Is anyone here familiar with scaffolding?

[KilroyJC]

Good Morning!

I will have to do some major home improvement projects, most notably re-staining/sealing our log home, and I don’t want to do it on a ladder. A scaffold (or two) would make for a much easier and safer job.

I have never used scaffolding before.

-EDIT/UPDATE: Terrain and deck preclude the use of a manlift or skyjack.-

My feet need to be 18’ to 20’ above grade level to be able to access all the way to the peak of the roof.

I plan on permanently attaching eyes to the sides of the house in order to rig guys to the scaffold for stability.

What do I need to know when buying scaffolding? There are so many options. I don’t want to rent, because I will have other projects in the future where it will be used, and if I own it, I won’t feel rushed to get it back to the tool rental and maybe screw up or get careless.

thank you for any suggestions, comments etc!

 

[Diggin It]

As with anything else, there are varying grades at varying prices.

I pickled up two of the six foot units commonly available at Harbor Freight, Tractor Supply, Northern Tool and similar places. They work fine for me, but they're a bit heavy to move around and assemble/disassemble. They can be a bit rickety and I found the need to tie them off to something solid. They are made to be able to be stacked for more height and outriggers sets and safety rails are available.

There are far larger and more stable commercial style units, but the cost is higher too. Because of their size, I'm not sure I'd want to try and set them up alone.

 

[duffer]

There are far larger and more stable commercial style units, but the cost is higher too. Because of their size, I'm not sure I'd want to try and set them up alone.

Couldn't agree more.

Go rent a portable 1 man lift. A few hundred $$ a week, (probably less than what you'd pay for 20' high scaffolding) and you can probably cover the entire side of the house without leaving the bucket/cage on the lift. Much safer, much more flexible, and no assembly required...

 

[LouNY]

For inside work or off of a deck the baker type scaffolding is handy, I have 3 sets of it.
I like to work off of 2 side by side tied together.

I'll also agree for outside work definitely go with a small man lift. Much handier and safer,
faster to setup and use also no climbing up onto a 12' tall scaffold and having to turnaround and crawl down because you forgot something,
then have to climb back up with it.

 

[skipmarcy]

If you go with scaffolding, getting the first tier safely set and levelled is the key. I was always sure to have 4 of the levelling jacks and do what needed to be done to get each leg on a SOLID piece of 2x10 or 2x12 on the ground. The next flights up will go well after that. The ones I've used were 5' tall each set. I always used 2x12s for walk boards and clamped each one to the rails so they would not move. Been up to 20' like this before and never had to attach guy wires or anything - the scaffolding was pretty steady if you got that first tier levelled good.

 

[Quickster2]

Couldn't agree more.

Go rent a portable 1 man lift. A few hundred $$ a week, (probably less than what you'd pay for 20' high scaffolding) and you can probably cover the entire side of the house without leaving the bucket/cage on the lift. Much safer, much more flexible, and no assembly required...

I've decided to do this to "restore" the exterior of my beveled cedar sided house. Many options out there from (for towable) Home Depot to local rental stores. I'm going to rent for a month which seems to be the most cost effective from a per week basis. $2200 to $3200 range I've around here in SE Michigan monthly rental. I'll do the front of the house, the 24X30 Carriage Shed and the Barn from ladders but not the house back 3 sides.

 

[Richard]

We redid our log house. My brother in law had some scaffolding.....he loaded it on his trailer and brought it from one hour SOUTH of New Orleans, to Knoxville, TN. We had it here for probably two years before he finally got it all taken back home.

Came in VERY handy/dandy. One person is/was able to assemble it but, it was heavy. The planks were (I don't recall) probably eight feet in length.

After it was gone, wife decided she wanted to redo the upper floor (we're on a hill so it's equivilent to 3'rd floor) and it's next to the driveway so we got a bucket-lift and did the work using it.

She wanted to repeat same siding on the other side of house and THAT is an issue. The other side of the house (as well as the rear) do NOT have access to take a bucket-lift around. Not only will it chew up the yard, it would go over the septic tank & field. Then, we're on a slope on the other side with a flower garden and "rock garden" (retaining wall layered with fairly large rocks/boulders) so in simple terms, the bucket lift will not work.....so that side doesn't match.

A bucket-lift is great when you can make it work but it doesn't always fit the terrain.

I would have liked to have bought the scaffolding from my BIL but then you get into a storage issue. To go the height we needed, to traverse the width of house (instead of taking it down and moving it) you need a fair number of pieces....and where do you store them while they're not in use?

So for me, if I had to do something again, I'd be open to seeing if he's coming this way and wants to be gracious to toss it onto his trailer..... but I'd also be open to simply renting for my needs and getting it done locally, saving him the headache of him having to deal with HIS needy brother in law....(me lol, even though it's my wife who's pulling the strings)

 

[KilroyJC]

Couldn't agree more.

Go rent a portable 1 man lift. A few hundred $$ a week, (probably less than what you'd pay for 20' high scaffolding) and you can probably cover the entire side of the house without leaving the bucket/cage on the lift. Much safer, much more flexible, and no assembly required...

Terrain issues on two sides, decks on the other two.

I would love to be able to do it that way! But it ain’t gonna work…

 

[KilroyJC]

We redid our log house. My brother in law had some scaffolding.....he loaded it on his trailer and brought it from one hour SOUTH of New Orleans, to Knoxville, TN. We had it here for probably two years before he finally got it all taken back home.

Came in VERY handy/dandy. One person is/was able to assemble it but, it was heavy. The planks were (I don't recall) probably eight feet in length.

After it was gone, wife decided she wanted to redo the upper floor (we're on a hill so it's equivilent to 3'rd floor) and it's next to the driveway so we got a bucket-lift and did the work using it.

She wanted to repeat same siding on the other side of house and THAT is an issue. The other side of the house (as well as the rear) do NOT have access to take a bucket-lift around. Not only will it chew up the yard, it would go over the septic tank & field. Then, we're on a slope on the other side with a flower garden and "rock garden" (retaining wall layered with fairly large rocks/boulders) so in simple terms, the bucket lift will not work.....so that side doesn't match.

A bucket-lift is great when you can make it work but it doesn't always fit the terrain.

I would have liked to have bought the scaffolding from my BIL but then you get into a storage issue. To go the height we needed, to traverse the width of house (instead of taking it down and moving it) you need a fair number of pieces....and where do you store them while they're not in use?

So for me, if I had to do something again, I'd be open to seeing if he's coming this way and wants to be gracious to toss it onto his trailer..... but I'd also be open to simply renting for my needs and getting it done locally, saving him the headache of him having to deal with HIS needy brother in law....(me lol, even though it's my wife who's pulling the strings)

Storage is not really an issue for us, and knowing I will have future need for it makes owning more attractive..

 

[KilroyJC]

If you go with scaffolding, getting the first tier safely set and levelled is the key. I was always sure to have 4 of the levelling jacks and do what needed to be done to get each leg on a SOLID piece of 2x10 or 2x12 on the ground. The next flights up will go well after that. The ones I've used were 5' tall each set. I always used 2x12s for walk boards and clamped each one to the rails so they would not move. Been up to 20' like this before and never had to attach guy wires or anything - the scaffolding was pretty steady if you got that first tier levelled good.

when I use the extension ladder, I like to rest it on 4x8x16 concrete blocks - I hear ya on stability!