I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I would
be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it. I
just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it, then
sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am currently
painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof but I can
access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed hang it out
and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot access the porch
roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

I would sense if you are afraid of heights, which is a pretty sensible
response IMO, or as Clarkson said "it's not speed that's the problem,
it's hitting something hard and coming to a stop quickly is the
problem", then how about hiring a scaffolding tower if you are
determined to do it yourself? If you want to really go for it,
rawlbolt some anchor points in the wall and get a harness - but that
will restrict movement, you need to make sure the fixing is *really*
secure. When you add up costs find out how much two days of a
painter's time will cost and spend your time on something else IMO

clive

SS wrote:
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering
problem is :-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher
I would be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you
overcome it. I just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is
there a better type ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to
buy something, use it, then sell on ebay.

Once you have got a good ladder you will want to keep it.

I never really overcame my fear of hights, I am however a lot more confident
than I used to be. Maybe just practice did it for me. Although I still
cannot work out how some people are able to just walk off a ladder onto a
roof and make it look as easy as walking through a door.


It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am
currently painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep
roof but I can access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope
around the bed hang it out and use that as a comfort thing. Strange
thing is I cannot access the porch roof from a ladder, I tried and
just got scared and backed off.
Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

As John pointed out you can secure the ladder to the wall with an eyelet.

--
Adam

"SS" wrote in message
...
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I
would be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it.
I just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it,
then sell on ebay.

I don't have a fear of heights, just of the ladder "falling off" the wall.

Show me a fully secured ladder and I will happily climb it. Show me an
unsecured one and I feel anxious about half way up.

Getting to the top the first time to secure it is really difficult :-(

tim

Huge wrote:
On 2011-07-06, ARWadsworth wrote:
SS wrote:
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering
problem is :-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher
I would be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you
overcome it. I just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is
there a better type ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to
buy something, use it, then sell on ebay.

Once you have got a good ladder you will want to keep it.

I never really overcame my fear of hights, I am however a lot more
confident than I used to be.

What he said. Except "height" rather than "hight" (which means to
name or call something in Old English).

Maybe just practice did it for me. Although I still
cannot work out how some people are able to just walk off a ladder
onto a roof and make it look as easy as walking through a door.

Me neither. I won't work on anything above gutter height.

Brown underpants also help:-)


--
Adam

"SS" wrote in message
...
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I
would be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it.
I just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it,
then sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am
currently painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof
but I can access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed
hang it out and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot
access the porch roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and
backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

Get a man in. A chap I knew was doing the very same thing, he fell off and
the funeral followed.

Getting to the top the first time to secure it is really difficult :-(

TO say nothing of drilling holes and fixing eyes.

Your height threshold increases by about a metre per day IME. I thought
I'd never get beyond the gutter, but after a week of painting a semi I
got up to the apex, so I now feel comfortable at that height, but not
beyond.

SS wrote:
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I would
be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it. I
just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it, then
sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am currently
painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof but I can
access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed hang it out
and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot access the porch
roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks


I bought a scaffold tower and even than I wasn't happy till I had laced
it to the window frame, and built a wood platform that abutted the house
wall.

It wasn't too bad after that.


Also if using ladders get a stand-off thing so you don't have to bend
backwards to actually paint overhangs.

Scaffold tower is currently at mates house where he used it to rebuild
a bay window 'roof'...

tim.... wrote:
"SS" wrote in message
...
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I
would be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it.
I just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it,
then sell on ebay.

I don't have a fear of heights, just of the ladder "falling off" the wall.

Show me a fully secured ladder and I will happily climb it. Show me an
unsecured one and I feel anxious about half way up.

Getting to the top the first time to secure it is really difficult :-(

tim


It's like climbing a rock face as 'leader' to get to the belay point.
Frankly, I'll be tail end charlie every time. Then I only get to fall a
foot or two.

In article om, brass
monkey scribeth thus

"SS" wrote in message
...
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I
would be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it.
I just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it,
then sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am
currently painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof
but I can access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed
hang it out and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot
access the porch roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and
backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

Get a man in. A chap I knew was doing the very same thing, he fell off and
the funeral followed.



Well I avoided the funeral but a month in hospital with a coma c/w
fractured skull and broken femur and some ongoing pains after all
that;!...

