On Wed, 05 Nov 2014 14:43:11 +0000, Phil L wrote:

"David" wrote in message
...
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?

You need someone with a cat ladder, phone a local roofer or small
builder.

I'd be surprised if you paid more than £200 for the entire job, it's
only 3 hours work for one man and a tenner's worth of materials

Forget the ventilation, it needs something with weight, the normal way
is a paving slab mortared in place, and with flaunching on top to allow
rain to run off.
Failing this, a couple of large slates bedded on, again with strong
flaunching for added weight.

Is a cat ladder the same as a roofing ladder - i.e. a light weight ladder
with wheels and a hook at the top to roll up the roof then flip over at
the ridge so the hook takes hold?

Anyway, slightly more complicated than that.

The roof is a hip roof (if Wikipedia is correct) and the chimney is on the
triangular side so there is no ridge directly above it on which to fix a
ladder.

It is also on the side of the house where the car port is so it is
difficult to access directly.

Having said all that, I have seen a roofer just displace a few tiles to
provide footholds via the battens and walk all over a roof, just replacing
the tiles afterwards.

All this suggests that we may end up with a cherry picker.
Which is tempting.

Cheers


Dave R



--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box