I am seriously thinking about buying a scaffold tower (DIY) To be of any use it will have to be a 7m one (house on a slope, so almost 3 storey on one side).
I want one to do things like clear gutters, clear moss off roof, clean solar panels, paint fascias/windows, prune tall hedges/trees, paint stair well etc etc.
(Nervous on ladders (these days - an age thing I think! ) and want to be able to do things on my own -without having to have someone to hold the ladder etc)
I have been looking at aluminium ones, that fit in a car boot - so I can use it at another house currently have two houses to maintain.
Which is partly what would make it cost effective - eg both houses have (neighbour's) trees that shed leaves into the gutters - I often end up having the gutters done twice a year, at a cost of £75 per house, per time. (And I've tried gutter clear hedgehogs and grids etc...found they block worse than with nothing)
I know 7m towers come as 5m and 2m ones and the platform height can be adjusted. So I have flexibility there. And they come with outriggers. I think I'd have to get adjustable legs (for slight slopes) which would mean the cheapest would cost £700 ish.
I know the wide stabilising legs/bars some have are too wide to use in my stairwell (stairs have a half landing - with a ceiling height of I guess 3.5 m ish) - thought I could probably sort something out not using the wide legs on the half landing, using outriggers, tying or something and using my adjustable ladder for the stair bits.
BUT it has made me think about issues with buying a tower.
I don't think I could use one (even if it wasn't too wide) on steps/stairs?
One house has 7 steps side on up to the door.
Other house has a porch - about 2 m wide. The tower wouldn't be able to go up to the wall - would have to go on either side and lean across. And it wouldn't fit lengthwise on one side, I'd have to use it narrow side to the house...think it might not be that sensible/safe to try and lean from there...
Now thinking that I might be better with just scaffolding - not a tower. It would be more flexible? But not sure ...for instance could I build scaffolding over the porch?
Would it be a pain to build? What is the easiest kind to erect? Can it be moved like the towers? Is normal scaffolding all wider than the towers - can you get narrow scaffolding?
Does anyone have any experience or advice?
I want one to do things like clear gutters, clear moss off roof, clean solar panels, paint fascias/windows, prune tall hedges/trees, paint stair well etc etc.
(Nervous on ladders (these days - an age thing I think! ) and want to be able to do things on my own -without having to have someone to hold the ladder etc)
I have been looking at aluminium ones, that fit in a car boot - so I can use it at another house currently have two houses to maintain.
Which is partly what would make it cost effective - eg both houses have (neighbour's) trees that shed leaves into the gutters - I often end up having the gutters done twice a year, at a cost of £75 per house, per time. (And I've tried gutter clear hedgehogs and grids etc...found they block worse than with nothing)
I know 7m towers come as 5m and 2m ones and the platform height can be adjusted. So I have flexibility there. And they come with outriggers. I think I'd have to get adjustable legs (for slight slopes) which would mean the cheapest would cost £700 ish.
I know the wide stabilising legs/bars some have are too wide to use in my stairwell (stairs have a half landing - with a ceiling height of I guess 3.5 m ish) - thought I could probably sort something out not using the wide legs on the half landing, using outriggers, tying or something and using my adjustable ladder for the stair bits.
BUT it has made me think about issues with buying a tower.
I don't think I could use one (even if it wasn't too wide) on steps/stairs?
One house has 7 steps side on up to the door.
Other house has a porch - about 2 m wide. The tower wouldn't be able to go up to the wall - would have to go on either side and lean across. And it wouldn't fit lengthwise on one side, I'd have to use it narrow side to the house...think it might not be that sensible/safe to try and lean from there...
Now thinking that I might be better with just scaffolding - not a tower. It would be more flexible? But not sure ...for instance could I build scaffolding over the porch?
Would it be a pain to build? What is the easiest kind to erect? Can it be moved like the towers? Is normal scaffolding all wider than the towers - can you get narrow scaffolding?
Does anyone have any experience or advice?