Wasn't the ladders fault.. it was what it was tied and supported by that
gave way .. long storey.

I reckon that if the OP isn't or doesn't feel confident then don't do it
Either a hydraulic platform if possible or well secured tower or get
someone in.

I am used to very tall structures and still climb those, differing fall
arrest systems, but am now that bit more wary of ladders. Used to use
'em every day years ago up on rooftops etc but I suppose once
bitten;!...

However some very good advice coming up here especially re securing as
this I believe is where it usually goes wrong with gutters and suchlike
the -sideways- slide..

So if you can get a fix or something like supports that go out either
side of the ladder and a stand off system?..

But if you don't feel happy .. then don't go up there...
--
Tony Sayer

"tim...." wrote in message
...

"SS" wrote in message
...
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is :-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I would be
hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could probably wait til
next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it. I just done
feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type ladder I could use
thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it, then sell on ebay.

I don't have a fear of heights, just of the ladder "falling off" the wall.

Show me a fully secured ladder and I will happily climb it. Show me an unsecured one
and I feel anxious about half way up.

Getting to the top the first time to secure it is really difficult :-(

tim

Make up a stout wooden frame with a crossbar to fit inside an upstairs
window opening. Run a rope out of that window down to the ground.
Tie the rope to the approopriate rung of the ladder,
Erect the ladder. Go back upstairs and tightly secure the rope
to the crossbar.
If you have some rope, ideally climbing rope which has more give you
can secure that to the frame as well. Harnesses for securing the rope,
can be bought new or on ebay.i.e bosuns harnesses
Securing ladders to furniture, beds etc isn't always a good idea
as they can move around.


michael adams

....

On Jul 6, 11:44*am, "tim...." wrote:

Show me a fully secured ladder and I will happily climb it. *Show me an
unsecured one and I feel anxious about half way up.

Which is better than it used to be, Twenty years ago I would climb
aluminium ladders OK, but didn't like wooden ones. One day - shortly
after I re-enacted the Road Runner coyote scene where he slides down
through the rungs of yet another rotten ladder - I chainsawed up all
of Dad's ladders for firewood. I realised that climbing past some
rungs you knew not to trust, and only relying on the ones with an iron
reinforcement wire in them, just wasn't how it was supposed to be.

These days though I'll climb most things if they're bolted in place.

OTOH, windowcleaner's triangular ladders can get stuffed. I know
they're more stable, but if I'm hanging onto something that narrow,
I'm not.

On Jul 6, 12:12*pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

It's like climbing a rock face as 'leader' to get to the belay point.

Some of my ladder bolting eyes were installed by throwing a couple of
rock climber mates out of a window and letting them use their gecko-
like sucker feet to hang in place while the drilled it.

The hardest part was convincing them of the morality of bolting!


Another climber friend attached ladder eyes to the back of his house
by turning it into a climbing wall and working his way gradually up
it, drilling as he went.

SS wrote:
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I would
be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it. I
just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it, then
sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am currently
painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof but I can
access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed hang it out
and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot access the porch
roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

I *always * secure the foot of the ladder, either by banging in a stake,
or I am fortunate, because concrete abuts the wall on two sides, I can
jam a cold chisel in against the wall and tie it to that. Once the
bottom's not going anywhere, the other thing is never to over-lean ! If
you can't reach a point comfortably, move the ladder. It's never worth
taking a chance. My cousin's ladder slipped away and it's absolutely
ruined the rest of his life.

Andy C

"tim...." wrote in message
...


I don't have a fear of heights, just of the ladder "falling off" the wall.

Show me a fully secured ladder and I will happily climb it. Show me an
unsecured one and I feel anxious about half way up.

Getting to the top the first time to secure it is really difficult :-(

Secure it at head height then.. a couple of eyes in the wall a few feet
either side and some rope will stop it slipping.

I don't like ladders either. 8-(

On Wed, 6 Jul 2011 03:16:02 -0700 (PDT), Clive wrote:

how about hiring a scaffolding tower if you are determined to do it
yourself?

Or getting proper scaffold put up. Mine gets delivered and erected
next Wednesday so I can finish painting the house now that summer
appears to have finally arrived. Two risers along about 20m of wall
and a single riser about 6m long £840 + VAT for four weeks. £34 + VAT
per week afterwards. Proper, safe access to all areas, all the time,
unlike a ladder which you will be up and down like a yoyo or a small
tower that will be a pain to keep moving especially if it doesn't
have wheels or the ground isn't suitable for rolling.

get a harness - but that will restrict movement, you need to make sure
the fixing is *really* secure.

