# 3rd story gables? help...



## jonnythecutter (Mar 10, 2009)

okay,

i'm working in and old residential area in toronto, and starting to give estimates on exterior work. there's a S#*tload of houses that have these inset third story, peaked roofs with eaves and sometimes windows.

HOW DO I GET UP THERE!

ladder's too short, too wobbly...too scary.

what would you use? (besides a sherpa with good caulking and brush skills!)


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## EricTheHandyman (Jan 29, 2008)

HELICOPTER



Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm working on a bid for a similarly high and scary job, so I'm interested to hear the serious responses.


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

An apprentice and a set of skyhooks would do.

What about a tower scaffold? If it's too high then get a price for proper scaffolding and add it on the price.


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

seriously, rent one of these. you will not be disappointed and they are pretty cheap. I rented the 42' working height one for a week for $480 and did the tall end of a barn with it and some 3rd story gables. its great, pulled it behind a toyota 4runner just fine. I wish I could buy one. And everyone turns to look at the bight yellow lift in someone's yard.


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## ParagonVA (Feb 3, 2009)

tsunamicontract said:


> seriously, rent one of these. you will not be disappointed and they are pretty cheap. I rented the 42' working height one for a week for $480 and did the tall end of a barn with it and some 3rd story gables. its great, pulled it behind a toyota 4runner just fine. I wish I could buy one. And everyone turns to look at the bight yellow lift in someone's yard.


using a lift is probably the safest way huh?- at least OSHA would love that. Anything built now over 40 feet should just be wrapped or done in synthetic wood IMO.

scaffolding is pretty safe too as long as it's set up correctly.

good luck, stay safe man


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## EricTheHandyman (Jan 29, 2008)

tsunamicontract said:


> seriously, rent one of these. you will not be disappointed and they are pretty cheap. I rented the 42' working height one for a week for $480 and did the tall end of a barn with it and some 3rd story gables. its great, pulled it behind a toyota 4runner just fine. I wish I could buy one. And everyone turns to look at the bight yellow lift in someone's yard.


I looked at one of these at my rental center. Will this tear up the yard? I'd hate to trash the guys grass in the process.


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## WisePainter (Dec 27, 2008)

EricTheHandyman said:


> I looked at one of these at my rental center. Will this tear up the yard? I'd hate to trash the guys grass in the process.



Yes, don't use it on lawns if it has rained in the past 4 months. I have used them twice and created a few new swear words while trying to get it (the base) in the right place to reach my destination...not to mention get all 4 legs just right so it will go up and not just beep at you.
Also the huge indents that were left in the well manicured lawn.
aaaargh.

There are actually people who will climb to ridiculous and freaky scary heights just because they can. Find that person and pay them to do what they love best, works for me.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

The problem I have with lifts, is the tall parts are almost always on the sides where I cannot get a lift to go or fit (either trees in the way, fences, a slope hill, whatever). It seems to always come down to 40 or 60' ladders. And no one rents 60' ladders. And 60' ladders cost over $1,000.


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

this lift is very light. that is part of why I recommend it. put some plywood under the outriggers and you will be fine. just be very careful driving in their lawn. If you can't drive your car Bil Jax has self propelled lifts like this that are more expensive but very light. By using outriggers instead of counterweights they weigh less than half of a normal boom lift. These auto leveling outriggers work great, never had any problems with them not leveling or slipping or anything it lets you work on a slight hill.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

We tried a drivable lift once, but as soon as one tire left pavement, it could not drive on the grass anymore. So much for that.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

Rent a lift, use 3/4 ply where ever you go in the yard and you have to let them know that this is the only way it can be done. they can either have you include the lawn repair in your price or they can do it. If they can not except that then it doesn't get done...


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## tsunamicontract (May 3, 2008)

I wouldn't say only . . . my personal favorite that i have done is ladder on top of scaffolding through powerlines. Really look into renting a lift with outriggers as opposed to counterweights. That is probably why your lift didn't work dean.
Watch this video on them, the guy goes off roading and through snow


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## JNLP (Dec 13, 2007)

Lifts work well just use plywood & only leave it down as long as you need it. Let them know if anything happens to the grass it'll be fixed after a rain & cut or two. Never hurts to have some grass seed handy. Last I checked they were under $200 a day & a little less for half day. Better deals the longer you keep it.

Other option if you can't get a lift or boom truck is a crane. They suck in high wind, and rob you on price do to minimums on operators hours & crane hours. Much better if you need them a full day rather than 2 hours. They'll get you all around the house though and even over & down the other side.



