Ladder or scaffold

Scaffolding.

With a ladder the lateral reach is very limited and the higher you go the less reach there is. You don't want to be climbing up and down so that you can reach the next 6 inches to the side. You don't want to have to bend back because your ladder's lean is away from the nail. And you certainly don't want to fall from anywhere near 17 feet.

If possible replace the nails with screws. You may also need to touch up with paint. You can have a drop cloth on the scaffolding but not when using a ladder..

I was once on a 6 foot ladder and was undoing a length of telephone cable I had strung up earlier in a warehouse. I was on the fourth step, reached over and the whole ladder flipped. I landed on my hip and the pain was so excruciating I just yelled as loud as I could to release the tension. I was alone and laid down for 20 minutes to let the pain pass before I got up. Fortunately no bone was broken or fractured. There is no way I will lean over when on a ladder.

not only safety issues, but from a fatique factor also (feet and legs), a scaffold is the way to go. If you use a rollaround type, don't be tempted to move around while you are on it. Lock all the wheels down when using it. bill

If you're going to buy, get a Little Giant with a stand. Great ladders.

Arjay:

A > I am going to paint my living room that has a 17 foot high ceiling. I A > must be able to reach the top because I need to fix popped nails, so A > stretching is not really an option. A > A > Would I be better off to buy a very tall ladder or rent scaffolding? A > I have to work alone, so I need what is easiest to use and is the A > safest.

Rent scaffolding. A ladder at that height (even half that height) is unsafe because one is pretty much bound to stretch a little, cause the ladder to become imbalanced and slide to that side. Once the ladder starts to tilt there is no stopping it -- well, except for the floor.

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• ClientSez: OK, I have a C: backsplash.

Thanks for all the info. I found that renting scaffolding is much less expensive than I had anticipated, so I will go that way. Hiring someone is way more than I can afford to pay.

What he said. And just as a side note, doing high work alone is a Bad Idea. Other person doesn't have to be able to climb up there and help, they just have to be able to call 911 if you fall or otherwise get in trouble. (Same goes for working in a hole- you always want at least one man topside monitoring things.) Isn't there anyone you can invite over to watch a movie while you work, eat free pizza, etc?

(Yeah, I grew up on construction sites, and my father beat safety precautions into us all- and this was before OSHA.)

aem sends....