Safe place to put a ladder

[droopsnoot]

I've got a bit of damage as shown here:

This is actually a photo from the previous named storm, there's a third plastic piece coming away now. I've been able to push them back into place so they look OK, but there's obviously something broken because they now come away in any minor winds. In order to actually remove them and either replace them, or mend them, I need to start right at the top and remove the centre cap, then remove the ones above them until I reach the lower one, as I understand it. But my question is, is it safe to lean a ladder against the white slats that you can see above the window, or will it go through? From the inside, it looks like this, strips of wood with a centre (well, almost centre) upright.

I am not certain whether there are white plastic covers over the slats - I know the soffits and so on are plastic but I don't know about these. Before they were plastic, my Dad used to regularly put a ladder up to paint them, but I wasn't paying any attention to where it was leaning. I'm not entirely sure I will do it myself as I don't really like heights, but I also don't like paying other people to do stuff that in theory would be quite easy. I don't want to cause extra damage, especially damage that would also have to be repaired at the top of a ladder. I did think of perhaps fixing a piece of board to the top of the ladder to spread the load. The bottom of the ladder will be in the edge of the lawn. I got up to the lowest one on the ladder last time, with the top on the brickwork alongside the window, but I can't reach the higher one and certainly can't get to the top centre piece. I can now use a stick from the window to flick them back into place temporarily.

 

[RonMig]

Many years ago I bought a stand-off for my ladder ... spreads the load and makes it easier to get higher too.

But I don't like being up there even when holding on with both hands

Is it a design flaw? might need a few self-tappers to reinforce the join, maybe? But that would need both hands...

A roofing expert hopefully will be along shortly, to advise properly...

Also - just noticed there's no insulation up there? that seems a bit odd, any reason for that?

 

[BrokenBiker]

you can get attachments for ladders pretty cheap for this purpose, ladder stand offs.

first question though, how tall is your ladder? if its long enough to get the 4:1 ratio and still get the top of the ladder just tucked under the area that needs repairing id go with that, you need the head of the ladder as close as possible to ensure you can stay stable and arent over reaching while still being a few rungs from the top.

its been a while since i did a working at heights course and even longer since i needed a ladder that wasnt fixed to something but i seem to remember you want 1m out at the bottom for every 4m in height, and obviously someone to foot the ladder.

i generally dont get more than 1.5 meters up now without a harness due to the regs around my work and almost every ladder i climb is either fixed to scaffolding or is a set of steps.

i know its not the ideal solution, but for 260 ish quid you can get an 8m freestanding telescopic set of steps...no need for stand offs, no need to contact the building at all and a lot less likely to slip sideways. our guttering needs doing soon and a few bits of facia need tarting up before we start the extension and make it harder to get at them and ill be buying the steps i think

 

[Onoff]

but for 260 ish quid you can get an 8m freestanding telescopic set of steps

Got a link please?

 

[droopsnoot]

Also - just noticed there's no insulation up there? that seems a bit odd, any reason for that?

That's the front half of the roof section. The only access hatch was in the back bedroom, and in the centre of the house is the chimney and three water tanks - the current heating reservoir, the cold water tank, and the old cold water tank that can't be taken out because it won't fit (presumably fitted before the ceilings were fitted).

That photo was taken just after I'd created a new opening in the front bedroom ceiling for exactly that purpose - to fit insulation. I did that last year, but it's made precious little difference because the sloping parts down either side are the larger area, and there's no way to insulate those without either removing the roof from the outside, or removing the plasterboard inside, then insulating and then rectifying. It needs doing, but it's expensive and I either lose 50mm from each sloping ceiling, or try to add 50mm on the outside after removing the roof. The former would at least allow me to do the majority myself, in small stages, but doesn't strike me as the best option as I also have doorways very close to the ceiling.

 

[droopsnoot]

I have borrowed a stand-off before, for cleaning the gutters on one side of the house. Where would it lean against, though? Are you saying it would lean below the window and the rest of the ladder would be above it? I can't see that working as I think I'd need to stand above the stand-off, or work at full height. I don't know anyone who will stand at the bottom of the ladder, but maybe I could ratchet-strap around the buddleia in the front border, or stick a rawlbolt in the wall and strap to that. Last time it just sank into the lawn.

A free-standing thing would be good, though there's only a very small hard area at the front of the house and then it's flower border and lawn. I'm not sure I'd be able to store it anywhere, depending on how small it gets, but I too would appreciate a link.

I've measured the front (I *knew* it was a good idea to buy a laser measure from Lidl last week), it's 3.5m from the window sill down to the ground, 1.7m from the window sill up to the ceiling inside which is roughly where the white panel starts, 5.2m from the ground. On a 4:1 ratio that's into the lawn a bit further.

A local person had similar trouble and was given two quotes, £260 from a roofing company, and "I'll do it for £60" from someone else. It's looking like I might be better off getting the last guy in, I'll ask her if he was any good.

 

[Smallfry]

I hate wobbly ladders. I couldn't work off one. Would need an extra hand to do the work, while the other two were gripping for dear life. I can never get how people are able to do steeplejack type jobs. I have no problem with standing on the edge of the cliffs at Lands End in storm force winds, and the water being blown over the top though.