And think how you are going to get down once you are dangling in the
harness. You don't have long dangling before blood starts to pool in
your legs and nasty physilogical things start to happen, including
death.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Jul 6, 12:00*pm, "brass monkey" wrote:
"SS" wrote in message

...





I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I
would be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it.
I just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. *Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it,
then sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am
currently painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof
but I can access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed
hang it out and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot
access the porch roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and
backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

Get a man in. A chap I knew was doing the very same thing, he fell off and
the funeral followed.-

Our neighbour fell off his ladder doing exactly what you describe.
Similar result for him - not death, but a lifetime of disability.

Robert

On Jul 6, 1:01*pm, "michael adams" wrote:
"tim...." wrote in message

...







"SS" wrote in message
...
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is :-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I would be
hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could probably wait til
next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it. I just done
feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. *Is there a better type ladder I could use
thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it, then sell on ebay..

I don't have a fear of heights, just of the ladder "falling off" the wall.

Show me a fully secured ladder and I will happily climb it. *Show me an unsecured one
and I feel anxious about half way up.

Getting to the top the first time to secure it is really difficult :-(

tim

Make up a stout wooden frame with a crossbar to fit inside an upstairs
window opening. Run a rope out of that window down to the ground.
Tie the rope to the approopriate rung of the ladder,
Erect the ladder. Go back upstairs and tightly secure the rope
to the crossbar.
If you have some rope, ideally climbing rope which has more give you
can secure that to the frame as well. Harnesses for securing the rope,
can be bought new or on ebay.i.e bosuns harnesses
Securing ladders to furniture, beds etc isn't always a good idea
as they can move around.


With climbing rope you should remember that it is designed to save you
in a fall but it will only do this once. As the energy absorbed it
damages the rope and the rope gets longer. The rope will have its
length marked at the ends. measure it and check the length matches
the labels. if it has been stretched then bin it.

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
- And think how you are going to get down once you are dangling in the
- harness.

When you fall you should be be in fairly close proximity to the
scaffolding or the ladder. In fact its hard to visualise a situation
where this wouldn't apply. Given which you can grasp the
ladder or the scaffolding and release the rope.
In any case when attaching a rope to a harness it should first be run
around and through a karibiner and attached using a quick release
device rather than a knot. In the event of a fall this will allow the
user to easily release the rope and control the speed of the rope by
using the friction of the rope going through the Karibiner to
allow a slow descent.


michael adams

....


- You don't have long dangling before blood starts to pool in
- your legs and nasty physilogical things start to happen, including
- death.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"RobertL" wrote in message
...
On Jul 6, 1:01 pm, "michael adams" wrote:
"tim...." wrote in message

...







"SS" wrote in message
...
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is :-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I would be
hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could probably wait
til
next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it. I just
done
feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type ladder I could use
thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it, then sell on ebay.

I don't have a fear of heights, just of the ladder "falling off" the wall.

Show me a fully secured ladder and I will happily climb it. Show me an unsecured one
and I feel anxious about half way up.

Getting to the top the first time to secure it is really difficult :-(

tim

Make up a stout wooden frame with a crossbar to fit inside an upstairs
window opening. Run a rope out of that window down to the ground.
Tie the rope to the approopriate rung of the ladder,
Erect the ladder. Go back upstairs and tightly secure the rope
to the crossbar.
If you have some rope, ideally climbing rope which has more give you
can secure that to the frame as well. Harnesses for securing the rope,
can be bought new or on ebay.i.e bosuns harnesses
Securing ladders to furniture, beds etc isn't always a good idea
as they can move around.


- With climbing rope you should remember that it is designed to save you
- in a fall but it will only do this once. As the energy absorbed it
- damages the rope and the rope gets longer. The rope will have its
- length marked at the ends. measure it and check the length matches
- the labels. if it has been stretched then bin it.


In a situation where a nervous person actually falls off a ladder
I don't think the possibility of using the rope a second time around
is likely to arise somehow. While the ladders themselves will probably
to end up on eBay, or in the local paper.


michael adams

....

