After reading the post schtick made this came to mind, as I am somewhat scared of heights myself, and I didn’t want to hijack his thread.
I fell from a one story roof 5 years ago, and only got a few bruises and the wind knocked out of me fortunetly.Before that I was like a monkey and scared of nothing in terms of hieghts, now I avoid roofs if I can.
Yesterday I did a tear off of 12/12 cedar shingle roof and was fine using the toe boards and not wearing my bags.
Today I went back up with my bags on this time, to put felt over the ridge which wasnt done yesterday. Toe boards were to far apart for my liking and I got up to the ridge when the roll I had with me blew down.
It took me 10 minutes to be able to come back down, I sat there for that long before I had the nevre to come back down. Once on the ground my knees were shaking After that the lead guy told me don’t worry about it and someone else would go up, because if I was scared, chances where better I’d fall.
So after all that, anyone else scared of hieghts, and if not now were you ever.
How did you get over it?
Replies
I'll admit it....but it's more that I'm scared of falling....I rock climb/rappel/etc, so it's not heights (the security of the ropes helps).... actually I think my biggest fear is of getting hurt -- and no income for a while. Can't afford it. I usually avoid the high stuff, and get a helper to do that (fellow remodeler/handyman, we help each other). I'm better when something solid is under me.... I have enough scaffolding sections for 15' up. My worst point is transitioning from ladder to roof, and back to ladder.
I used to do this in full turnouts when I was on rural VFD, but that was different -- about 20 years worth of difference.
Many years ago I worked on a power plant under construction. Probably equal to 6-8 floors. It was in the south, so it was open with nice handrails, but the floors were metal grates. Ride the elevator up to the top, doors open, and you can see all the way to the ground. Gulp. Just didn't look down.
Couple of years later I was building a 49 floor high rise...it was about 10 floors when I got there. Couple of construction elevators, and a set of wooden stairs. Usually took the stairs because the elevator was slow or full of material. Took me about 3 months before I would get above the 3rd or 4th floor...just couldn't walk up anyt higher. By the end of the job I was all the way at the top, walking around on the jump form and walking the red iron on lower floors.
Do it right, or do it twice.
I'm a little shaky up high (anywhere, ladders, pump jacks, roofs, plates) for a while until I've been up a while. I find that when I'm up all day (like doing siding on pump jacks) that I feel confident enough to do a cartwheel on the plank at the end of the day. This is good, as I think a very important quality is to be sure footed, and when you have any problems you are more likely to think quickly and use what you have available to keep from falling. When I'm nervous, I don't think as quickly. Good for your co worker keeping you on the ground. On the other side, it's also very risky, as thats when you will do stupid things, the type that will no be remedied by quick thinking. It's somewhat of a mixed bag.
Fortunately, I've never really taken a spill from more than about 6'. Hope to be able to say the same 40 years from now.
Joe, and all
The wierd thing is, for me its mainly just roofs, enough toe boards and no bags, I'm good to go, pump jacks, ladder jacks with a plank at least as wide as 2x12 and I'm ok, Put the bags on or carrying something and I get spooked. The extra weight and bulk get to me. or being the near the edge.
And like you if I'm up there a while I'm fine, yesterday was up there for 4 hours, no problems, but then again I put the toe boards where I wanted them. Today, took me forever to get down.
oh well, guess the more I do it, I will get over it...View ImageGo Jayhawks
It is very embarrasing and I have found ways of not going up high, like being the bench man to do all the cutting on ground level. Getting up is usually not a problem, it's getting back down that gets me. Once I called my wife and told her I am stuck and can't get back down, considered sleeping there overnight and the guys would just think that I got to work early the next day. (When everyone left I slowly made it back down) To embarrased to go back on all fours with all these other guys hopping around like they were on the ground. If there is a way to overcome this crap I'm all ears.
Alex
Yeah I got a few laughs, but I just let it roll off, Figure they are scared of something somewhere...
The new guy laughed at me today, and this is the day after he dropped something on my compressor and busted it, kinda had a little fun with him after that :)View ImageGo Jayhawks
I suppose if you watched me work, I’d fit within the category of one of those guys that jumps around with no fear of heights. In two-person tasks I’m typically the one that takes the more precarious situation such as walking material along top plate. One time I even hung out side the rails of a man lift about 30’ off the ground while a coworker held onto my tool belt so I could reach with both hands. But to say I did or do these things without trepidation would be very misleading. It’s all calculated risk and keeping half my mind working on how to save my arse should something go wrong. I do get major willies in much lesser situations if I don’t feel there is a justifiable plan B.