Scaffold tower would be my choice, they still wobble but are much harder to fall off. BUT, if you have to buy extra kit, you might as well pay someone to do it.

After all, you don't want to be reflecting on the money you saved from the comfort of a hospital bed. Or worse.

 

[droopsnoot]

After all, you don't want to be reflecting on the money you saved from the comfort of a hospital bed. Or worse.

Not quite the encouragement to "have a go, what's the worst that can happen" I was expecting from this site.

My Dad would, and did, quite happily scale a ladder to the apex of the roof, and then stand on the ridge tiles to adjust the TV aerial when it needed it. I struggled to watch him. Scaffold tower is a good idea, but storage would be an issue at home - I've already got some stuff that very rarely gets used, and I think that would be too much.

And then I look on FB Marketplace, and a local place has a new 6' x 4' x 15' scaffold tower with 21' working height for £285 delivered. Although there are lots of very similar listings, so I'm not sure whether they're real.

 

[iNf]

I Hired a 7.5m scaffold tower for about £70-80 for a week when doing my chimney.

 

[Smallfry]

Not quite the encouragement to "have a go, what's the worst that can happen" I was expecting from this site.

My Dad would, and did, quite happily scale a ladder to the apex of the roof, and then stand on the ridge tiles to adjust the TV aerial when it needed it. I struggled to watch him. Scaffold tower is a good idea, but storage would be an issue at home - I've already got some stuff that very rarely gets used, and I think that would be too much.

And then I look on FB Marketplace, and a local place has a new 6' x 4' x 15' scaffold tower with 21' working height for £285 delivered. Although there are lots of very similar listings, so I'm not sure whether they're real.

Not about encouragement or otherwise, I am just realistic, and we should all know our limits.

I have a scaffold tower here for this sorts of thing. They do wobble a bit, but you can move about, and also have tools with you, which isn't always possible with a ladder. If you were closer, you could borrow it. As you say, storage is a pain.

Whenever people talk about TV aerials, I think about poor Rod Hull (Emu) Used to pass the time of day with him quite often when he lived in Rochester.

 

[dobbslc]

It needs doing, but it's expensive and I either lose 50mm from each sloping ceiling, or try to add 50mm on the outside after removing the roof.

You could do what I did and take the plasterboard off then fix some 50mm celotex in there leaving an air gap under the tiles then reboard the room with 25mm insulated plasterboard.
You only loose 25mm then.

 

[gaz1]

depending in the type you have its either a push on type or a slide up type

your fascia board is plastic with wood underneath

as goes for heights if you dont like them dont go up. people can go green and freeze even on scaffolding

your left with paying someone to do it

 

[addjunkie]

I had a piece of 3/4 inch ply attached to the top of my ladders years ago, used to fit loads of alarms and many of the houses where I lived were similar, never had any issues. But I was much younger and dafter back then, its what you did.

About 18 months ago I had a couple loose ridge type tiles above my holiday cottage porches. Didn't want to go the-roof as my roof ladder isn't long enough, and couldn't get the ladder right to get up to where I needed to be, its a mono pitch roof. I rang one of our local tree people, he came with his 130 Landrover with a cherry picker on the back. Job took 20 minutes, cash was exchanged and everybody went home safe.

 

[addjunkie]

You could do what I did and take the plasterboard off then fix some 50mm celotex in there leaving an air gap under the tiles then reboard the room with 25mm insulated plasterboard.
You only loose 25mm then.
View attachment 482074View attachment 482073

If there is a plan to remove the roof anyway for new Tyvec or what ever you could use super 10 type insulation.

 

[addjunkie]

I Hired a 7.5m scaffold tower for about £70-80 for a week when doing my chimney.

A boom lift might be another option not too dear to hire.

 

[gaz1]

I've got a bit of damage as shown here:

View attachment 482063

its remove your plasterboard and insulate it from inside you can fit 3" or 4 but make sure you have an air draft tile side

 

[droopsnoot]

You could do what I did and take the plasterboard off then fix some 50mm celotex in there leaving an air gap under the tiles then reboard the room with 25mm insulated plasterboard.
You only loose 25mm then.

Oh, that might be a way, cheers. I haven't looked into it in any detail yet. I was about to order some 50mm insulation board and cut it into strips, then poke some up from the side lofts and the rest down from the top attic, both limited in size by the area I'm pushing it from. Then I was in the loft and happened to look up and see the noggins between the uprights - so glad I did that before spending the money.

This is the issue I have inside:

I don't mean the crack, I mean how close the frame is. Still, it'd be easier to lose 25mm than lose 50mm, and if the plasterboard has to be replaced anyway, it wouldn't be too bad.

Oh good, another project.

 

[droopsnoot]

It's looking more like I'm going to pay someone to do it. But I'm not doing it now - everyone who does that sort of stuff will be doing emergency work, maybe charging a bit extra, and doing jobs that are more urgent than mine. This can wait for a bit, when the wind dies down I'll prod them back into place so they don't look so bad.

 

[Farside]

Last time it just sank into the lawn.

 

[gaz1]

if you want it more insulated then fit as much into the void and then add more insulation on the outside

remember it works both ways

you insulate the heat from escaping and in summer that room can become a sauna

so if you fit 3" into the boid add another 1-2" on the internal side thats 4-5" insulated roof