> And no one rents 60' ladders. And 60' ladders cost over $1,000.


I see them for sale on craigslist here & there for around $300. Nobody wants them beasts anymore. :laughing:


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

We had to use a 60 footer a couple of weeks ago. Had it delivered Friday morning, used it all weekend and only have to pay for one business day. You get alot more bang for your buck that way. They really don't due too much damage unless you stay in one spot and turn the wheels


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## ParagonVA (Feb 3, 2009)

60 footers suck. It takes all the energy out of two guys just to maneuver that piece of ****. The one we had was 3-tiered and flexed like crazy once it was all the way up. I wouldn't go on it- hell, I refuse the 40 too. I'm not gonna risk my life for a piece of ext. trim, but that's just me:whistling2:. 

Hopefully the homeowners will realize your safety is far more important than their grass if you wanna go the lift route.

If you end up with a 60, it's not that it's too dangerous, it just sucks. It'll prolly be far cheaper than the lift though.


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## clammer (Feb 13, 2009)

Go with the lift just add it into the price of the job.I won a bid to paint an old wooden watertower later this year.I called a lift rental co and they went to see the project and told and me what size lift I needed.It turned out to be a 60 ft lift and is very resonably priced. If I had to go with a 60ft ladder I would have said forget it and not even bid on the job. That bil-jax looks like a nice machine you can get in some tight spots that you can't get to with the one you pull behind your truck.The problem is if I bring one more thing home my wife will kill me


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## graybear13 (Feb 28, 2009)

First thing : charge accordingly for work that high ! Second thing : rent a lift !


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

Use this one. Park in the neighbors yard. Problem solved


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## ParagonVA (Feb 3, 2009)

now _that_ looks like a job.


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## EricTheHandyman (Jan 29, 2008)

WisePainter said:


> There are actually people who will climb to ridiculous and freaky scary heights just because they can. Find that person and pay them to do what they love best, works for me.


This is the route I will likely take, I talked to another painter who was drooling with the anticipation of dangling from a ladder and harness way up in the air. God Bless him!!


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## ParagonVA (Feb 3, 2009)

good luck- and it's cool you found someone who likes to drool at 60 foot heights. Just make sure he covers the paint 1st


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## playedout6 (Apr 27, 2009)

Oh boy...we have been there and done that ! We bought a 1994 Simon MP60 60ft boom lift a few years back for the ridiculous price of 3500.00 Ca funds . It costs us 800 to haul it home from New Brunswick and then it costs us 100 bucks every time we had it hauled to another job . It was cheap to move around locally from job to job only because the hauler would put it thru my CAA Roadside Assistance and write it down as a car haul  . It worked for me...not sure of what would have happend if he had of been stopped for being overweight though ! Maybe that's why he hauled it at 5AM on Sunday mornings .

It was in prettyy good shape...for all we knew . We had a couple of guys check the hydraulics to make sure it would not kill us...if something broke while we were in the air . We painted a couple of huge churches with it while we had it and it worked fine because there was pavement all around the building . Put it on grass...and see what an 8 ton machine will do ! It is not a pretty sight ! The last job we used it on it acted up on us . 

My partner was in it at 50 feet high along side a church steeple and he was right against the church and for some reason it went into a funk...would not move anywheres but forward and the boom would not retract . It was quite a pickle ! Eventually with some cursing and wiggling of the controls at the top he was able to get it retracting and backing up . When he got out of the bucket he said "that's it for me" ! I knew he meant it was now for sale .

We sold it the next Summer and made a 1000 bucks off of it . The guy that bought it had some know how on the hydraulics that we certainly had none off . He used it quite a bit with much success . For us...we had no insurance or inspection...it had trouble written all over it but we could only see the money that we thought we would be making...I'm glad to see it gone and now when somebody asks about a high job...I give them a name to call . 

I have some pics of it in use..some day I will figure out how to get them posted...I'm not the most computer literate painter on here LOL,,but rather just the most long winded ! :yes:


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

Bender said:


> Use this one. Park in the neighbors yard. Problem solved


When you get em all the way up they are a bit freaky!





























this is at about 100' look through the wire bottom, those legs are the water towers!


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## Marion (Mar 30, 2009)

I don't like heights... Just reading this thread scares me.....


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## jonnythecutter (Mar 10, 2009)

hey guys, thanks for all the advice. i love the discussion. i'm glad to know i'm not alone! and i'm currently looking into boom rentals, and freaks who love to climb up things!

cheers and gratitude,

jonny


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