Reaching inaccessible window ledges!

Surbybird

My upstairs window ledges are in dire need of stripping and repainting. I know this to be true as there are plants growing in the cracks in the peeling paint! I've nearly finished stripping the downstairs ones (approx 20 layers of paint!) but am now stuck.

The upper ones are above a small piece of roof which is the top of the bay window downstairs. It's almost impossible to get a ladder up there because of the angle and the fact that it's difficult to find something to brace the ladder against.

The windows only open at the top and I can't afford to replace them for a few years yet so my only option is to get up there somehow.




Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can do this? I've thought of hiring a scaffold tower but am not sure that I can reach out across the roof from it!

Thanks.

K

Orford

a) If there is sufficient room in front of the house. Triple ladder fully extended laid down the pitch of the roof and anchored with two bags of sand at the bottom. Screw large eyelet/hook into rafter end and lash ladder to it.

b) Scaffold tower with extra scaffold boards laid across from floor of tower to top of roof just below window sills. Again screw large eyelet/hooks into rafter ends and lash tower to it.

c) Ordinary scaffolding for that height and width would probably be circa £250.
You could then reach the gable easily too if you wanted

maninthestreet

Surely you can use a ladder to get on to that roof in front and below those windows?

Surbybird

maninthestreet wrote: »

Surely you can use a ladder to get on to that roof in front and below those windows?

No, we've tried. The angle that you have to get the ladder at in order to get it between the windows and then lean over to each side (bear in mind that it takes about an hour to strip each ledge with a hot air gun because of the multpile layers of paint) means that you are hovering around 45 degrees, which according to the sticker on the side of my ladder is dangerous.

It's been done about 20 times before, judging by the paint colours, but whoever did it was clearly mad!

K

Alias_Omega

UPVC window...

Glass pain can be removed from the inside. Thats if you know how to get them out and back in.

(How about a glazer to remove them in the morning, and to come and refit them in the evening?)

Surbybird

Orford wrote: »

a) If there is sufficient room in front of the house. Triple ladder fully extended laid down the pitch of the roof and anchored with two bags of sand at the bottom. Screw large eyelet/hook into rafter end and lash ladder to it.

b) Scaffold tower with extra scaffold boards laid across from floor of tower to top of roof just below window sills. Again screw large eyelet/hooks into rafter ends and lash tower to it.

c) Ordinary scaffolding for that height and width would probably be circa £250.
You could then reach the gable easily too if you wanted

Hmm. I think it's going to be scaffolding then, although that's not very MSE.

K

alleycat`

No idea if cost effective but can you get a cherry picker at it?

Not very MSE (probably).

I'd use the tripple ladder and lash it / bolt it to the house mentioned above method.

Surbybird

Alias_Omega wrote: »

UPVC window...

Glass pain can be removed from the inside. Thats if you know how to get them out and back in.

(How about a glazer to remove them in the morning, and to come and refit them in the evening?)

I take it that it's not a DIY type job to get them out and in again?

K

Surbybird

alleycat` wrote: »

No idea if cost effective but can you get a cherry picker at it?

Not very MSE (probably).

I'd use the tripple ladder and lash it / bolt it to the house mentioned above method.

I've only got a double ladder so would need to buy a triple. It's all looking very expensive so far!

K

maninthestreet

Surbybird wrote: »

No, we've tried. The angle that you have to get the ladder at in order to get it between the windows and then lean over to each side (bear in mind that it takes about an hour to strip each ledge with a hot air gun because of the multpile layers of paint) means that you are hovering around 45 degrees, which according to the sticker on the side of my ladder is dangerous.

It's been done about 20 times before, judging by the paint colours, but whoever did it was clearly mad!

K

No, use a ladder to enable you to climb onto that roof, assuming it will take your weight.

Alias_Omega

Surbybird wrote: »

I take it that it's not a DIY type job to get them out and in again?

K

Hardest bit would be getting the UPVC bead off the inside, them getting the glass out. That looks a large panel, and ive seen someone try a DIY attempt to get a pane out, and they made a right mess of it.

For the cost of a ladder, you could probably get the local UPVC man to come and do it. Also you will be able to do a good job, without trusting your luck on a roof.

If your feeling DIY, you could check out Youtube & ask on DIYNOT.com for advice/tooling. Though, sometimes DIY costs twice as much..