Today I extended a 3.6 metre ladder to 4.2 metres. We have two houses with places that we can't quite reach. The extended ladder is wonderfully stable - better than without the extension, because of the outriggers on the bottom.
That's quite an overhang you had to cope with.
Is that a bungalow that had a second spurt of growth?
Chris
What overhang? That blue bit by the spouting? That's to stop the rain getting into the windows and walls. That is a wooden framed house with brick cladding, built in about
1930. The front of the house is at ground level - it's basically a one story house with a garage and wash house underneath.
Not bad couple of comments:
What fixes the cross timber that the ladder foot rests on to the side members?
I think I'd have put the U bolts directly under the ladder rungs. OK in theory the ladder can't slip but...
I was taught that working sideways on a step ladder was an easy way to fall off because of the side loads - take care!
Two 4" nails in each side. I was going to put another step underneath but the guy using the ladder said no the ladder was heavy enough already.
Without the step it could slip only an inch, except that the bolts are tight.
Do you not have eaves in the uk? in Australia the would be on the small side.
I hate ladders. Don't mind heights as such, but I hate ladders. The flimsy-looking non-step side of that ladder is creeping me out :-)
cheers
Jules
Which guy using the ladder? That's not you? Go straight to the uk.legal.moderated NG where they will tell you that as the 'controller' of the ladder you become liable for the guy up it. What training did you give him? And a bodged up jobby like that will look wonderful in court, won't it. I'm serious that you could lose your house over this if he has an accident.
I'm concerned that you are putting extra stress on the stays joining the two halves of the ladder than they are designed for. You should add a cord joining the two wooden parts at the bottom.
I'd add 2 vertical bits of wood beneath the rung beneath the aluminium ladder verticals.
I wouldnt let anyone else get on it.
Not sure I'd risk it even then.
[g]
and he could break his back and be paralysed.
[g] >
and if that's a one in a thousand chance and if it would cost you 2 million in damages then its worth spending £2000 on scaffolding!
[g]
I've been up the ladder and I reckon it's more stable with the extensions. The guy on the ladder agrees, and the job is almost finished. We are in NZ, where there is a no-fault accident insurance scheme, which even applies to tourists. If you do something crazy and have an accident, your medical bills are covered, and if you are off work because of an accident you get payments amounting to most of your former income. Since it's a no-fault scheme, lawyers are not allowed to be involved. It's true that if professionals were using my ladder we could be prosecuted by Occupational Safety and Health. However we are just three guys helping each other with house maintenance, and OSH rules do not apply. We also climb mountains for a hobby. That's dangerous too - with loose rocks that might fall on you. We like white-water kayaking too. That's very dangerous. It's safer on a ladder.
I think this statement supports my assertion that old women come in all ages and sexes!
Gee, thanks! Yes, I'm cautious, and that's partly because I work out the damages when things go wrong. I'm working on a £20m case at the moment. Of course, 9,999 times out of 10,000 this will work fine, but the other 1 in
10,000 somebody gets paralysed or killed. It's no joke when someone's life is totally ruined like that.
I agree its worth taking great care - especially when working at height
- its easy to take ladders for granted and yet they are probably the most dangerous tools that most DIYers will use regularly.
However in this circumstance it seemed plain that the solution provided was not being used for commercial purposes, was well implemented, and probably made the ladder a good deal more stable than in its un-modified form. Hence the elf'n'safety warnings seemed out of place among adults.
On Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:47:43 -0800 (PST), Matty F gently dipped his quill in the best Quink that money could buy:
I recall when in NZ S. Island, we went white water rafting on a flooded river. As we gently set off I realised we were looking down upon tree tops underwater ! I asked the organisers about them not being overly concerned of the conditions and the possibility of losing someone. They said it was a case of "mind over matter". As in ... we dont mind and you dont matter ! lol We had one of our best days and a thrilling 3 hours on the river.
Mike P the 1st
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "GB" saying something like:
Get back to your knitting.
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