Windows need painted on my two-storey house. DIY with an extendable ladder or hire a painter?

gamston

i used to do all my stuff off a ladder didn't need to hold on, but now i'm older i'm trying to jobs single handed (holding on with the other, so if you do want to do it your self i would get a tower scaffold (as others have said) then you have both hands and space on the tower to have everything you need close at hand, (sandpapers, fillers, scrappers, cloths, brushes, etc)

EssexExile

I bought a tower about 40 years ago, it's paid for itself many times over.

tacpot12

Homer_home said:

tacpot12 said:

Using ladders does need a bit of thought about how to use them safely, and some equipment. Trying to work at the top of a ladder is also uncomfortable and the longer the job will take, the more likely it is that you will have an accident. For quick jobs, I have a set of extending ladders, and have the safety equipment to use them. For long jobs, I get someone else to do the work. 

As the woodwork will need repainting every could of years, if you are expecting to remain in the property for a long time, and are young and fit, I would look into the idea of buying an access tower, providing you have the space to store at home. You can do a calculation to show you whether it will worthwhile. One alternative is to save up to have the windows repainted. If you saved about £16/month for 25 months, you would have £400 to get the windows repainted.  You might also save a greater amount and look to replace the windows with UPVC windows that don't need painting. 

BTW: I won't go up a ladder unless it is strapped to the wall at the the bottom, and I won't work on a ladder unless it is also strapped at the top. I have a ratchet strap and fit a Petzl Coeur Hangers to the wall with DeWalt M10 Snake fixings - these need an powerful impact driver to drive them into the brickwork. I have a safety harness and scaffold hooks to attach myself to the ladder. 

Who rescues you when you fall off the ladder and you are dangling there ? (You only have 15 mins to be rescued as your circulation is cut off to your limbs and I'm guessing you have never tried pulling yourself back up with quickly going dead limbs and of course you never fall straight down so you normally bash yourself on the side of the house)

Do they (if you have someone) also have a safety harness which they are of course wearing ready just in case you fall off?

I'm aware of the risk of suspension trauma, and I only go up ladders when my partner is home so she can hear me shout if I need help, and can call the fire brigade (I'm a home owner and only go up ladders at my own house). I always wear a helmet as part of my safety gear, so that when I fall against the wall, there is less chance of a head injury. You are right that I haven't had to pull myself up as yet so I don't know how difficult this will be, but because I'm attached to the ladder, it is my plan to try to get some limb or other onto the ladder to help take the weight off my thighs for long enough to avoid any lasting damage.

At the end of the day, you can't eliminate all the risk, but thinking about the issues also help you realise that sometimes a different way of getting the job done would be better. Perhaps I will invest in a drone for inspecting the roof, gutters and chimney...

Thanks for your concern.