Replacing a tile: not as easy as I thought... hence this post

[ToughButterCup]

By  now, I can throw a scaffold up in a morning : safe, level and built with an eye to making it easier to take down. Roof ladder delivered Monday. So far so good.

 

But, as is the way with stuff I do, the first thing I manage to bugger up is breaking a tile - one thats right next to the gutter and 100 mm above  the scafffold platform on which I'm standing. Unaccountably, I just picked my foot up and put it on the tile.  The outrage I felt when it cracked. How dare it!

So now there are two to replace. Eeeeejit.

 

Heave the roof ladder up and wheel it gingerly to the roof ridge, and roll it over so the hooks on the other side. And just then, just at that moment, I start feeling uneasy. But pleased - success afterall innit - roof ladders in place ? 

Over the years I have come to trust that 'feeling'

 

Sheeeet. The other side of the roof is full of solar panels, some very close to the ridge. 

Off the platform, shoot down the scaff ladder , scoot round to where I can see the hook - and sure enough the ladder hook is resting on one of the solar panel.

Ferkety Ferkety Fookety fook.

I haven't put any weight on the ladder.

 

Here, look at this: the cracked tile I need to mend is marked in red.

 

Can't take a joke? Don't self build.

 

Wot's to be done folks?

 

(Hired roof ladder on its way back already)

Edited January 5, 2021 by ToughButterCup

[MikeGrahamT21]

Dry Ridge or not?

 

Either way you are very close, so may disturb the ridge, dry ridge will be easy enough to sort, otherwise you'll need to cart some mortar up there to re-set the ridge tile

[ToughButterCup]

Dry ridge.

The ridge isn't the issue, though: its how to get safely to the tile that needs to be replaced.

[BobAJob]

What's the pitch of the roof?

 

How many storeys?

[joe90]

When I used to do roofs I hated slates as you cannot walk on them like concrete tiles, BUT I kept a few old sofa cushions that I put a bit of ply on and tucked them under the roof ladder so any  weight is distributed evenly. Not easy but the only way I know of getting up there. Also with cushion under the roof ladder the hook should be a bit further away from your solar panels!

Edited January 5, 2021 by joe90

[ToughButterCup]

1 minute ago, BobAJob said:

What's the pitch of the roof?

 

How many storeys?

25 degrees , 2 storeys - guess broken tile is at 5m agl.....

access easy all the way round the house

[Construction Channel]

I doubt it would pass hse but i would put some some decent "outriggers" on the scaffold away from the building. Then clip down the boards so the cant flip up. Screw a batten /4x2 to said boards so the ladder cant slip and use a normal ladder so you dont have an issue with the solar panels. 

 

Then use a sofa cushion under the ladder like suggested above. Failing that fix a bit of wood across the top of the ladder to try and spread the weight but the cushion would be my no 1 choice

 

Or put the ladder up the gable and shimmy along the ridge but that would be dangerous and is fairly scary getting back off

[joe90]

5 minutes ago, Construction Channel said:

I doubt it would pass hse

None of my antics on a roof would pass HSE ?, but I was a mountaineer/rockclimber previously ?‍♂️ Plus I was only 9st soaking wet.

Edited January 5, 2021 by joe90

[JFDIY]

Channel @Construction Channel method, but I put pipe lagging all the way up the underside of the ladder cable tied on for padding.

[ProDave]

If you scaffolded up the gable is it within reach from the end?

 

If you try the normal ladder idea, throw a rope over the roof and secure to something the other side and clip onto that as a safety line in case the ladder slides.  P.S your wifes car is not a suitable anchor for the safety line.

[nod]

1 hour ago, ToughButterCup said:

By  now, I can throw a scaffold up in a morning : safe, level and built with an eye to making it easier to take down. Roof ladder delivered Monday. So far so good.

 

But, as is the way with stuff I do, the first thing I manage to bugger up is breaking a tile - one thats right next to the gutter and 100 mm above  the scafffold platform on which I'm standing. Unaccountably, I just picked my foot up and put it on the tile.  The outrage I felt when it cracked. How dare it!

So now there are two to replace. Eeeeejit.

 

Heave the roof ladder up and wheel it gingerly to the roof ridge, and roll it over so the hooks on the other side. And just then, just at that moment, I start feeling uneasy. But pleased - success afterall innit - roof ladders in place ? 

Over the years I have come to trust that 'feeling'

 

Sheeeet. The other side of the roof is full of solar panels, some very close to the ridge. 