Many thanks indeed for all the comments, I am most grateful for all the
ideas that have put forward.
Thank you.

On Jul 6, 3:11*pm, RobertL wrote:

With climbing rope you should remember that it is designed to save you
in a fall but it will only do this once.

Not quite. Climbing would be rather expensive were this true!

That said, if your "rescue" rope is fixed to the window frame and you
fall from the top (i.e. you fall the length of rope that is protecting
you) that is a factor 1 fall, which *can* wreck a climbing rope. Some
people would discard after a factor 1, some wouldn't (a rope is rated
usually for multiple falls of a higher severity than this). A factor
2 (falling twice the length of rope that's out) is a definite reason
to chuck it, but you would have to be climbing above your anchor to
have any chance of this.

Neil

On Jul 6, 4:02*pm, John Rumm wrote:

There are two types of climbing rope IIUC - static and dynamic. The
former does not stretch and is designed for belaying etc but not
designed for fall arrest.

Abseiling or ascending, not climbing/belaying. Even a short fall on a
static (non stretchy) rope would hurt.

If you fall any distance on a static rope one of three things will
happen. The rope will break (less likely), your harness will break or
(and, more like) *you* will break.

Neil

On Jul 6, 4:09*pm, "michael adams" wrote:

When you fall you should be be in fairly close proximity to the
scaffolding or the ladder.

Unless the cause is the ladder failing or falling over...

In fact its hard to visualise a situation
where this wouldn't apply.

I just did

Neil

On Jul 6, 4:33*pm, Neil Williams wrote:

That said, if your "rescue" rope is fixed to the window frame

....having said that, I wouldn't climb with my rope secured just to a
bit of wood in a window frame, particularly not a uPVC one. (Worth
saying before someone does, as it was suggested elsewhere in the
thread). It was just a good example as it would give a factor 1
rather than 0.8 or something

I did at one point look to see if there were any decent anchors in my
house that would hold me up so I could abseil out of the window to
install an alarm box, but I couldn't find anything I was happy with so
stuck it on the garage wall instead. (No ladder to hand and it needed
doing that day).

Neil

Neil Williams wrote:
On Jul 6, 4:09 pm, "michael adams" wrote:

When you fall you should be be in fairly close proximity to the
scaffolding or the ladder.

Unless the cause is the ladder failing or falling over...

In fact its hard to visualise a situation
where this wouldn't apply.

I just did

Neil

Isn't this the moment to dial a friend? Or 999 and ask for the nice blokes
in the fire brigade. When my son was little, his ball got stuck in a tree,
so he went round to the fire station and asked them for help. They even gave
him a ride in the fire engine. No fires that day, needless to mention.





--
Murphy's ultimate law is that if something that could go wrong doesn't,
it turns out that it would have been better if it had gone wrong.

John Rumm wrote:

One thing (and this may not be applicable here) is making sure your
ladder is man enough for the job. Being taller/heavier than most I
find that "DIY" rated ladders can be quite scary simply because the
flop all over the place when I get on them! A proper BS EN 131 trade
rated ladder makes all the difference. Also make sure the ladder is
tall enough to allow proper access. So if you need to climb onto
something, it needs to sail past at least 4' so you can safely get on
an off whatever. When working on a ladder, having a good standoff can
make it far more comfortable. Also knowing its not going to slip etc
helps. So make sure the feet are in good condition on suitable
ground. The ladder is erected at the right angle. If in any doubt,
drive a eyelet into something near the top (or find something
suitable to tie onto), and tie the top of the ladder to it.


1. An eyelet even half-way up will do the trick. The point is that the OP is
unhappy above 10 ft.

2. You can get ladders with an extra bar at the bottom to make them more
stable. Why doesn't everyone use those?

On 06/07/2011 13:52, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Wed, 6 Jul 2011 03:16:02 -0700 (PDT), Clive wrote:
....
get a harness - but that will restrict movement, you need to make sure
the fixing is *really* secure.

And think how you are going to get down once you are dangling in the
harness. You don't have long dangling before blood starts to pool in
your legs and nasty physilogical things start to happen, including
death.

The answer to that is to use a rate of descent control device, rather
than a fixed length of rope. You still hit the ground if you fall, but
slowly enough for it not to hurt.

