On Mon, 1 Jun 2009 17:20:03 +0100 (BST), Stephen Gower wrote:

The terraced house we recently bought has a lean-to conservatory (built
1974, according to the paperwork) across the whole of the back. The garden
is at the edge of this, although there is a concrete shed (with concrete
asbestos roof) at one end. At the other end, there is a shared passageway,
which is uncovered next to the conservatory itself.

What's a good, cost effective, access method for those regular sort of jobs
(cleaning windows, clearing gutters/etc) that require getting to the
first floor and above of the original house?

s

If the slope isn't too steep and the roof is polycarbonate and sufficiently
deep, you could try the method that I used on a friend's place:

an old wooden ladder (still sound but...)

a piece of plank with a batten screwed along it about 2/3 of the way
across; the plank was close to the width of the inside of the ladder and
about 60cm long

an aluminium ladder with hollow rungs

5 or 6 hook-bolts - good hefty ones - in the wall above the roof of the
conservatory

The wooden ladder was placed along the roof so that it was against a row of
screw-heads, the plank placed so that the batten (upwards!) was towards the
top edge of the ladder

the ally ladder was put in to position against the batten

a stoutish length of new nylon rope, with a fixed loop in 1 end, was
threaded through a rung of the ally ladder, anothe loop made in it and the
loops hooked over the bolts.

The ally ladder had some degree of sideways movement possible, so the rig
didn't have to be moved entirely to go along a short way.

Not good for steep - glass - narrow roof!
--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.