I’m puttting up tar paper in preparation for Hardi, and have worked my way up to heights that require ladders. Is there a trick to doing this solo or would I be better off hiring some help?
Or should I just grow 30′ arms?
Thanks.
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Replies
Cut it in manageable lengths-30' isn't it.
Maybe two 15's+.
Measure from one end to 7'-6", mark the paper-mark the wall.
Roll it up-both ends to the middle.
Mount the ladder in the center of the run (you made your mark there) and with the marks aligned-staple it there and then both directions, left and right. Keep it nice, no buckles. Hop the top of the ladder over so you almost fall off-finish what you can both ways. Nail it off with caps.
>>>Maybe two 15's+. Zackly
>>>Maybe two 15's+.
Zackly what I was thinking. You need two people. It's insane trying to do it yourself (although you'd probably get a laugh watching me try!)
>>>Hop the top of the ladder over so you almost fall off
Oh, and you who so admonished me for my ladder setup holding scaff!!!! Ha!
...alright, I know you said almost fall off...
But Thanks.
You need two people. It's insane trying to do it yourself
No sir you don't need two people. My method for your predicament was cut a length that when rolled both ends to the middle allowed you to diy.
But David is way right when he mentions some kind of walking board. My first choice would be pump jacks because you set it up (the big ass 'd plank/walking platform-wider the better) all down on the ground. Once man can pump up either a pair or even two pair or a combo on 3.
Ladder jacks, you need almost a third ladder to position the plank when moving up.
Pumps the way to go-uneven terrain, no problem. Just takes a bit of thought on how to position the top stand-offs.
But for the paper-shoot, pc. of cake. With your imagination-nothing to it.
A cap nailer/stapler is also a lifesaver. Makes it 10x easier working by yourself.
How are you
going to install siding from a ladder?
You need a walking surface, either scaffolding, ladder jacks, or pole jacks. You need to be able to walk along unrolling and stapling the paper, and then walk along nailing the siding. Ladders alone are not adequate unless you are a glutton for punishment.
Ladders alone are not adequate
AMEN!!!
Even when building a single story garage I'll build a scaffold vs. using a ladder...
Having had a Grandpa that died from falling off a ladder may have something to do with that attitude.
Ok, I see what you mean.
Ok, Calvin, I see what you mean. Thanks a mil.
But for twenty bux an hour I can hire a helper that can hold, cut, and tack as needed. The whole side of the house should be done in two hours. (I'll give him a cold one or two too; it's hot here)
As for hanging FC solo, that shouldn't be a problem... I've got the PacTool guages, 8' level, chaulk line, etc....
Thanks guys.
I agree w/ the other guy about using a ladder for hanging FC. I did my house in OR a couple years ago. Found out it was inexpensive to rent scaffolding ... I had my own planks, so just needed the structures. It was like $35 a month or something like that. Well worth it for the peace of mind and easier working conditions.
When I resided our house rental scaffolding wasn't cheap (especially given that the project took several months), and in fact was barely available, so I built my own using (then) about $300 worth of materials. A bit clumsier to move than metal, but rock-solid.
Since then the rental scaffold buisness has become much more competitive locally.
But I did most of the work solo, and remember devising several techniques and little tools/jigs for hanging the siding (tempered hardboard, in 16-foot sections). Handiest was a small piece of aluminum strap bent into an S shape to hold the "dumb" end of a plank while I fastened it off. (But the wife & sons helped put up the Tyvek, so that was relatively straight-forward.)
Think I'll give Calvin's idea a shot, but it does sound like slow going. If I get ticked off I'll look into renting some scaf. The kid I'm thinking about hiring as a helper has a dad who's a contractor and owns some, so maybe he'd rent it to me
It is slow, but if it's all you got.............
Ideally, I'd set up for the whole shelonga-paper now--siding immediately after.
I assume you want to cover your sheeting totally, then start the siding. If there's alot of moving around, then I might be tempted to tarp it to keep it dry, paper as I side. Tempted? nay, that's what I'd do. Hang the ltwt tarp from the grommets-screwed with waferhead screws-off a ladder.