Anybody that tells you they can do task like walk the top plate of an exterior three story wall without the slightest misgivings is either lying or will be falling soon.
CAG to take your example of being more anxious with your bags on, on the contrary I feel more anxious with the bags off. They contain items that could save me, such as a hammer claw driven through some OSB to stop a slide off the edge of a roof.
Over the years I’ve worked with people that had varying levels of anxiety towards heights. But the worst was a guy, first day on the job, that nearly wet himself when we got about 10’ off the ground in a man lift. Come to find out he couldn’t even get halfway up a 6’ stepladder. He had to be let go.
Scott R.
The only way to deal with any fear is to face it and get used to it. You will always still have the fear, but you become more desensitized (sp?) to it. You have to go through a self induced therapy program to get to a comfort level. People go through the same program to become comfortable with snakes, spiders, insects, etc.. Try something outside of work that requires you to be up high and that you can enjoy. If you do you will overcome your confidence problems much faster.
As a child I was extremely scared of heights. I realized that the only way to overcome it was to slowly expose myself to it over several years and eventually I would become used to it. I am still nervous about heights, not so much the falling as the pain involved with the landing. I can do edge work at 2nd-3rd floor heights, low pitch roof work, or work from a lift at just about any height (50-60 feet) with a reasonable comfort level. As long as I have scaffolding, a harness or some form of safety equipment that will prevent me from "landing" I'm OK. Learn to enjoy the view and the heights might become more appealing.
Hey CAG,
You'll be fine. Just listen to the voice inside you. I know from your other posts that you are a young guy, I'm almost 20 years older, and have walked alot of roofs, plates, scaffolds and ladders. About once or twice a year, I just feel afraid. So I stop what I'm doing. Your foreman was right, no sense getting hurt. Usually I'm fine the next day.
If it's a constant thing, the world needs cabinet makers.
Best wishes,
skipj
If it's a constant thing, the world needs cabinet makers
I tried a brief stint in a semi-custom cabinet shop, this lasted 2 weeks before I just walked out, I walked out without notice because the owner/boss was an asz, but I quit because the endless continual drone of the same thing drove me nuts.
But there is always bathroom and kitchen remodels which involve generally no roof's View ImageGo Jayhawks
CAG,
If you don't think this height thing will go away, you have alot of options:
1. Cabinet installer
2. Countertop guy.
3. Tile setter (big money where I am).
4. Hardwood, carpet guy.
5. Plumber (rarely on roofs)
6. Electrician (big money, don't know where the roof is, "Clean up? What's that")
7. Concrete.
8. Grading.
9. Surveying.
The trades need bright young men.
You're one of them, as evidenced by your finding this forum.
skipj
skip,
Thanks for the post, If it goes away great if not, I'll keep passing the buck when I feel to uncomfortable, until I have my own company at which point I will hire someone else to do it. :)
Now stop worring about me and get yourself fixed up. :)
View ImageGo Jayhawks
Edited 4/2/2003 11:11:15 PM ET by CAG
Bigbird er... I mean CAG
Sorry I thought I was on another thread.
About 12 13 years ago I was out deer hunting and fell out of a tree, 25' down, broke my back in five places, I don't want to hear any sh!t about how I fell either, it just happened that's all that needs to be known for this thread.
Since then going up on a roof has been something that I always dreaded, didn't mind the tear off because there was always the skip sheeting to hold onto, once the sheeting was on I hated it but I always felt it was a mind over matter thing so I dealt with it. Now I don't have to do roofs anymore and I kind of miss being up there once in a while, only once in a while though.
Back hurts every day but hell, ya got to have something to bitch about, right.
I read that post by the guy on the other thread, man I feel lucky, if that makes sense, hope he comes out of it ok.
Doug
I dont much like being up on roofs etc. but as others have said, the longer i do it the better I get, trouble is i dont do it often enough to get used to it. was fine years ago when an apprentice, but lost the knack now.
Ladders I am always careful with. dont care what anyone thinks or says either. If anyone does make a comment I tell them to go screw themselves cos it's my arse.
Bottom line is, if i get hurt, they employ someone else, I get to live with a world of pain. Dont get paid anywhere near enough to take dumb risks.
