David wrote:
Need a couple of unused chimneys capping.

First quote:

scaffolding £600
parts and labour £250

Looks like they may not want the job.

They did suggest looking for someone with a cherry picker.
First Googling indicates that Hewden offer a 45 foot boom (plenty tall
enough) for £270 per week plus £75 delivery.
34 foot (probably just tall enough) is £240 a week + £75 delivery.

So this is significantly cheaper than scaffolding, even if we can't
negotiate a one/two day rate.

So why can't the scaffolding company use one?
Training requirements plus elf'nsafety?
Or just a grim determination to maximise profit - using existing stock
plus labour to put it up and take it down?

If we are going to order our own cherry picker then capping the chimney
looks more and more DIYable.

So - any advice about gotchas with using cherry pickers (like extending
them too far and toppling), and how much more than the vertical height you
should use when ordering?

Gotchas about capping chimneys?

Most of the chimneys round here just have a half round tile over the top.
Is this enough to keep out the rain, and allow some ventilation?
I know that rain is coming down the chimney because the hearth is open and
soot is coming down despite having swept the chimney.

Would a different pot be better, or an insert to drop into the pot?

Cheers

Dave R



I hired a towable cherry picker to paint my house and it was brilliant.
Pretty topple proof as you can even begin to raise it if the legs aren't
fully extended an screwed down. Despite this, I did manage to get stuck in
the air at full extension once when I hadn't screwed one of the legs down
as firmly as I should have. At full extension the furthest away leg was
unloaded enough to trip the safety cut-out leaving me high and dry. ;-)
Fortunately I had my mobile phone on me and was able to summon help.

Can't wait for my house to need painting again. ;-)

Tim