Colin Bignell

On 06/07/2011 11:45, Huge wrote:
On 2011-07-06, wrote:
wrote:
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering
problem is :-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher
I would be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you
overcome it. I just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is
there a better type ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to
buy something, use it, then sell on ebay.

Once you have got a good ladder you will want to keep it.

I never really overcame my fear of hights, I am however a lot more confident
than I used to be.

What he said. Except "height" rather than "hight" (which means to name or
call something in Old English).

Technically, it is a fear of depths (big drops under you), not of
heights (tall things above you)

Maybe just practice did it for me. Although I still
cannot work out how some people are able to just walk off a ladder onto a
roof and make it look as easy as walking through a door.

I get there after about the third trip up the ladder, having all but
crawled off it on the first one.

Colin Bignell

"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...
On Jul 6, 4:09 pm, "michael adams" wrote:

When you fall you should be be in fairly close proximity to the
scaffolding or the ladder.

- Unless the cause is the ladder failing or falling over...

Not where the ladder is secured at the top to a crossbar
inside a window.


In fact its hard to visualise a situation
where this wouldn't apply.

- I just did

Only by ignoring the fact that the ladsder is secured at the top.

michael adams

- Neil

On Jul 6, 11:03*am, "SS" wrote:
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I would
be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it.. I
just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. *Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it, then
sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am currently
painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof but I can
access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed hang it out
and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot access the porch
roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

Send your WoG up!

On Wed, 6 Jul 2011 15:09:44 +0100, michael adams wrote:

When you fall you should be be in fairly close proximity to the
scaffolding or the ladder. In fact its hard to visualise a situation
where this wouldn't apply. Given which you can grasp the
ladder or the scaffolding and release the rope.

Assuming that the ladder is still in position and not lying on the
ground.
Assuming that you haven't knocked yourself out hitting the ladder,
scaffold, wall, WHY, on the way down.

Being in a harness with no-one else about to help you get down should
you end up dangling in it is really rather risky.

In any case when attaching a rope to a harness it should first be run
around and through a karibiner and attached using a quick release
device rather than a knot. In the event of a fall this will allow the
user to easily release the rope and control the speed of the rope by
using the friction of the rope going through the Karibiner to
allow a slow descent.

That is good advice but does assume that the person is concious or
hasn't got a broken arm... It also requires the person to know how to
thread the rope through the karibiner and have the quick release
device etc.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Maybe just practice did it for me. Although I still
cannot work out how some people are able to just walk off a ladder
onto a roof and make it look as easy as walking through a door.

I get there after about the third trip up the ladder, having all but
crawled off it on the first one.

I can after a lot of practice now do that on our shallow-pitched "rear
extension" roof but what's the secret please to doing it on a
conventional pitched roof? I'd welcome an alternative to my crawling
off the ladder, with every bit of anatomy I can in contact with the
slates, moving the Clog ascender inches at a time up the rope slung over
the top. And you can imagine how much worse that feels when I then find
roofers on the terrace behind laughing at me as they stroll up and down
the same
--
Robin
PM may be sent to rbw0{at}hotmail{dot}com

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Wed, 6 Jul 2011 15:09:44 +0100, michael adams wrote:

When you fall you should be be in fairly close proximity to the
scaffolding or the ladder. In fact its hard to visualise a situation
where this wouldn't apply. Given which you can grasp the
ladder or the scaffolding and release the rope.

Assuming that the ladder is still in position and not lying on the
ground.

....

The ladder was tied at the top to the same crossbar as the
climbing rope. Which is where I came in.

....

Assuming that you haven't knocked yourself out hitting the ladder,
scaffold, wall, WHY, on the way down.

....

So you don't recommend wearing a safety helmet then ?

For somebody as concerned as you seem to be with banging your head
on ladders, scaffolding, walls, this seems to be rather a strange
omission.

In any case the rope should be threaded through the karibiner and quick
release as you climb the ladder. There is no need for more than say 3-6ft
of slack at the top of the ladder. Its not as if you're going to
go very far is it ?

....


Being in a harness with no-one else about to help you get down should
you end up dangling in it is really rather risky.#

....

Sure thing. Hanging on the end of 3ft of rope.

....


In any case when attaching a rope to a harness it should first be run
around and through a karibiner and attached using a quick release
device rather than a knot. In the event of a fall this will allow the
user to easily release the rope and control the speed of the rope by
using the friction of the rope going through the Karibiner to
allow a slow descent.