Was moving roof trusses along a little while ago with the boss. Held the truss up, whilst shuffling along the top plate. gave me the jeebies. Boss said "you dont like this much do you?". the reply was unprintable.
Wood Hoon
When I was a "pup" it did not bother me...although I was mindful of my well being and careful about the setting of equipment, scaffold and ladders.
But as I have matured and my agility coefficient declines I have become more leary of "the edge". Sometimes to the point of freezing me up. Strap on a bag, pick up a bundle of shingles and walk the edge?? Not anymore. Kneel down on a scaffold board and have a knee lock as you come back up thus shifting your balance?? It sure tightens your sphincter sometimes.
I've talked to a couple of other mature contractors about this change and they all agree about the loss of agility bringing on insecurity at the edge/elevations.
I also do some rapelling and find a lot of comfort in the rope. I also find a lot of comfort in having the young bucks work the edge.
Knowing your limits will extend your number of HAPPY birthdays.
.................................Iron Helix
My experiences have been kind of like ElCid. Somehow anything over 50 feet is better than second storey work. In my college days, I worked at a grain buying point. The grain elevators were about 160 feet high with really big ( 40 hp, I think ) electric motors on top. We were constantly up and down the caged ladders, doing welds and repair work. We usually wore hearing protection, not because of the motors, but because of the noise the soybeans and corn made while being lifted by the elevator buckets and running through the pipes into the bins.
One day I was working on a gear reduction drive at the top of the tallest elevator, hearing protection in place, when I heard an unusual sound. I actually looked DOWN on an airplane ! ! This guy was navigating by the railroad tracks, flying extremely low, maybe 100 feet off the tracks. His route brought him right over our rail siding. Never would have expected that. I realized that day that being startled could make you fall.
One of my ( many ) current projects is to erect a 1932 model Aermotor windmill on my small farm. I've got some of the steel up. I was given this windmill in 1974, and I disassembled it as a high school senior. Now a 46 year old man is putting it back up ! Tower is 50 feet, and you'd better believe I'm using safety gear, and my 12 year old son on the ground is wearing a hard hat !
Greg.
I got dizzy and started shaking just by clicking on the thread link to get here!
Not really, but I do have one of the big three. The basics fears that almost everyone has to some degree are fear of falling, fear of darkness, and fear of being alone - or rejection.
When I was growing up I slept in a top bunk and Iwould have dreams like I was Tarzan swinging thru the trees and the vine would break in the middle of the dream. I would wake up halfway to the floor, having fallen out of bed.
When I was fresh out of school, and ran out of money, I started with a roofing company and discoverd the first day that I got all shaky and quaky and sweaty from climbing a ladder.
But the money was pretty good and I found that if i stayed back fromn the edge, it didn't bother me so much. Eventually, I got more used to it but it would bother me sometimes, especially on steep roofs.
One day we were drying in with tarpaper on a Der Weinerschnitsle steep gull wing roof. boss was in a big hurry and spreading too much gap between toeboards and running all over that thing - must've been 20/12 pitch or thereabouts and he stepped right off the end of the toeboard while I watched him go. He slid right past three more toeboards on the way down but managed to check his fall on the 5/12 wing roof. He got some wicked black and blue marks on his ribs out of it. Me - I froze for ten minutes or so until I remembered to do some breathing excercises.
Slow, deep breathes. Way in and way out. Focus on the air and on your own center.
It was after nearly twenty years that I took a good fall - without getting hurt more than a few scrapes, but seeing all that rock and rebar was un-nerving. I started having nightmares about falling. I would wake up suddenly, dreaming that I was falling and grabbing anything handy - pillows, sheets, wifes breasts.
She decided it was time for me to get help. I got a prescription for a little white anti-anxiety pill that I think was called Xanax to take before bedtime. It only took a couple of nights to break the cycle. Now I can snore peacefully all night long!
today, I still get the shakes occasionally on a scaffold board. Counting the money I'm making and thinking about what we will spend it on is enough to get my mind off it.
In a movie where they have a big falling scene, I get vertigo and nervous sweat.
BTW, sweat does smell different when you are afraid.
Excellence is its own reward!
Piffin,
You brought up an interesting point mentioning rock and re-bar, there was none here, but being over concrete gets me more then grass. Falling scenes in movies I am ok with, an actor/actress standing near the edge of something gives it to me.
Breathing exercises are a good idea. Thanks.
