On Sat, 20 May 2006 12:56:15 +0100, wrote:

I am looking to paint the outside of my 1960's semi detached two story
(ground and first floors) house, including the suffits under the gutters.
Problem is I don't like heights, tried a set of he neighbours ladders and
the wobbled so much I got about 6 steps up before freezing in fear (the
steps just appeared to bounce too much) could these have been cheap steps?
I did not used to have a problem with heights, and don't remember steps
wobbling so much.

I never "liked" heights but I spent many years walking around on
pitched roofs and standing atop ladders working on guttering , fascias
and soffits. Then, after my mid-life crisis (which lasted about 40
years) I found myself getting the shakes when doing ladder work. I
even woke up in sweats after dreaming about the ascent.
Being the psychological oddity that I am, I took this as a sign that I
should do as much ladder climbing as I possibly could. I think I
managed to burn out the inconvenient "sensitivity" this way, so I'm OK
with going up ladders now.

I have used scaffold towers and they are convenient in their way, but
costly and time consuming to assemble.
I bought a Wickes triple extension "Trade" ladder to work on my
current house. It's of a very solid and heavy construction, so little
bounce there. I wouldn't recommend these particular ladders though,
I was really annoyed when I found that the flimsy plastic coverings
soon broke and fell off the hooks (or brackets) that hold each
extension in place at the top of the one beneath, leaving unpleasant
aluminium to aluminium sliding contact.
Are the any extendable tools which I can use like an extendable paint pole
to not only allow me to paint the walls, but sand down the soffits and paint
them as well as clean the walls prior to painting?



Alternatively what are the views of scaffolding? I.e. ease of use, and cost
(I mean to buy not rent) ?



Thanks



--
Regards,
Mike Halmarack

Drop the (EGG) to email me.