Then set up for the siding with the pump jacks-moving them around as I finished a side.
Whatever you do, be careful and please acknowledge that you are still in one pc. More than one ficticious breaktimer has vanished.............never to be heard from again.
>>>Ideally, I'd set up for
>>>Ideally, I'd set up for the whole shelonga-paper now--siding immediately after.
Exactly. I ran my first course of Hardi today; hope to get this whole wall done by weekend. We'll see.
I stood back and pondered a bit at the end of the day and I'm thinking your idea might work fine. The wall is pretty cut up by windows and other various projections (it's the back of the house so I tried to put all the dryer vents, bathroom vents, kitchen vents, etc... back there).
So the fact is, even though there is a second story to reach, most tar paper runs won't be much longer than about 10'. So your idea of rolling and working from the middle sounds good. Ya, it means some trips up and down, and shuffling around, but our motto has always been, "More time than money!"
Thanks.
Scott
Tho my tactics may not be close some of the time-I'd be embarrased if I didn't say that after working alone for the past 20 yrs I haven't come up with some that are. Sure, they're harder, more time consuming than working with others and can offer an opportunity for disaster............
but you do what needs to be done. In a workmanlike manner. Forward all the way.
But I'll tell you this. Nearing 61 affects how much gets done way more than the lack of an extra pair of hands.
mo-fo.
The second time I needed scaffolding was 3-4 years back when I wanted to repaint. Then I went to a scaffold rental place. They rented the scaffolding, delivered it, and picked it up. The only way it could have been more convenient is if they had set it up for me too.
I hung mine solo a lot of the time. It took me 3 solid months. I rented like 3 sections for way cheaper than I could begin to buy them and a lot lighter and less effort than building them myself. I was ready to buy until I called the rental place.
To hang, I bought one of those handy pairs of jigs. They are sweet, too. A bit expensive for what they are, but they are just the ticket for hanging that stuff. Made it largely a no brainer. Let me focus on cutting and keeping it all level (even w/ a jig, you need to do reality checks regularly).
Probably the most important "jig" for me was a story pole, with the siding courses marked off. Made it fairly easy to mark the Tyvek every 6 feet or so so that the siding stayed straight.
TP
backroll and precut lengths.
Run it vertically - so you can carry up, tack in place at top of wall, and let gravity help, instead of fighting the old biddy. but use a 6" lap
>>>Run it
>>>Run it vertically
Sheesh, never heard of that, but given your esteemed reputation here I'll take your word for it. Certainly would make life a lot easier.
Honestly, this side of the house has sat completely exposed (no siding at all) since we built in 2004, so if weather infiltration was an issue I'd know by now. 2' overhangs help.
You could do a variation on that -- tack the roll at the top, then descend and tack the bottom offset a couple of feet so that the strip is diagonal. Then go back and finish it off. This way you have some slight vertical overlap for rain to "think like a raindrop".
But, Dan, the idea here is to make this doable, not harder.
Personally, I'd have him setting up the pump jacks.
but for just the TP, I know from experience that the 6"lap and vertical run will do him fine. Done it hundreds of times and torn off a few with this under it. 6-8" lap is all that is required for when you lap ends on horizontally run TP underlayment too.
I always like to add a little twist to things.
That might create such a powerful visual graphic effect that I might not want to cover it with siding.
at 72 I had another idea
A strip of plywood and fasten a contraption similar the housewife has for her papertowels. Sort of a L shaped strip of 3/4" plywood with a steelpipe fastened on the short bottom end of the L Slide the roll of paper onto the pipe and walk it along the scaffold plank. BTW I would never use a ladder in those circumstances.. The longer piece (about 42") can be nailed to the wall whereever you want to stop your "run". It holds the paper roll in place. Then you walk back to the beginning and tack.
You might want to nail a woodstrip to the paper at the beginning to prevent tear-out