As for "all the money" you are the boss so that works, but the phrase I have learned to use at work is "that's above my pay grade"
Grabbing your wife's breast?? Sounds like something different then a fear of heights :)View ImageGo Jayhawks
CAG,
I think everyone has had that feeling in their gut at least once, just shows your smarts. I am a lineman for a utility co., heights are everything. My partner and I climb all of the time. A co-worker's son was hired by our co. and the first requirement is to pass pole climbing school. He froze at 6 feet and couldn't muser the strength to go back up. Obviously he lost the job because of this... He waited the required time, was hired again and sent back to climbing school. Believe it or not he went to a hypnotist to overcome his fear and passed with flying colors. Glad to say he is still on the job and I saw him climbing a 60 foot pole the other day.
For me, it's not heights, per se. It's the situation. In December, I was doing some remo work on some dormers--second story doghouses with a "fiddlely" intersction between 9/12 and 12/12--no problem. A week later, I'm on my 4/12, not quite a story tall garage hanging Christmas lights, and just get the "heebie jeebies." Stayed calm, breathed carefully, fell back to "climbing rules" (move one limb, test the hold, test it again, then move). Felt really stupid about it.
Maybe I was too close to the ground--I've stepped out of aircraft close enough to the ground to practically touch, but that doesn't leave much time to think about it. That, may be the problem--thinking. Fear can be irrational, literally, against rational thought.
With ladders, I always follow what I was taught at fire school; and have never had a ladder problem--unlike some of the turkeys who have made smart comments.
Congrats to the fellow building the windmill on two points. First, I'm glad to see that somebody still can appreciate a windmill as a machine enough to restore one. Second off, for using safety equipment. About $200 to have a proper safety harness--only about what just the ride in an ambulance costs these days.
I have always been cautious with heights, and when the chimney mason came to quote a tuck-point job for my chimney I watched him scamper up my 12-12 roof like it was nothing.
After some coaching, he talked me up the roof too, explaining how he used the valley for traction and just how to place the feet.
I've done lots of climbing over the years, but the fact that there are no hand-holds on a roof (one mistake and its all over but for the ride down) always kept me well away unless there were toe boards or a secure ladder involved.
Well, there I was, sitting on the ridge and feeling very nervous and very impressed with his confidence and roof climbing abilities, kind of in awe really.
Then bats came flying up out of my chimney and he let out the biggest shout. "I hate bats, hate 'em!". After that he climbed down more gingerly than he had come up, even thanked me for checking the chimney for any more bats before he finished his inspection for me.
Very interesting experience for me: here I was, all scared of the roof and find that he's just as scared as I was, but about different things.
(true, the "start" from flying things poping out of a chimney is very dangerous but his fear seemed to go beyond just that).
It seems to me that we all have our 'weak spots' and that we should never feel bad about whichever ones are ours because whoever we know that is strong in those areas has probably got something else that is theirs!
Norm
Norm >>> "explaining how he used the valley..."
Thanks for giving away one of my best tricks for getting free coffee. ;-)
Ditto to the comments about your agility declining as you get older. I was never Twinkletoes and am less so now. I fell 2 stories 25 years ago and it does get your attention. Having the right equipment helps ........... no more pump jacks with single planks and no guard rails. No more toe boards, I use roofing brackets. I cringe at the thought of the staging (or lack of it) that I used to work off of. There will come a point when it will be time to give it up. I had a knee replaced a year and a half ago. I've been on a few roofs since then and I've got to replace the one here at home but a steady diet of roofs- no way, I'll leave it to you young bucks.
I've always opted to be the cut man, but on my own garage/workshop (with bathroom) and a 4/12 steel roof, I've got to install pumbing and HW heater vents. I'm so leery of sliding off the steel that I've put permanent cat-walks in the attic over the blown-in so I can cut the holes from underneath. But I still have to go up there and insert pipes and flash. Never had trouble with this when I was plumbing and worked on asphalt shingles (good friction on knees and boots), but I can't figure out how to install toe boards over this steel. Question is, I've got rubber knee pads that should be sticky enough to stop a slide. Any one had success with knee pads on a steel roof? I may also tie a sturdy rope to a nearby tree to grab on to.
A pair of stout 2x8, joined with a long strap hinge. From below, slide the hinged boards up the slope until the far half slides over the ridge. This works best, if it is loaded on both sides, but will give a place to nail down toe boards or the like. Just the thing to beat those slick metal roofs.
