# Extension ladder on floor



## daArch

Looked at a job yesterday - to replace a couple of strips of damaged commercial vinyl wallpaper, which is simple enough.

Two strips are 21 feet tall. Floor is newly installed slate. They will NOT allow a lift in there. The simplest and most economical way is to use ext ladders, jacks, and planks. Floor needs protection !!

I do not feel at all comfortable putting an extension ladder on plywood on a slate floor. I feel the plywood would move.

What would you do ??

(personally, I think staging is the only safe solution, but want to explore all options before submitting bid)


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## Safety Guy

I know you said they would not allow a lift but woulod they consider a lightwieght one man lift?? We use them is alot of areas that a normal lift would be too heavy.

As far as extension ladders on plywood or a slate floor I would not do it unless you can have a guy footing each ladder. The best way would probably to protect the floor and use regular scaffold. If you do not have your own scaffold call a rental company and get a price from them and place it as a seperate line item on your bid if you are bidding to a G.C., they may want to supply the scaffold??


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## [email protected]

I have use the rug rubber mats that are designed to stop a rug from sliding. On a wood floor before, and has work ok. Have fun hanging them. I would try the light weight man lift first.


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## JNLP

I would probably stage it. I hate using ladders on interiors. If need be though, depending on the room, set it up & make a brace that'll foot your ladder for you. Something creative to secure between the ladder & the wall behind the feet if it's close by & square. Rubber mat idea sounds good too.


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## paint4green

If you don't think its safe don't do it. Scaffolding would be the best thing for a safety precaution.


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## vermontpainter

Homosote board works best. Use as many full sheets as you can, and its easy to cut partial sheets for the rest. Tape all joints between the boards and it is bulletproof. Great protection for ladders and staging on floor. Also has a little grip to it.


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## daArch

Thanks all,

I would most prefer a lift, but the lightest one I have found on the internet is 1700 pounds. I know that isn't much, but the owners have already said a 2300 lb lift was too heavy.

I called the Homely Despot today and a 15 foot scaffold will cost $100 for one week. I only need it for one or two days. It don't look (on the net) like heavy duty pipe staging, but it does look better supported than a Baker. Maybe it is a Baker type with cross bracing. 

It can come with wheels. This looks like the safest approach.


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## Safety Guy

Sunbelt has one for rent the weighs only 767lbs, not sure if that would be light enough or not??

Be careful if you go the baker scaffold route. You can only go 4 times the base dimension and with a baker being about 34" wide you can only go just over 11' without adding outriggers.


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## JNLP

If you know any companies who use alot of scaffolding, give them a call. A company down the street from me has a trailer full of it & has let me borrow it in the past rent free no problems.


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## Jeff.Chicago

Perry Scaffolding. Its light weight and you can use the out-riggers to keep it stable at higher heights.


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## Bushdude

An extension ladder resting on/against 2 pivot tools...


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## daArch

Jeff.Chicago said:


> Perry Scaffolding. Its light weight and you can use the out-riggers to keep it stable at higher heights.


I have used a Perry/Baker type of scaffold at two sections tall. That's about the limit I would feel comfortable. The picture of the HD rental looks similar but with cross braces at each section. That will give it enough stability to keep my knees from shaking . It also has outriggers as Safety Guy recommends. 

And at $100 bucks it will save me more than a couple hours trying to track down a loaner or laying wood on the floor or dealing with moving other systems to the two sections.


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## speedy472

Heres some priceless info...........Ive been using drawer lining from the dollar store,,,...The rubber looking stuff,,,,,Its non slip ,....It comes in a roll usually 5ft by 18in,...Your welcome


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## daArch

OK, let's revisit this.

We got the job done with extension ladders and the rubber roofing used to preven ice dams. Worked like a charm. As it turns out, the scaffolding I was told about at HD was not as advertised . Can you imagine?


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## Induspray

In the future if you have another job and you dont want to use ladders, we use a small genie man lift. Here is a picture of one (ours is quite dirty) 


It goes up 25ft, so you can work on surfaces 31ft high.
It is powered to go up and down but you have to roll in on a smooth floor.
It will roll through a standard man door.
If fits in the back of a full size pickup and weighs 825lbs, one man can load it in the truck because of the weight distribution.
It has a power outlet in the cage area (the unit has to be plugged into AC power for this to work).
It runs on a DC battery (deep cycle) that has to be recharged.
It is a great unit to use when you are concerned about weight and difficult access. I think we paid about $6k new for it about 10 years ago. We have used it for everything from high pressure washing, painting epoxy and sandblasting. The sandblasting was the hardest on it because the sand got into the sliding extensions and we had to have it cleaned out by the service guy.


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## BrushJockey

I do extension ladder on wood floors pretty often. I use a rubber mat below and will use something to backbrace to back wall- another ladder, an extension pole. With a 2x4 at the base of the ladder. Lots of times slip doesn't take alot of pressure to prevent, it just needs something.
And working by myself I need to be inventive.