Off the platform, shoot down the scaff ladder , scoot round to where I can see the hook - and sure enough the ladder hook is resting on one of the solar panel.

Ferkety Ferkety Fookety fook.

I haven't put any weight on the ladder.

 

Here, look at this: the cracked tile I need to mend is marked in red.

 

Can't take a joke? Don't self build.

 

Wot's to be done folks?

 

(Hired roof ladder on its way back already)

I’ve a contact with a Cherry picker Ian 

£250 half day hire He’s a former roofer 
Not worth injuring yourself 

[ToughButterCup]

PM sent Gary.......

[ToughButterCup]

Well wad'ya know: a knight in shining armour has just popped in. Man wiv Sherree PiKa. He came to pick up the ladder. 

 

Looking at the job he suggested that I could be let loose on a tracked  one (T135)

While I'm up there, I can feel a couple of other little jobs coming on.....  I mean, like Ed ( @Construction Channel ) says  Wot could go wrong?

 

Only one more sleep until I get to play with this........ Christmas reinvented.

 

Photos while I'm up there ... good weather forecast too.

[Bitpipe]

4 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

While I'm up there, I can feel a couple of other little jobs coming on.....  I mean, like Ed ( @Construction Channel ) says  Wot could go wrong?

 

Just remember what happened with the flooring joists.... wear your best underpants...

 

[ToughButterCup]

4 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

Just remember what happened with the flooring joists.... wear your best underpants...

 

That got to you didn't it? 

The lady in question walked past with her dog in tow the other day. Poor thing is still traumatised.

Edited January 5, 2021 by ToughButterCup

[Redoctober]

7 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

Well wad'ya know: a knight in shining armour has just popped in. Man wiv Sherree PiKa. He came to pick up the ladder. 

 

Looking at the job he suggested that I could be let loose on a tracked  one (T135)

While I'm up there, I can feel a couple of other little jobs coming on.....  I mean, like Ed ( @Construction Channel ) says  Wot could go wrong?

 

Only one more sleep until I get to play with this........ Christmas reinvented.

 

Photos while I'm up there ... good weather forecast too.

 

This looks a fantastic bit of kit - I was only pondering the other day how best to paint the gable ends - I thought of a cherry picker but dismissed it due to the likelihood of it curning up my lawn etc. But this beast could be the answer. Thanks for sharing - Out of curiosity , what is the hire rate ?

[ToughButterCup]

£140 plus bells and whistles...... per day

[Ferdinand]

hope you are insured.

 

What is that worth ... 60k or so?

 

 

[markc]

14 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

hope you are insured.

 

What is that worth ... 60k or so?

 

 

Around £35K for a 13m CTE machine.

We sell tracked spider platforms upto 43metres

[ProDave]

Have you ever used one before?

 

Years ago I did the course to drive one at work, the bit of paper has long been lost and has probably expired anyway.  When you are outside and reaching over a lot, you start to question if it really can reach that far.  That's one of the things you do on the course, take it right to the extremes 2 up until the alarm sounds.

 

Go careful, you don't want to bounce it onto the roof and break another tile (I may regret saying that)

[ToughButterCup]

The points made above are good.

The machine's vertical reach is 10 meters (platform height) I need 5, and about 2 meters laterally. The machine offers 6 meters reach laterally. This is one instance where I will be wanting to operate well within the machine's capability: and the wind forecast is about as good as you can expect.

I take your point Dave about bounce. I'll take a few tiles up with me  ?

Edited January 5, 2021 by ToughButterCup

[Mr Punter]

They are good for vertical and overhangs.  Not so great for roof as it is underneath you.  Hardstanding required, not soggy grass.

[epsilonGreedy]

41 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

£140 plus bells and whistles...... per day

 

 

That white monster looks like a next generation robot from Boston Dynamics, are you sure is has not escaped from an AI research lab. Just hang on if it decides to execute a back flip while you are fixing the roof.

[ToughButterCup]

18 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

They are good for vertical and overhangs.  Not so great for roof as it is underneath you.  Hardstanding required, not soggy grass.

 

We have compacted MOT1.

I take your point about reaching across to do a job, thanks. I'll  take it slowly : maybe do a couple of other jobs lower down first to get used to it. I certainly won't be taking it out or up as far as the spec will allow.

 

Yes @epsilonGreedy it looks a bit Dr Who-ish dunnit?

[JFDIY]

Going back to the roofing ladder, could you approach from the others ide so hooks aren't on solar panels? Are the panels ok for a distributed load from ladder - just out of interest?