Is anyone here familiar with scaffolding?

[Rustyiron]

I didn't read past the first page, but you need what you see the siding contractor's use. Aluminum "pump Jack" poles and an assortment of aluminum walk boards.
This will set you back a good $3k but with your access, it's the way to go.
I have aluminum walk boards up to 30' long and only require support on each end. That's where the pump jack's are. They are infinitely adjustable and can be stacked together to get 48' tall and more. I'll look for some links.

 

[Rustyiron]

 

[Rustyiron]

 

[Rustyiron]

Here's another method, good for lower areas. I know them as "ladder jacks".

 

[KilroyJC]

Thank you!

Here's the scaffolding I have and the brand is on the label on the planks along with their website and phone number. Keep in mind these are from many years ago. The quality is excellent especially considering how much time they've spent exposed to the weather.

As a side note: these were made in China, shipped to Canada, then I bought them from the Canadian company, had them imported and shipped all the way to Florida and even with the shipping fees and import fees, it was still cheaper than to buy from a company just 400 miles away.

View attachment 758473View attachment 758474

While you are doing this work, you might consider installing a mini split HVAC dual inverter heat pump to service your main living area. The indoor and outdoor units on mine are so quiet that it's difficult to tell when they are running. They are also very efficient and some of them are rated to provide heat down to -13F.

Mini splits have gotten so good I am surprised they haven’t displaced more HVAC systems yet.

 

[KilroyJC]

This thread is timely for me, I was just on my scaffolding today and thinking how much I enjoy being able to access any point on any building on the property. I've used it three times in the past week.

Here's a picture of my sons painting the barn:

View attachment 758484

I have twelve frames that I bought from ScaffoldMart.com in 2019. There are several online vendors that all seem to be competitive, at that time they had the best deal but it was pretty close.

They are the standard frames that are 5' deep and 7' wide, but I went with ones that are only 5' high rather than the more common 6'8. The smaller frames are about 40 pounds and I find they're easy to set up with one person, you can stand securely on a platform while you lift the frame up shoulder high to do the next level. With taller frames you're lifting over your head to assemble and it gets dicey. I've been thinking about getting some taller frames to use on the bottom level. One drawback of the 5' frames is you have to duck to go under them which gets old if you're doing a lot of side-to-side work.

I got ladder style frames, so there are four levels that you can put a plank on each frame, and two levels where you can put three planks down and cover the entire floor. I bought three of the aluminum planks which I use for my main work areas. I also find it handy to have a bunch of 8' 2x12's as you can see in the picture to have a place to stand while going up and down, I don't like them for working from though. I put a piece of 1x2 on the end so they can't slip off.

Note that I have screw jacks on all of the feet. This allows me to get another 18" of lift in addition to making sure everything is level. In the foreground is a 2x8 with two screw jacks bolted to it, that's the way I like to have the base Note also the outriggers at the bottom which make it more stable. The ground around the barn is very uneven and the outriggers come in very handy.

In the picture the left side is on higher ground. I built a crib out of 4x4's to get even with the second level of the rest of the scaffold.

I bought one set of guardrails which is on the top in the picture. You can use regular frames as guardrails, but these are lighter and cheaper.

In 2019 the whole setup was about $1250 and shipping was about $450. I'm sure it's more now.

Once you get the base set it goes up pretty quickly. This barn is 35 feet to the peak so I wanted to be stable so I spent a fair bit of time on the bottom row. Once the bottom was set we moved frames around as needed. The next time I might treat myself to a few more frames so I don't have to move so much. On today's job I was fixing a soffit about 20' off the ground so it was simpler, it took about an hour to set up the scaffold, three rows plus the guardrails.

That looks like a great setup! Thank you for the info!

 

[KilroyJC]

This thread is timely for me, I was just on my scaffolding today and thinking how much I enjoy being able to access any point on any building on the property. I've used it three times in the past week.

Here's a picture of my sons painting the barn:

View attachment 758484

I have twelve frames that I bought from ScaffoldMart.com in 2019. There are several online vendors that all seem to be competitive, at that time they had the best deal but it was pretty close.

