Plants growing on Chimney stack

Ehwhat

Hello All,

I currently have two small plants growing in the mortar of a chimney stack. They need to go.
I have a normal height 2 storey house and the chimney stack in question is in the middle of my roof.
How best should I go about it? I'm loathed to get scaffolding up for such a small job -it would take me longer to climb the scaffolding then it would to remove the plants and made good the mortar. not to mention the cost. Could I hire a cherry picker and would the operator hoist me up and over the roof line?
Thanks

Silvertabby

Would a roofer do it for you?

Tom_Jones

A cherry picker with a driver would be around £800 as you have to hire them for a minimum number of hours.


As the above say get a roofer to do the job.

Ehwhat

I assumed rightly or wrongly that a roofer would want scaffolding in place for H+S reasons.

ST1991

I think now they can use a ladder, if secured to the wall?

I'm basing that on a sky engineer drilling a hole in our wall to secure his ladder and replace our satellite dish.

JohnB47

You don't have a roof window (eg Velux) by any chance? If so, you could make up a pole system and hang a bottle of weed killer, with small holes in the bottom, over the plants. I did that myself and it worked a treat killing a buddleia.

I also wonder if there would be a way to create balls of powered weed killer to catapult onto the area from below. Although powdered weedkiller seems in short supply these days.

Yes, I am a bit mad.

Apodemus

It is a slightly bigger job than just killing the weeds, as they will either be growing in cracks in the mortar or in a build-up of other material. You want to get that sorted while someone is up there, otherwise you will be back up there next year.

VoucherMan

I'm guessing you don't of any local roofers.I had a small tree growing out of mine a couple of years ago, probably up to 3 or 4 feet tall. Local roofer came out removed the offending plant, fixed the slate, then complained when I tried to pay him.:o

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally - I'd be wondering about having the chimney sweep back that sorted out my chimney pots for me. He charged me less than £100 for that particular job as I recall - so I'm guessing wouldnt charge much for something like that.

Davesnave

'Trees' (it's probably a buddleia) don't grow out of well-maintained chimney stacks.

Yours needs re-pointing. Speak to roofers.

Douglas_P

You could use an extending ladder to get past the eaves then a roof ladder like these to get to the ridge,

https://www.ladders4sale.co.uk/roof-ladders-sub-categories-36.asp

You may want to get a roofer to do it for you.