Before you trust those knee pads, even if they're OK for friction, think about what holds them onto your body. Is it just one wrap around and some velcro? Do they slip around to the side of your knee, or slide down to your ankles? They're for comfort on hard surfaces, they're not rated for fall protection.
As for fear of heights, I have it pretty bad. I get the shakes in my ankles, like teeth chattering. Not conducive to neat paint work from a ladder. I'm OK up to about 10 ft, but on the 32 ft extension ladder I'm scared the whole time.
For this roof job I have to do, I bought a 5/8" nylon safety rope, body harness, and the grab hardware piece. I've got the rope hanging from a ceiling joist (2x6, 5 ft span) so I can practice and get familiar with the gear before I have to use it up high.
-- J.S.
Fell once, took me 14 days to get out of bed. It was only a single story ranch with a 4/12 pitch. There was some frost on the roof that morning, my boots were still warm on my first trip up with supplies but the next trip was quite the ride. I slipped a few feet from the ladder, knocked the ladder over, hit the side board of the dump truck on the way down which pitched me sideways so I got to see the concrete driveway landing strip on the trip down. I don't know why but I always remember that concrete drive getting closer and closer as if time froze for a moment. So I lay there on the drive, my two working partners are still up on the roof with no ladder, the overhead garage door opens and now I wonder if I'm to be run over also, so happens the lady across the street had seen me fall and called the homeowners. I never so much as had a bruise that was visible externally but I stoved up for about three to four weeks and I don't feel that I've had the flexibility since. I have roofed plenty of houses since, torched down several three and four story buildings, used pump jacks, scaffold, etc. I'm not crazy about roofing anymore but since then I have added to the waistline to the point that I don't feel that I could hold my weight for any length of time. I was 200 to 220 at the time, I now pack around 295 before tool belt. I've since road the rollercoaster atop the Stratosphere, and New York, New York in Las Vegas, but what gave me the heebie jeebies was the Imax theatre in Ceasears Palace, it just reminded me of concrete ahead more than anything. I'm pretty much the cut man anymore.
Edited 4/3/2003 11:23:12 PM ET by RU41
"and a 4/12 steel roof, I've got to install pumbing and HW heater vents. I'm so leery of sliding off the steel that "
I really don't like heights (see earlier post). Actually I pretty well avoid roofs now, but I used to always swap to my softest-rubber sole tennis shoes when on a steel roof......most boots have a harder rubber compound, and don't stick as well. Good tennis shoes will let you walk around easily. (Oh, when you slide, try and miss the screw heads.....they leave pretty nasty scars.....but if you're lucky enough to come to a stop on the roof, the stream of blood running down the tin is pretty cool.....don't ask how I know.)
You may not believe this- I find it hard to imagine myself- but when I was 13 months old my mother found me crawling off the top rung of an extension ladder onto the peak of a very steep roof on a two story house. She was too scared to come up and get me so she had to talk me back down the ladder. She claims that any time she didn't know where I was the first thing she did was look up and she would usually find me somewhere overhead. Never in my life have I had a moments trepidation about climbing around on stuff...
... until a couple of years ago.
It just "feels" different to me when I get more than ten feet off the ground now days. It doesn't scare me per-se' but I'm not as comfortable up there as I used to be. I climb a lot less than I used to so it could be that the feeling is just getting less familiar to me.
Don't worry about it. After my Skil-saw accident years ago it was a long time before I could calm my nerves enough to pull the trigger on one again. I think even the most experienced builder gets a little vertigo now and then. I've got a feeling you will be just fine in a few days.
Kevin Halliburton
"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." -Elbert Hubbard-
I must have been about six years opld when I remember my first experience with heights. Itr was the summer between kindergarten and first grade, I think.
I took it into my mind that the large fir tree in the neighbor's yard looked 'climbable' so I gave it a try. Sure enough, it was really easy so I kept on going. The view was wonderful.
"Hi MOM, Look at me!"
"That's wonderfull! You are a good climber. We need to go home now though."
That's when I discovered that going down is different than climbing up. I'm sure I was at least thirty feet up. I froze.
"MOMMY, HELP!!!!!!!!!!!"
"I'm not coming up there to get you. You got your self up there. Now find a way to get your self down."
so I did..
Excellence is its own reward!
