TheMitchells Posted October 3 Share Posted October 3 Wondering if someone could help in a question about access towers? we need to do some work along the ridge line of the house - the cement is cracked and missing under the rood tiles, and we have some water in the roof space, aound the back corner of the roof. We think the roofing felt maybe perished but need to have a look. taking up the first couple of tiles and maybe replacing the battons and felt. We have been trying to hire an access tower for a couple months but no one seems to have any available and so are now looking to buy our own. Can anyone advise us as to what height we need? We thought 5 m would be enough to get to the guttering and a little higher but the photo's dont look like it will be high enough. Shuold we be aiming for a 6m? Luckily the OH is good at heights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMitchells Posted October 3 Author Share Posted October 3 (edited) Looking at this one. https://www.laddersandscaffoldtowers.co.uk/scaffold-towers/diy-scaffold-towers/home-master-diy-scaffold-tower We have a roof ladder to lie on the tiles and work on the roof itself so just need something to give good safe access. So ideally something with the floor of the platform at guttering height. Does the claimed height refer to the top of the scaffolding or the platform height? Edited October 3 by TheMitchells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeSharp01 Posted October 3 Share Posted October 3 Hang a tape rule out of the window to the ground and measure it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Ambrose Posted October 3 Share Posted October 3 Yeah, I think it's answered here: i.e. a '4m' tower has a 'platform height' (bit you stand on) at 2m, a 'tower height' (max height of safety frame) of 3m (i.e. 1m higher than the platform) and a 'working height' (reasonable height you could reach up to) of 4m. So, if you need to actually reach a widget at a height of say, 8m, you need an 8m tower. Ladders are similar. This assumes you can reach up 2m higher than the floor. Even as a short-arse I can do that, at least for a while holding some light tools. Holding a heavy SDS drill all day drilling into concrete? Well you probably need something 1m higher so you can hold it at waist height. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Thomas Posted October 3 Share Posted October 3 2 hours ago, TheMitchells said: Looking at this one. https://www.laddersandscaffoldtowers.co.uk/scaffold-towers/diy-scaffold-towers/home-master-diy-scaffold-tower We have a roof ladder to lie on the tiles and work on the roof itself so just need something to give good safe access. So ideally something with the floor of the platform at guttering height. Does the claimed height refer to the top of the scaffolding or the platform height? I just bought one of these yesterday! It arrived today. Three heights - safe working height (~2M above platform height); scaffold height (~1M above platform height); and platform height - which is where your feet are. The 7M tower is 5M platform height. I measured the roof height (also ~5M for my two-story newish-build) by flying a drone up to the eaves and reading it off 🤷♂️. Once you've got one, you find any use for it you can, I think. Worth noting that the instructions all say "for god's sake don't climb onto a roof from one of these things, jesus christ please stop". I assume this is standard arse-covering, because that's exactly what I'm going to be doing. I guess the main risk is pushing the platform away as you push off - I'm planning to tie mine to the house somehow, to mitigate that. I had a read of the HSE's working at height guidelines and they're a bit less stressed about it: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg33.pdf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuerteStu Posted October 3 Share Posted October 3 The major issue I've seen with towers for roof access, is the climbing out and in. I've seen people kick them over as they climb out. Then you're stranded, if you're lucky. Dangling if you're not. Use the outriggers. Build higher, step off. (but once again these are temporary working platforms, not access.. ARSE COVERED) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted October 3 Share Posted October 3 I've hired a few towers over the years. I probably should buy one. A pet gripe is that some companies work on the platform height, some the hand rail height and some the working height. The latter is about 6ft above the platform height. It can be hard to find on their website. You need to check. Last one I hired via https://www.lakeside-hire.co.uk they subcontract it to local hire companies outside their area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G and J Posted October 3 Share Posted October 3 3 hours ago, Nick Thomas said: I just bought one of these yesterday! It arrived today. Three heights - safe working height (~2M above platform height); scaffold height (~1M above platform height); and platform height - which is where your feet are. The 7M tower is 5M platform height. I measured the roof height (also ~5M for my two-story newish-build) by flying a drone up to the eaves and reading it off 🤷♂️. Once you've got one, you find any use for it you can, I think. Worth noting that the instructions all say "for god's sake don't climb onto a roof from one of these things, jesus christ please stop". I assume this is standard arse-covering, because that's exactly what I'm going to be doing. I guess the main risk is pushing the platform away as you push off - I'm planning to tie mine to the house somehow, to mitigate that. I had a read of the HSE's working at height guidelines and they're a bit less stressed about it: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg33.pdf I throw a rope over the ridge, secured to something reliable, thence secured to my ancient and rusty scaffold tower. I’ve got climbing kit but that’s not what I mean. A cheap poly rope with loop knots every few feet help enormously and prevent the tower teetering if it’s prone to that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Posted October 4 Share Posted October 4 (edited) I wouldn't use a cheap alloy tower for that work. Mine is a 2m platform hight and reasonably sturdy... If you don't lean over the sides! I think that's a cherry picker for a dayas your challenge there will be working over the lower roof. Edited October 4 by Conor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Thomas Posted October 5 Share Posted October 5 So I got my tower built up to 5M working height today (3M platform height). I'd say the outriggers are essential even at that level. Very wibbly wobbly without. Pigeon spikes arrived late today, so I wasn't really expecting to get it done; I'll be at it all day tomorrow. The first build involves a lot of messing around with screws and nuts and bolts and clamps, but it looks like subsequent builds will be quicker. Oh, and if you're not careful, the trapdoor whacks you on the head quite hard as you descend. Very clever. My original plan was to rent a scissor lift for a weekend (~£150); that or a cherry picker would definitely be less hassle than one of these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMitchells Posted October 6 Author Share Posted October 6 6 hours ago, Nick Thomas said: The first build involves a lot of messing around with screws and nuts and bolts and clamps, but it looks like subsequent builds will be quicker. Oh, and if you're not careful, the trapdoor whacks you on the head quite hard as you descend. Very clever. My original plan was to rent a scissor lift for a weekend (~£150); that or a cherry picker would definitely be less hassle than one of these. A cherry picker would have been great but there is no way we can get it into the rear garden, without demolishing a brick shed, which isnt going to happen.😄 And we'll watch our heads on that trap door! Thanks for the tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G and J Posted October 6 Share Posted October 6 9 hours ago, Nick Thomas said: the trapdoor whacks you on the head quite hard as you descend That made me laugh! Sorry! I can’t imagine using the trapdoor. I tend to put a ladder against the side of my tower - firmly binding the top rung to a convenient bar so the ladder doesn’t push the tower (too much). I’ve been known to have two ladders tied on for bracing for that matter. But these things always waggle around a bit, and the more one thinks about it the tenser one gets so the more they waggle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Thomas Posted October 6 Share Posted October 6 (edited) Hah, no, I laughed too - as the ringing in my ears subsided. Got it built to the full 7M working / 5M platform height today, and discovered that close-up there's a hell of a lot more pigeon on the roof than expected. Also discovered that the roof is actually a bit more than 5M high, the feet on the access tower make for an uncomfortably wide gap between 5M platform and roof, and that the access paths up each side of the panels are uncomfortably narrow anyway. Long story short, I've sacked it in and will get some professionals to sort the pigeons out. The tower seems fine for wall-related jobs, though; I'll keep it around for the foreseeable. I hope your efforts go better than mine! Edited October 6 by Nick Thomas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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