They are the standard frames that are 5' deep and 7' wide, but I went with ones that are only 5' high rather than the more common 6'8. The smaller frames are about 40 pounds and I find they're easy to set up with one person, you can stand securely on a platform while you lift the frame up shoulder high to do the next level. With taller frames you're lifting over your head to assemble and it gets dicey. I've been thinking about getting some taller frames to use on the bottom level. One drawback of the 5' frames is you have to duck to go under them which gets old if you're doing a lot of side-to-side work.

I got ladder style frames, so there are four levels that you can put a plank on each frame, and two levels where you can put three planks down and cover the entire floor. I bought three of the aluminum planks which I use for my main work areas. I also find it handy to have a bunch of 8' 2x12's as you can see in the picture to have a place to stand while going up and down, I don't like them for working from though. I put a piece of 1x2 on the end so they can't slip off.

Note that I have screw jacks on all of the feet. This allows me to get another 18" of lift in addition to making sure everything is level. In the foreground is a 2x8 with two screw jacks bolted to it, that's the way I like to have the base Note also the outriggers at the bottom which make it more stable. The ground around the barn is very uneven and the outriggers come in very handy.

In the picture the left side is on higher ground. I built a crib out of 4x4's to get even with the second level of the rest of the scaffold.

I bought one set of guardrails which is on the top in the picture. You can use regular frames as guardrails, but these are lighter and cheaper.

In 2019 the whole setup was about $1250 and shipping was about $450. I'm sure it's more now.

Once you get the base set it goes up pretty quickly. This barn is 35 feet to the peak so I wanted to be stable so I spent a fair bit of time on the bottom row. Once the bottom was set we moved frames around as needed. The next time I might treat myself to a few more frames so I don't have to move so much. On today's job I was fixing a soffit about 20' off the ground so it was simpler, it took about an hour to set up the scaffold, three rows plus the guardrails.

Oh yeah - and I have to also replace fascia boards that the carpenter bees have been chowing down on for the last several years…

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I didn't read past the first page, but you need what you see the siding contractor's use. Aluminum "pump Jack" poles and an assortment of aluminum walk boards.
This will set you back a good $3k but with your access, it's the way to go.
I have aluminum walk boards up to 30' long and only require support on each end. That's where the pump jack's are. They are infinitely adjustable and can be stacked together to get 48' tall and more. I'll look for some links.

I usually work alone, and I feel safer on scaffolding (or "pipe staging" as we call it in New England) when I'm alone. Pump jacks are really meant to be used by two people. It's hard to set them up by yourself -- note the video has two people -- and raising and lowering them is best with two people. You have to go back and forth pump the two sides which is a chore, and if you let them get too much out of level you can create a safety hazard.

Even the best aluminum pump jacks are shakier than pipe staging too.

 

[3Ts]

Oh yeah - and I have to also replace fascia boards that the carpenter bees have been chowing down on for the last several years…

You should consider the Hardie boards as a replacement as long as it's only appearance and not structural. They're impervious to most every thing and holds paint very well.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

You set the base up from the ground, then put the decking on. Then you climb up on the nice solid decking and pull the pieces of the next set up one at a time. Pull up one side, set it in place, pull up the next side and set it in place. Pull up the bracing and hook it up. Pull up the decking and put half of it on. Lean the other half through the hole you’re standing in. Climb up and pull that leaned decking up and attach it. Continue. Easy Peazy!

Here's the way I do it:

First level is on the ground, you do it standing on the ground.

Second level is only five feet off the ground, you do it standing on the ground too. I might have to climb about a foot to get the braces on.

Third level, the top of the second level is at ten feet. I put a plank at six feet, this is easily done from the ground. Then I lean all of the components for the third level against that plank, and climb up onto it. I'm safe and secure, with a cage on four sides at mid-chest height. I pick up the pieces that are leaning against the plank and put them in place, also at mid-chest height.

For four or more levels I use ropes. The key is "ropes," plural. I stack all of the components for one level on the inside of the scaffolding, and put a rope on each one. That way it's one trip up and down for each level. I put two planks four feet below the top, with a gap between them of about 8", and pull everything thing up through the middle of the scaffold through that gap. The whole time I've got a cage around me on all four sides and two planks under my feet. The 5' scaffold sections are only about 40 pounds and I'm only lifting them to mid-chest height so it doesn't feel sketchy at all.

I've also set up the more common 6'8" sections by myself and that is a lot scarier. They're heavier, they're top-heavy, and you have to lift them a lot higher, up over your head. That's why I bought the 5' sections.