My first day on the job when I was in h.s. I was hooked up with a siding crew. Boss was showing me "the proper way" to set up a28 foot ext ladder. We were working out in the hamptons so the whole site was loose sand. He was being real patient and taking his time because I wasn't sure how I would handle the hieght so he goes up to tie the ladder off when he gets to the roof and turns to see if I'm paying attention the ladder started sliding along the roof edge, the look on his face was pure terror! My reaction was to try to catch him as he was sliding down, which I did! you would of thought from his reaction that I pushed his a$$ off the ladder screaming and cusing me out for not knowing any better to get the hell out of the way of a "slider"! I had to interupt his yelling so he could see that my left shoulder seemed dislocated and that I was in real pain! A quick trip to the emergency room atug and a pop,good as new. Needless to say after I recovered (3 wks) I went back to see that my boss was concentrating only on decking? he would never admit it but his ladder days were over. "plenty of young guys to climb ladders"
Not scared of heights - scared of hitting the ground.
Yesterday I couldn't even spell plumber, today I are one.
When I was a young carpenter, heights and roofs never really bothered me except once or twice. I could walk plates and open joists, but beam walking scared me. 40ft. ladders never scared me, in fact I climbed one last year to get tha kitten out of a tree(couldn't find my bullets). Pump jacks never bothered me, and I'm still good as long as the plank is strong enough. I spend all my construction time in a shop now, unless I'm doing an install, and then a 5' ladder is about the tallest I use.
On the other hand, I would never get in a ferris wheel. I think it's something to do with the height *and* movement.
well after it got around that I installed many antenas on the Empire State Building and did a little painting up top the 59th st. bridge I got an offer to put some vinyl siding on the Eiffel tower. I declined. To scared to go that high in France.
Be a baby
NAmaste
andy
"Understanding yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth"
Alan Watts
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
When I was abot 3, my dad was fighting with my mom.
To win the argument, he grabbed me by my ankle, and hung me out the window. Upside down. We were in a 3rd floor apartment in Chicago.
To this day, I can see, just as clear as if it were right in front of me, the concrete stoop of the building, and the iron fence, with "spears" all along the top. If he'd dropped me, it would ne 50/50 which of the two I would have hit.
Been afraid of heights all my life...
I can climb a tree, with climbing stirrups and belt. No problem. I can get on top of my own shed type roof. Only bothers me a bit. But Get me on an exrension ladder, and I can only get about 10 feet or so, before I am hugging the ladder. I tried to climb a forest ranger fire tower once. Steps. Normal staircase just like any other. Only the whole thing, including the steps was made from metal and metal grating. Got maybe three stories and had to come back down.
I found out years ago, as well, that I can handle being on a roof, as long as I have a rope tied around my waist, going over the top of the roof, and tied to a tree on the other side.
Something about being in control. Knowing that I am safe, because I set the safety equipment myself. I know what is there, how it works, and how it was set up.
Quittin' Time
Tie the safety line to a TREE!
Everbody knows that yur suppose to tie it to the truck bumper.... Come break time....
Secured hieghts usally no problem. Free standing ladders not such a good idea. Lots of teeth grinding. Open scaffolds w/o rails worse idea. I'm some place else. Elevated free edges are not considered. Somebody else's job. Not my pay scale.
The fall probably won't be too bad... It's the sudden stop that sucks!
Airborne!!!!
That thing about being in control cued me up here.
Probably at age three, you didn't think much about falling and hitting bottom, it was the lose of contro lto him and the panic that went with it that stays with you.
I can ride a roller coaster as long as I am in the front seat. I can pretend that I'm driving or piloting it.
But put me in the back seat ofd a car on a willy road and I'm getting the willies!.
Excellence is its own reward!
"I got an offer to put some vinyl siding on the Eiffel tower. I declined. To scared to go that high in France."
I think that's the wrong terminology. Wouldn't it be more PC to say you're scared of going DOWN in France ???Support your local undertaker - drop dead.
I'm 54 and probably a hundred pounds overweight. Old football injuries have me too stiff to touch my toes and I have to limber up to touch my knees..
I work on the roof of my timberframe that is a 17/12 pitch and a 27/12 pitch and about 40 feet above the driveway..
I'm not real comfortable climbing around up there but since the boss (me ) wants it done, I'll do it, but I'll darn well take my time doing it!
Like several others have said, I'm better on some days and worse on others. Had to do a bit of tuckpointing on a chimney in high wind about a month ago. Man did I move slow (whadda ya expect from a hasbeen?).
Odd thing for me is that it's man made structures that scare crap out of me (if man built it, it's gonna fall down eventually, right?). I once considered driving back around Chicago from the UP rather than cross that dam bridge (yes, I drove across). I can go out near the edge of a cliff (hate it if it's windy, though!) easier than I can go from the roof of a two story back onto the ladder.
