scissor lift, but smaller, lighter, and most importantly cheaper.



They have that already. Motorized yellow scaffolding. Not cheap, but worth it. Only problem is it's bulky and would be a real pain to deal with a house that has furniture in it already. Thinking of it as a res-respaint situation.


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

If you're into stilts, join the fricken circus.

My bad, they went out of biz... https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/14/entertainment/ringling-circus-closing/index.html


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## The Montana Painter (Dec 2, 2018)

I have used stilts for cut in since 1985... just use the shorter extendable durastilts now. Not for everyone though. They help cutting in a room, masking door and window trim tops a breeze. Only down side for me is my lower back after a few hours on them. There are products out there that hold your cut bucket


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

gdovejr said:


> I’ve used them for years, only way to cut the tops. Even someone who thinks they are pretty quick with a ladder, you can do 2 rooms to 1 on stilts if not more.


I'd be worried about getting the stilts caught on drop cloths and taking a faceplant with cutting pail in hand. If the job site was all unfinished plywood floors with no furniture I'd certainly try it.


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## deadend (Aug 1, 2013)

Mr Smith said:


> gdovejr said:
> 
> 
> > Iâ€™️ve used them for years, only way to cut the tops. Even someone who thinks they are pretty quick with a ladder, you can do 2 rooms to 1 on stilts if not more.
> ...


...good thing you make money with them...you'll need that money for the lumbar disc reconstruction before too long...


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Step on a piece of conduit, break your mother's back!


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Would using stilts allow me to get up higher on my 24’ extension ladder? :devil3:


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

RH said:


> Would using stilts allow me to get up higher on my 24’ extension ladder? :devil3:


Once you get past the learning curve of wearing them up and down the ladder, why most certainly!

How many times have we ever needed that extra 18-24" to be able to reach something?


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Brushman4 said:


> Step on a piece of conduit, break your mother's back!


Along with anything else you'll step or trip on.


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## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Wolfgang said:


> Along with anything else you'll step or trip on.


Agreed, but conduit seems to be the culprit most of the times I've seen tapers take a tumble.


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## The Montana Painter (Dec 2, 2018)

When you use a ladder do you put it on conduit or when walking step on conduit? Anyway using stilts is the same as any other way of painting...you are aware where you step. When using a scaffold you would have to stop when you reach conduit or extension cords!!!! With stilts I just step over that stuff and keep on cutting in....Yes you have to be more aware when on stilts


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## Redux (Oct 27, 2018)

A painter sent me a video of a terrible accident involving 4 painters hitting high tension wires with steel scaffolding. I’m not going to post a link because the video was a bit on the gory side. Always something to be cautious of whether on stilts, an aluminum ladder, or scaffolding.


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