Hanging wall sheathing second story / high up by yourself?

[bren5270]

Hey all,

Does anyone have any pointers on the best way to install (with only one person) wall osb sheating higher up? Im trying to think of the best way to get the sheets up the ladder to the height of the next row... second story is going to be really interesting...

Ive got ladder jacks and 3 ladders, but 15-20 ft climb with a full sheet of plywood has me a bit nervous... anyone have any tips?

 

[quattro_sinko]

Can't you stage it on the second floor?

 

[chinboys]

proper scaffolding or a portable scissor man lift. don't be cheap with your safety.

 

[tarmy]

Either get a helper, a man lift, scaffolding...or get ready for a trip to the local hospital. If you ever fall off a ladder it does not end well...ask me how I know.

There are good ways to do things...what you have in mind is not one of them...

 

[850xpeps]

I do stuff I shouldn’t and I wouldn’t carry a full sheet up a ladder. Asking for trouble. Get a scaffold or lift.


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[TomC750]

Also, I made cleats for the sheet to rest on while I nailed it in place, just L shaped blocks temporarily screwed to the wall at top of prior sheet.

 

[Kaizen]

My second story is 12 feet up. I had pump jack staging at about ten feet and a ladder lashed to it to get up on the staging. Working on the ground I screwed two pieces of 2x6 offset so it was a lip. Bout two feet long and put it five feet up on the wall. With the panel on end I pushed it up sliding on the wall till the bottom edge could sit on the lip. The top of the panel is at 12-13 feet so on the staging you can grab the edges and lift it up. I added another lip halfway to set it and grab it again. Then once up I had a single 2x6 screwed to the piece below it leaving an inch above where the one you are setting will sit there while you attach it. I did have a safety walkway behind me in case I fell back. The panel would come off the wall and rest against the staging so I could put two pieces up at a time and reduce the up and down. I think I brought the highest angle pieces up on the ladder as they are smaller.
I screwed it all and then brought up the framing nailer and nailed it all Home.
I will be renting a manlift to do the trim. Scary up there even on pump staging
You can see the blocks set up in this pic



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[Musicinabottle]

Also, I made cleats for the sheet to rest on while I nailed it in place, just L shaped blocks temporarily screwed to the wall at top of prior sheet.

Just tack a couple 16s in directly above your last run. You're supposed to gap your sheets anyway, this holds the sheets while you nail, and gaps the sheet at the same time. Faster easier better.

 

[Ch3No2]

Sounds like it's time for the plaster guy to set his scaffolding for lath.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Mount an offset wood cleat to catch and align the bottom of the sheet at the joint line. Drill a hole in the upper part of the sheet about a foot from the top. Use a rope and cable come along over the top plate to help pull the sheet up and control it. Attach lower section of sheet. Remove rope and finish nailing. If no roof sheathing yet, drill a hole in each end of a piece of pipe, then screw this to the trusses to act as a "pulley" for the rope to slide on. I suggest a rolling scaffold to work from. It will be worth it. Trust everyone on this one.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Don't carry the sheets up the ladder, slide them up the ladder in front of you. Worst case, let them slide off the side of the ladder while you are hanging on to the rungs. A sheet is cheap, an ER visit isn't.

When working buy your self, you have to get creative with some blocking or making an extra hand to hold what you're working on.

 

[kbs2244]

They make tools for this!
Rent them.
And get a helper.

4x8 OSB is just too heavy and awkward to do that high by yourself

 

[ford33]

Get someone to help you and use a scaffold at the minimum.

It doesn't sound as if are confident on a tall ladder and asking about carrying a sheet up a ladder indicates you haven't done this before.

If you fall off the ladder or scaffold and get injured, how do you summon help? Don't say with my cell phone. Head, neck and back injuries often result in loss of consciousnesses or loss of feeling in arms and fingers and you will have difficulty using a phone.

 

[joe--h]

Can you post a picture of the building? I've done this alone before, but need a pic of your framing to give you advice.
Joe H

 

[Bad Eye Bill]

Sounds like a damn good way to get hurt.

 

[Jlbc212]

Don't carry the sheets up the ladder, slide them up the ladder in front of you. Worst case, let them slide off the side of the ladder while you are hanging on to the rungs. A sheet is cheap, an ER visit isn't.

When working buy your self, you have to get creative with some blocking or making an extra hand to hold what you're working on.

^^^ this - slide the sheets up the ladder with the sheet sitting on your forearms. Also place a couple of H clips on the top edge of the sheets below. The H clips will help keep the new sheet in position while you set a nail.

 

[James-W]

Why take the chance of getting seriously hurt? Rent a scissors lift and get someone to help you.

 

[gtae07]

It's not a wall, but when I put the sheets on the roof of my shop, I leaned a pair of 2x6's against the first row of sheets (set with a helper). Tied a rope to a c-clamp, attached that to the sheet, and then went up top and hauled the sheet up the boards. It was a hell of a lot easier than trying to carry them up. Not sure how well it will work for your case though.

 

[Slednut]

I screwed a cleat flush with the top of the bottom sheet, slid the new sheet up the ladder and sat it on the cleat. The trusses held the top. I then extended the ladder about half way up the new sheet. I walked up the ladder with my nail gun, positioned the sheet and nailed it. I needed scaffold to do the siding and soffits, so I used those to add more nails and do the gable ends. Just make sure the wind isn’t blowing.

 

[ard]

I was sheathing my roof, 23 years ago. Second story, 10/12 pitch. Picked up a sheet, as the end cleared the ridge, a gust of wind caught it.

Before my stupid arms could obey my brain, which was screaming LET GO, I was headed off the edge. Landed on the first floor roof, which was already sheathed.

It was, uh, a life lesson.

 

[Victorymike18]

If all of the above options aren't possible for you (safety needs to come first) then what about cutting each sheet in half length-wise? They'd be a lot easier to handle being half as heavy and less bulky...

*** Edited as I realized you were talking about external sheathing and not drywall "sheets". ***

 

[jetnow1]

Build some simple scaffold on the existing sheathing to stand on, put up the
next layer of sheathing. It is not that difficult. My garage is only one story but
the roof is 12/12 pitch so I built scaffolding down both sides to put the roof sheathing on, then used it to put the shingles on. Made it an easy one man job. Was able to recycle most of the material so almost no waste, and a lot cheaper than an ER visit.