That is good advice but does assume that the person is concious or
hasn't got a broken arm... It also requires the person to know how to
thread the rope through the karibiner and have the quick release
device etc.

....

Indeed. It assumes the person isn't a complete numpty. But then if they
were complete numpties they would probably already have succeeded
in killing or seriously injuring themselves in any number of ways.



michael adams

....



--
Cheers
Dave.

"harry" wrote in message
...
On Jul 6, 11:03 am, "SS" wrote:
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I
would
be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it.
I
just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it,
then
sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am
currently
painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof but I can
access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed hang it
out
and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot access the
porch
roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

Send your WoG up!

I flppin well did cause she was laughing at me and my jelly legs and she
went straight to the top of the ladder and never flinched....Bitch!
Not that I would let her paint! that would be another restoration job for
me. :-)

With climbing rope you should remember that it is designed to save you
in a fall but it will only do this once. As the energy absorbed it
damages the rope and the rope gets longer. The rope will have its
length marked at the ends. measure it and check the length matches
the labels. if it has been stretched then bin it.




Well theres rope and, err rope. The one that comes with most all decent
body harnesses does have a "tape" like section thats stitched together
the idea is that it will rip apart thus absorbing the falling tension
impact load, a conventional rope won't do that 'tho some climbing ropes
are rather "stretchy" but very little over a few feet ..

Course what's really useful is having someone around who can call for
help..


If required...
--
Tony Sayer

SS wrote:
"harry" wrote in message
...
On Jul 6, 11:03 am, "SS" wrote:
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering
problem is :-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher
I would
be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you
overcome it. I
just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use
it, then
sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am
currently
painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof but I
can access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed
hang it out
and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot access the
porch
roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

Send your WoG up!

I flppin well did cause she was laughing at me and my jelly legs and
she went straight to the top of the ladder and never
flinched....Bitch!

Not that I would let her paint! that would be another restoration job
for me. :-)

She could get the painters in.

--
Adam

On 06/07/2011 11:03, SS wrote:
I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I would
be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it. I
just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it, then
sell on ebay.

Fear of falling off ladders is a very sensible thing.

Three bits of advice from me; read the HSE advice on ladder safety, get
a stand off http://www.screwfix.com/p/ladder-stand-off/29679 and one of
these for the base http://www.screwfix.com/p/summit-laddermat/99778.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

"SS" wrote in message ...

I really need to paint the soffit board and sort some guttering problem is
:-

A. Cant really afford a pro and I am capable of doing the work.
B. beyond around 10 feet I am crap on a ladder, even if I got higher I would
be hanging on rather than doing anything.

Ideally I would like to get the work done this summer although could
probably wait til next year.

Anyone else got this `fear` of height/ladders and how did you overcome it. I
just done feel safe or comfortable 20 feet up. Is there a better type
ladder I could use thinking it may be cheaper to buy something, use it, then
sell on ebay.

It is more working from a ladder than the height (I think) as I am currently
painting the window above the front porch, it has a steep roof but I can
access from the bedroom window, I just tie a rope around the bed hang it out
and use that as a comfort thing. Strange thing is I cannot access the porch
roof from a ladder, I tried and just got scared and backed off.

Any thoughts or ideas on this would be appreciated.
thanks

Apart from GAMI.... Hire a tower

On 06/07/2011 17:04, Robin wrote:
Maybe just practice did it for me. Although I still
cannot work out how some people are able to just walk off a ladder
onto a roof and make it look as easy as walking through a door.

I get there after about the third trip up the ladder, having all but
crawled off it on the first one.

I can after a lot of practice now do that on our shallow-pitched "rear
extension" roof but what's the secret please to doing it on a
conventional pitched roof? I'd welcome an alternative to my crawling
off the ladder, with every bit of anatomy I can in contact with the
slates, moving the Clog ascender inches at a time up the rope slung over
the top. And you can imagine how much worse that feels when I then find
roofers on the terrace behind laughing at me as they stroll up and down
the same

I don't find being on the roof a problem. It is only the transition
between ladder and roof. When I lived in Glasgow, sitting on a slate
roof, five floors up, gave a marvelous view over the city and was one of
my flat mates' and my favourite places to enjoy an evening drink.

Colin Bignell