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## jason123

Induspray said:


> In the future if you have another job and you dont want to use ladders, we use a small genie man lift. Here is a picture of one (ours is quite dirty)
> 
> 
> It goes up 25ft, so you can work on surfaces 31ft high.
> It is powered to go up and down but you have to roll in on a smooth floor.
> It will roll through a standard man door.
> If fits in the back of a full size pickup and weighs 825lbs, one man can load it in the truck because of the weight distribution.
> It has a power outlet in the cage area (the unit has to be plugged into AC power for this to work).
> It runs on a DC battery (deep cycle) that has to be recharged.
> It is a great unit to use when you are concerned about weight and difficult access. I think we paid about $6k new for it about 10 years ago. We have used it for everything from high pressure washing, painting epoxy and sandblasting. The sandblasting was the hardest on it because the sand got into the sliding extensions and we had to have it cleaned out by the service guy.



@#$%&*^ COOL 
mes just love sprayin!



Ya i would of figured getting some one to foot the bottom of the ladder. Like Van Morrison said " jimmys at the top and im at the bottom footing"," Im happy cleaning windows" "la la la la la la la boom boom boom":whistling2:


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## ProWallGuy

Induspray said:


> In the future if you have another job and you dont want to use ladders, we use a small genie man lift. Here is a picture of one (ours is quite dirty)


I worked off one of those before, and you couldn't pay me enough to get in another one. I weigh 200 lbs, and barely got it up to 12'-15' before the thing was waving in the breeze. Not sturdy enough for this kid. :no:


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## Wolfgang

I've always used those rubber bath mats with the suction cups on the underside. About [email protected] at WallyWorld. Never had a problem with any sort of slippage or damage.


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## WAGGZ

daArch said:


> Thanks all,
> 
> I would most prefer a lift, but the lightest one I have found on the internet is 1700 pounds. I know that isn't much, but the owners have already said a 2300 lb lift was too heavy.
> 
> I called the Homely Despot today and a 15 foot scaffold will cost $100 for one week. I only need it for one or two days. It don't look (on the net) like heavy duty pipe staging, but it does look better supported than a Baker. Maybe it is a Baker type with cross bracing.
> 
> It can come with wheels. This looks like the safest approach.



Bill I have 2 sets of Bakers scaffold (along with outriggers and handrails). I stack them to repair ceilings. They are just as sturdy as buck scaffolding, once everything is locked together. I don't like heights and I'll work on this thing all day long.


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## Induspray

*Access equipment that blows in the wind*



ProWallGuy said:


> I worked off one of those before, and you couldn't pay me enough to get in another one. I weigh 200 lbs, and barely got it up to 12'-15' before the thing was waving in the breeze. Not sturdy enough for this kid. :no:


There are very safe but I can see how they would make some people uneasy due to the waving back and forth. Some of the big booms like the 120ft can really move around and when you look down the people look like ants.

Here is a photo looking down from a high stack at over 300ft


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## daArch

I used to love heights, I must be getting old. That pix just about gave me the dizzy pukes


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## painting247

OMG, makes me sick just looking.:no:


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## Tonyg

I am looking for some thicker rubber 'mats'. I am as concerned with the ladder marking or indenting the floor as I am slipping. I bid a job a few months back where I would be working on a flat/semi-flat copper roof with the stipulation of using thick rubber to guard against damaging the soft material.

I would like to find a supplier that I can get a sheet of 1 inch thick rubber (non-marking would be ideal) to cut up into 12x24 pieces.


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## Induspray

daArch said:


> I used to love heights, I must be getting old. That pix just about gave me the dizzy pukes


Heres a couple more for you Bill

Off a 310ft crane
&
From the top of a 320ft flare stack


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## BrushJockey

Babu still pwns yuo.


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## daArch

Induspray said:


> Heres a couple more for you Bill
> 
> Off a 310ft crane
> &
> From the top of a 320ft flare stack


You are a cruel MF'er 

Good thing I wasn't hung over today, or you'd be owing me a new keyboard









DAMN, I wish I still loved heights ! That woulda been some fun.

I used to fantasise climbing the radio antennas in the "Needham Antenna Farm". Bostonians know what I'm talking about. About four of the major TV/radio stations have their antennas within a mile radius of each other


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## jason123

Induspray said:


> There are very safe but I can see how they would make some people uneasy due to the waving back and forth. Some of the big booms like the 120ft can really move around and when you look down the people look like ants.
> 
> Here is a photo looking down from a high stack at over 300ft




That would be cool!


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## vermontpainter

This is something that painters deal with in foyers all the time. Double drop and and one guy footing the ladder. Safety first on those tall ladders.


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## Wolfgang

Update: Insurance adjuster called to have me look at some damage yesterday on an entry way. The electrician that was hired to install wall sconce lights on a long curved stairway had his ladder slip on the marble entry floor. Deep gouges on the maple handrail for about 7', right in the middle. Deep gouges in the drywall from the ladder not having "bumpers" on the end...and then this nice round hole. Asked about the hole; electricians head. Drywall repairs - no sweat. Bannister - they're going to have to pay for a new custom made one. $$$


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