I have an opportunity to bid on a very nice painting job. Immaculate house. Customer expects perfection and is willing to pay for it. It’s a job I really want, but there’s one catch… 2-story foyer with 19-foot ceilings.
For the perimeter, I can probably manage with an extension ladder, but for the chandelier, which is centered, I guess I’ll need one heck of a step ladder. I’m concerned that a step ladder (I think I’ll need a 16-footer) might have a base that is actually too large to fit in the available space because the stairwell intrudes.
Painters must encounter this all of the time. It’s not very common for me though. What do others do?
-Don
Replies
They do but you need two guys....... one guy braces the extension ladder in the middle of the room while the other climbs. The guy at the bottom must hold the ladder very still or it's difficult to cut a straight line
scaffolding works also
or small scaffolding - the 30" x 6' stuff like Perrys. You can go two tiers high with it and be stable with outriggers on. Then at least you have a deck to stand on nice and steady.
There's a brand, buffalo I think is what it is, I started seeing some of those around at about half the cost of the Perrys. I'm not usually one for low budget on the tools but I got a couple of them and they're practically identical, just different color, and work just fine. Or you could rent it pretty cheap.
"Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think -- there are no little things" - Bruce Barton
Thanks. In fact, they rent these at the nearby HD for $40.00 per day. That seems quite inexpensive. The helper I'll need that day will cost a lot more than the scaffolding. I'm going to base my bid on renting this scaffolding. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
-Don
What about an extension ladder on each wall and a plank in between them?
Just a suggestion, I don't know how wide the foyer is.What's wrong with me? I could ask you the exact same thing.
You should probably be able to buy that scaffolding for about $199. And you'll need two? So $400 to buy them and you rent 'em for $40 per day x 2=$80 ?
They are very handy to have around. Especially inside, but I've used mine on outside stuff also.
If having a low wage work force was good for a country's economy then why hasn't Mexico built a fence?
The will sell that scaffolding, but it's over $1,300.00. I'd love to own it but it will be a long time before it earns me that much.
The fact that it cost so much to buy made me surprised that I could rent it for only $40.00.
-Don
With those numbers, you pay rent equal to the purchase price in under seven weeks.
If you only need it a couple days, rental might make sense.
If you need it a few weeks, maybe buy it and re-sell when you're done.
If you need it for seven weeks or more, buy it. You could dumpster it when you're done and be money ahead. Anything you get re-selling would be gravy.
-- J.S.
I'm always looking for bargains in scaffolding. And I don't need it that much. But when you do.....
....you do.
You know?
Yeah, I know. I bought enough to go one wide (10 ft.) by the height of the house (24 ft.).
-- J.S.
Scaffolding on wheels, or a scissor lift. If the work goes fast enough, the mobility of the electric lift machine pays off.
-- J.S.
I'm a fan of standard (heavy duty) scaffolding for high work. The skinny stuff is unstable enough that it makes me nervous at heights.
My local rental yard has Tele-Tower scaffolds. It is a around 6'x3' with outriggers that can extend out about 3' more. Comes on large casters so it can be easily moved and breaks into four peices for easy transport. It has a telescoping mechanism that extends to around 14'.
View Image
Yes, the photo was posed.
Great pic! More of us should post photos like that, posed or not.
Some years ago, I bought several sections of used scaffolding and planks and braces and guardrails at a place in Atlanta called At-Pac - they had a whole field of pieces, all neatly organized, and let me pick straight ones. I even sprang for the wheels AND the leveler feet.
This is the 6'8" walk-thru style. Three tiers is nice and stable, and about a 26' work height
It's rusty and ugly, but darn is it ever handy. I've even rented it to friends.
Forrest