40 Ft Ladder..... Lost my Nerve

[scott_vt]

Great idea to do 1 side a year and I'll start that procedure for next year.


I also have the dreaded walk out basement which adds the extreme height on one end requiring the 40" ladder

Afternoon Sarge,
See what I got started ! All us over 55 ers get to do one side per year !

 

[Dozernut]

Scotty

I know what your talking about. My experience was on a 28' aluminum ladder. It was almost fully extended and I was staining near the peak when that darned old ladder decided to rack. Luckily I was able to hold on and get down safely. Took that extension ladder apart and will not put it back together, got a new heavier fiberglass model but I am still gun shy. Seems like the "Golden Years" only applies to your doctor.

 

[dfkrug]

40-foot ladder.....that must be scary. Not for me. I don't even like
my 20-footer!

I have tried the self-propelled Genie lifts, and they sway a lot with
just one person in them.

The solution I found is scaffolding. I bought 4 sections used when I
was buliding my house, and I have used it again and again, long after
I "finished". These are rock-solid and 5-ft tall each. I made wheel
inserts for one section, which I have used indoors with my 14-ft ceilings.

 

[tommu56]

I look back at the days I would walk the purlins putting in phone and computer cables in and only hook in to step around the columns. That was 20 years ago I like to believe as I got older I got wiser (my wife will dispute that).

tom

 

[Rara Avis]

Good Evenin Guys,
Well everyone is probablly wondering why I havent done much on my plow rebuild project, but I have been sidelined on trying to keep up with all the house chores !

A little history for everyone, I built the Ct house in 1982. After I first built it I would stain the whole house every 4 yrs. Then I started to feel a bit old these past few years and started staining one side every year ! This has worked out quite well but this year on the west side getting all the way up on my 40 ft ladder I just didnt feel comfortable ! Im 56 and in good health, 5 ft 10" by 180 lbs and can still walk 10 miles in the woods, so not too overweight ! I have obviously lost my nerve, I did for the record get the peak done but not without holding on for dear life ! I have been doing this job forever but I think my days are numbered doing this job much longer ! Talking with my buddy who works part time at HD today, he informed me that HD no longer carries a 40 ft ladder Gee that made me feel good !

So just thought I would let everyone know that Im still with the ranks of the living, and perserved through this project to the end ! Anyone else out there have this acquired fobia ? Never seemed to bother me in the past but somethin just changed !

Here's exactly what you need...

What's changed is you have MORE common sense...The older you get the more your body seems to realize its fragile...

 

[curly]

Good Evenin Guys,
Well everyone is probablly wondering why I havent done much on my plow rebuild project, but I have been sidelined on trying to keep up with all the house chores !

A little history for everyone, I built the Ct house in 1982. After I first built it I would stain the whole house every 4 yrs. Then I started to feel a bit old these past few years and started staining one side every year ! This has worked out quite well but this year on the west side getting all the way up on my 40 ft ladder I just didnt feel comfortable ! Im 56 and in good health, 5 ft 10" by 180 lbs and can still walk 10 miles in the woods, so not too overweight ! I have obviously lost my nerve, I did for the record get the peak done but not without holding on for dear life ! I have been doing this job forever but I think my days are numbered doing this job much longer ! Talking with my buddy who works part time at HD today, he informed me that HD no longer carries a 40 ft ladder Gee that made me feel good !

So just thought I would let everyone know that Im still with the ranks of the living, and perserved through this project to the end ! Anyone else out there have this acquired fobia ? Never seemed to bother me in the past but somethin just changed !

Sheesh, that's a long ways up, and no matter your age weight or health...if ya fall, ya gonna prolly be kilt.

I've got a 24 ft ladder that I had to get up to the very top of my house. I had the ladder almost straight up (guess I need a 26 ft ladder) to put it in the right place. I had my wife standing under me/in front of/against the house... holding the nylon rope that pulls the ladder up....so I wouldn't just fall backwards. She kept getting distracted and talking to our daughter who was playing and I kept yelling for her not to forget what she was doing.

Even the 24 feet seemed a bit high, so yes you may want to get a 16 year old to do it. I may try to find one of those sizzor lifts somewhere.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I have just one thing to add this thread...


Bricks.

 

[scott_vt]

I have just one thing to add this thread...


Bricks.

Mornin Jeff,
Gosh Im old and even slower ! It took me a good 30 seconds to understand what you meant by bricks ! I think I may of had too much German Pain Killer !

 

[scott_vt]

Sheesh, that's a long ways up, and no matter your age weight or health...if ya fall, ya gonna prolly be kilt.

I had my wife standing under me/in front of/against the house... holding the nylon rope that pulls the ladder up....so I wouldn't just fall backwards. She kept getting distracted and talking to our daughter who was playing and I kept yelling for her not to forget what she was doing.

Sheesh Curly,
Man you aint supposed to have anyone holding that rope !!! That rope is supposed to be tied back off to the ladder in case the rung pawls decide to let go, like an added safety feature ! If you want to do what you did with your wife you need to have her foot the ladder with her putting pressure against the lower rungs ! The next thing your gonna tell me is that you put your ladder in your FEL !

 

[SnowRidge]

When I was a teen, I briefly worked on a farm. Their only hand, who was in his late 70's, was putting a new roof on a shed when he fell to his death. The medics said if it hadn't been for the heart attack he had up there, he probably would have been lived through it.