Scaffolding tower

[Smithybobbins]

Hi All
I'm starting to decorate the first of the "big rooms" in my new-to-me house. The ceilings are about 10'6"- so I need a tower to suit inside. I'm struggling to find something between a step-up, and a full blown platform suitable for the exterior really. I've checked my comfortable working height for the platform, and want something with hand rails and castors. Stabilisers would be reassuring as well.

I've found 2 on the web, one steel (£150), one aluminium (£229). I'm going to measure out the platform size to make sure they're actually useful for doing some work- but any recommendations? Any things I should be careful about.

Thanks all
Helen

 

[Zampa]

Check the hire shops out..you will only need one 'lift' and a set of hands rails toreach 10 feet.

Cant see the point in buying somthing you wont use very often

 

[Smithybobbins]

(Sorry moderator for hi-jacking post)

Hi Zampa
I've got the rest of the house to do after this one!! Another bedroom, plus dining room, living room, kitchen- and the bits of the hall, stairs and landing that I can reach without falling off. All of these are 10'6" height- and at least need painting if not some further titivating.

Corners are a struggle with my big ladder- hence why I am contemplating some form of scaffolding. And whilst if I hire anything it'll make me get on with things (ahem!), I see myself quickly covering hire costs.

Thanks
Helen

 

[54aardvark]

Just finished a big old country house (10 rooms + HSL) with 11' ceilings, just hired 2 x 5' trestles and a scaffold board. This gave me an unobstructed run from one side of rooms to the other. Absolute doddle, ceilings papered a dream, dead cheap to hire and very little hassle moving gear about.

 

[MickBee]

Hi Smithybobbins,

If it's not too late to offer a comment, I would suggest that you buy the (much lighter) aluminium tower frame, if all other factors are the same and you can afford the cost difference. If it is easy to put up, you are more likely to use it rather than a ladder - and working on a tower is so much more convenient and safer.

I have a small (4' X 2') steel tower, bought over 20 years ago when I couldn't afford anything but the cheapest. I have just been using it to decorate the stairwell, but the weight of it makes me reluctant to put it up unless I can use it for some time. Last week I hired an alloy 4' X 4' to work outside at a platform height of 12', and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to erect & dismantle - I managed on my own, although it is preferable to have two people.

For a cost comparison, my hire cost £43 for a 24-hour hire, from a cheap local firm (HSS charge £100+), so buying is worth it (if you have room to store it.) As well as decorating, there will be other jobs like servicing the chandeliers in your new palace.

Hope this is of some use -good luck with the decorating.

 

[Smithybobbins]

Thanks Zampa, 54aardvark & MikeBee; I'm going to go for the alu frame. Order delivered within 2 working days, and I'm off work all the coming week, so guess what I'll be doing....

Mike I like the idea of chandeliers...I now just need to have a room that'll do them justice!

Thanks all
Helen

 

[MickBee]

Hi Smithybobbins, glad you're going for a tower with handrails. One thing you did not mention was toe-boards - in my view, well worth having as they save you kicking the paint tray onto the floor or launching yourself into space when you are concentrating on painting the ceiling.

If they're not included with the tower, they are easy and cheap to make; post a reply if you need more info.

 

[Smithybobbins]

Hi MickBee
Well, after a last minute trawl around t'internet, I found an even better platform- ordered and delivered in less than 24 hours for £190. All ali, and it's now ready for use. It was a bit of an ar$e to assemble, what with the instructions translated from French, but it's up, and I've had a go on it too. Very pleased, much safer than the ladder, which I think may now go back into the cellar. My feet'll be the better for it too- you know how they ache after being perched on a rung for too long.

I must admit I like the idea of the toeboards (not standard). Have you seen me decorate?! I'm guessing 2 scaffolding boards cut to length, and 4 J shaped bolts with wingnuts?.....

Ta Helen[/img]

 

[Shutpa]

Just ordered a 5m DIY scaffold tower after trying a friends out. Four painters in a row have failed to turn up and I've decided to paint the outside windows and doors of the house myself. With the tower costing £219 delivered, I will be saving just under £1600.00. OK it wont match the pro job but who cares?

 

[MickBee]

Smithybobbins wrote "I must admit I like the idea of the toeboards (not standard). Have you seen me decorate?! I'm guessing 2 scaffolding boards cut to length, and 4 J shaped bolts with wingnuts?....."

Toe boards need not be load-bearing (if they rest on the floor boards, as mine do) and you don't need bolts if you make them interlock.

On my 4' X 2' tower, I used 82mm high X 22mm thick planed softwood, length about 90mm longer than the outside lengths of the frame. I cut out rectangular pieces (rebates?) on the top at one end and on the bottom at the other end

TOE BOARDS 1 (side view).jpg

• MickBee
• 15 Aug 2008
• 1

TOE BOARDS 1 (side view showing rebates)

.
The depth of each rebate is just over half the height (e.g. 45mm) and the length is such that the cross boards fit just inside the frame uprights.

Pic 2 shows one pair as assembled, the other pair complete the interlock

TOE BOARDS 2 (half assembly).jpg

• MickBee
• 15 Aug 2008
• 1

TOE BOARDS 2 (half-set showing assembly)<br>

Hope this makes sense; delay in replying because of internet problems (& family visiting)
[/i]

 

[Shutpa]

It was a bit of an ar$e to assemble
[/img]

If its the same as mine then I agree with you. However, having got it assembled and using a permanent marker pen, I marked each of the cross-members with a letter and put the same letter on the upright where they met. Lent it to a friend who found it a piece of cake to assemble matching A to A, B to B and so on. A bigger pain was finding the holes for the sprung pins on the telescopic supports. I solved this by drawing a line around the lower half of the leg where it protruded from the upper half, when the pins were in place. Now we simply pull out the leg until we see the drawn line and hey presto the are the pins and holes alligned.

Perhaps I'm a bit late with the advice.