One thing that helps me is that I always remind myself that gravity is always straight down. Well, now I'm off to keep working on the plans for my new one story home. :)
It doesn't matter how fast you get there, it just matters that you go in the right direction.
Making your own home plans?
Got any pics you would want to share?
Like others have said, its not the fall that will bother me, I fell from swinging on a vine 20' in the air or a cliff as a kid, (maybe another reason I have issues) The second or two of free fall was fun. Dislocating my wrist on impact was not. Its the ground stopping me that bothers me :).View ImageGo Jayhawks
How old are you? When I was in college I worked for a commercial roofer. One of the jobs I worked on was a church including the steeple. No problem. Climbed around like a monkey (even walked the spike ladder that had been set into one of the ridges of the steeple). Now I'm 45 and I don't like getting on a scaffold that's higher than three floors. As we age our immortality lessens.
So does our immorality!.
Excellence is its own reward!
You better be ready to duck if CAG sees that one! {G}Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one.
Suggesting I'm a bit immoral? :)
I have lots'a morals, only think is they might be the opposite of what you consider to be moral :)View ImageGo Jayhawks..............Next Year
Archy,
See thats the problem I'm 25 and in college and still hate roofs!!! Somedays I can deal with them others I cant, oh well, there's always kitchens and baths....View ImageGo Jayhawks
When I was first starting out in the trade I was a laborer. We were sheathing a roof on some townhouses in Mass. We just got the tools out and were going up on the roof. The first guy went up and there must have been frost on the roof. He fell off the roof. Luickily there was a wall bracket sticking out the second floor next to an open doorway that he swung himself thru. I was scared for the next couple days holding on to whatever I could get my hands onto.
That was almost twenty years ago and now I love working on the roofs. The main thing about working up high is that I feel better if I set up my own staging. I have heard alot of stories about getting on someone else staging and having it fail. PLus one guy that I worked for was a real butthead and he was afraid of hieghts so to get away from him I learned to like being up high.
I totally agree with you about setting up my own staging. Even ladders.
I had an employee once set a ladder up for me and didnt have the locks on it locked in fight.
I rode that ladder down like you wouldnt believe. HEart pounding and sides of my hands cut to bits.
Be shaking knees
Namaste
andy
"Understanding yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth"
Alan Watts
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
" he was afraid of hieghts so to get away from him I learned to like being up high."
that says a lot.
The bosses never bother you from down on the ground.
I remember working on a bridge and towers about nine to thirteen stories high. Most guys on that job were always bellyachin' about how the bosses were always pushing them to do more. I was one of few who volunteered to take the extra fifty cents/hr and all the bosses ever did was smile, wave hwello, and ask if we needed anything else. they knew how hard it was to find bodies to put up there..
Excellence is its own reward!
Why do I think I'm a floor guy??
Ditch
Why do I think I'm a floor guy??
Ditch
Ditch,
Why DOESNT Pro-deck?
BE floored
Namaste
andy
"Understanding yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth"
Alan Watts
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I hate heights. I especially hate picks and ladder jacks.
My crazy Bro-in-law is a high level sheet metal mechanic. I don't know how he does it everyday.Ditch
No problem as long as the job is reasonably well staged.Partner wanted me to stand on 2 concrete blocks in the center of a 24 ft walkboard laid on ladder jacks 15 ft up.Had to draw the line.He did it and survived but commonsense says no.If not comfortable rework your setup til you are.A large percentage of falls from more than 6 ft result in death.
Speedy, done that plenty of times except I use a 5 gal bucket to stand on.
The only thing I ever refused was walking out on a 16" wide pic in an open apartment stairwell doing knock down texturing on the ceiling. I was helping out, covering for a guy that fell off that pic the day before. Think thats what gave me the major willies and the fact that I would have had to walk the lenght of that pic with my head straight up.
Scott R.
Edited 4/8/2003 9:57:02 AM ET by Scott R.
Twenty years ago I was replacing slate on a roof at Yale had one break that I just happened to be standing on, pulled 42' of copper gutter off on the way down, nothing on me was broken just my hands cut up a little.
Next day I knew I had to ride that horse again,that was hell, but I was the only one in our company that could do slate or copper gutters.It took awhile to get that confidence back but the sooner you get back on that horse the better for both you and the horse.