Fred Dibner would be proud ................

[Snadger]

I need to renew the guttering on my house which was brought down by the weight of ice last year.
The cost of new plastic guttering plus the cost of an extension ladder was still cheaper than getting someone else to do it........and I would own an extension ladder at the end of it.
Got my ladder out today and when I got to the top I was bricking it.

It was about then that I wished I'd paid someone else to do it.

Anyway.............not to be beaten and saying to myself "You've got the ladders now, just get on with it!"

Well, to cut a long story short, it got easier as I went on and I managed to get about half the guttering up today!
The hard bit was leaving loose of the ladder I was 'cuddling' and using two hands to position and screw the brackets in place. After a while the adrenalin of fear kicked in and I actually started to enjoy it!

And yes I know that a risk assessment and HASAWA dictates that I should have used scaffolding...............but, this is me, and Fred Dibner would be proud I reckon.

[Glutton4...]

Well done Unca Snadge - Personally, I don't 'do' ladders, so I'd have delegated, or bribed someone!

[The Large One]

well done you
I get nose bleeds 3 rungs up

[its hilly]

Well done Snadger. I can get up three stories on scaffolding, but ladders are scarey things and gutter height is much bigger looking down than it seems looking up (if you follow that)

[Aberdeenplotter]

Not an insurance job Snadge?

Guy across the road from us used to be scared when up ladders but he persevered and did all his outside paintwork himself. Tied himself on to the ladder. Would have been worse than not being tied on if the ladder went down but it gave him the confidence to do it..

[Patchninja]

Brave you! Respect. Personally, I can't stand on a chair without feeling sick.

[chris]

I hate heights too.. my old man once forced me up on his roof to re point his chimney. All I had was a bit of rope tied around my waist, going in one of the windows of the house. Not much use really, even if I had of fallen, I doubt my old man would have been able to reel the rope in fast enough to have my dangling like a pendulum out of the top window.

So, I echo you clinging on at the top of the ladder, I held onto that chimney like there was no tomorrow.

I've got to clean my guttering.. so I'll be up there soon.. despite having someone do it when they painted the house (and eaves... can't face going up there... it's just far too high - especially as I've dug down the garden along the side of the house - making it even higher. That's one job I'll always pay someone to do.

[chris]

Oh yes, the other month I went up to the top floor window to drill a hole for a new ariel cable.. couldn't drill it as my legs were shaking so much the ladder was vibrating We're going without a telly in the bedroom now Best part is, I engineered it so that my wife made that choice. "It's up to you, but we really don't watch telly..." A day later she called it all off - woo!

[Snadger]

I hate heights too.. my old man once forced me up on his roof to re point his chimney. All I had was a bit of rope tied around my waist, going in one of the windows of the house. Not much use really, even if I had of fallen, I doubt my old man would have been able to reel the rope in fast enough to have my dangling like a pendulum out of the top window.So, I echo you clinging on at the top of the ladder, I held onto that chimney like there was no tomorrow.

I've got to clean my guttering.. so I'll be up there soon.. despite having someone do it when they painted the house (and eaves... can't face going up there... it's just far too high - especially as I've dug down the garden along the side of the house - making it even higher. That's one job I'll always pay someone to do.

Sorry Chris but I had to LOL at the mental image this portrayed!

[Snadger]

Not an insurance job Snadge?
Guy across the road from us used to be scared when up ladders but he persevered and did all his outside paintwork himself. Tied himself on to the ladder. Would have been worse than not being tied on if the ladder went down but it gave him the confidence to do it..

Come to think of it........it probabaly was AP! Having said that, if I HAD claimed they would have probably just stuck it up me for this years insurance premium!
Seeing how the aluminium guttering with well rusted screws and cast iron downcomers had been up since the house was built in the 30's I think they were well past there renewal date anyway!

[Glutton4...]

For future reference, I have discovered there is a sponge-like substance that you can fill your gutters with, so the water still runs in and along, but leaves and moss just sits on top, dries, and blows off in the wind. That way, you don't have to get up and clean them twice a year, more like once every three years! (According to my Dad, that is.)

[Snadger]

For future reference, I have discovered there is a sponge-like substance that you can fill your gutters with, so the water still runs in and along, but leaves and moss just sits on top, dries, and blows off in the wind. That way, you don't have to get up and clean them twice a year, more like once every three years! (According to my Dad, that is.)

What happened with mine last year was a 4 inch thick sheet of ice formed on the roof, as it melted the whole sheet slid down the roof taking the guttering with it and demolishing the soil pipe on the way down!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Come to think of it........it probabaly was AP! Having said that, if I HAD claimed they would have probably just stuck it up me for this years insurance premium!

Aye and when you take excesses into account it makes it not worthwhile.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Have you thought of a stand off for your ladder, used properly it allows you to extend your ladder height above the guttering and so work much safer.

Colin

[Jeanied]

I'm fine with a triple ladder and the stand off. I'm just not strong enough to get it placed up the wall so I need help getting it to the right height and then someone needs to stand on the bottom rung without having hysterics / throwing a wobbly.