How do I do the eave work?

[Rockey]

OK, I need some help here. There is no way on Gods green earth that I am going to reach over the edge of this garage roof to do the eave work. What equipment should I rent to get this done? Should I get scaffolding, a bucket lift....??? I am hoping that whatever I get that it will also help me get the shingles up on top of the roof also. I really need to get this thing done so I can finally get the shingles on this beast. It really ***** trying to do this by myself, but knew this going in. What do you guys suggest. Should I sub this out? I already have all the materials. What would be a decent price I should have to pay?

Just to clarify, by eave work I am referring to the gabled ends where the two plane meet at a peak. Not the rafter tail ends on the front and back. Those dont cause the pants peeing problems like the other two and I hate working in wet boots.

 

[Slick50]

Can you build the gable ends flat on the second floor and stand them up and then tie them in to the end rafters and floor joists?
Should work for rough framing and sheating, but tough to do for siding.

 

[twostory]

Pump Jacks were what I used. You can buy a pair of them for under $100 on Craigslist. Build the poles out of 2x4s, make the platform out of OSB & 2x4(on edge). Just throw away all the wood when you done. See my picture, I had same issue as you.

Here is a craigslist ad, $40 for a pair

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/tls/1927759826.html

 

[Rosco]

I subbed mine out, along with the shingles.........too old for that!

Damn nice building you have !

 

[Rockey]

I subbed mine out, along with the shingles.........too old for that!

Damn nice building you have !

Mine is not even a shack yet. Lots of work before its a building. Now yours is a nice building.

 

[trbomax]

Scafolding,but dont rent it,I bought 4 sections for $200,figured when I was done I could sell it for that but I didnt because its soooooo handy to have around.

 

[Keith_MN]

I think the scaffolding is a great idea for the eave work, but it won't help much for the shingles. I think you have three options to get the shingles on the roof.
1. Get them delivered up there
2. Rent a lift
3. Hire the local 18 year old to hoof them up there

 

[Rockey]

I like the scaffolding idea, although I cant find any near me for a good price. I could just buy and sell it when I'm done. I wouldn't mind carrying the shingles up a ladder if I had too. The cooler weather will be here soon and i could use the exercise.

 

[54FordPanel]

Pump Jacks were what I used. You can buy a pair of them for under $100 on Craigslist. Build the poles out of 2x4s, make the platform out of OSB & 2x4(on edge). Just throw away all the wood when you done. See my picture, I had same issue as you.

Here is a craigslist ad, $40 for a pair

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/tls/1927759826.html

I was gonna ask you how the hell you got straight 4x4's that were 25 ft long........then I read your post.

That's "hold on to the platform/**** puckering height" for me.

 

[Bull]

How high up can you go with scaffolding?

That's "hold on to the platform/**** puckering height" for me.

Seriously. I could not be on that little ledge way up there unless there was an Olympic-sized pool full of Nerf below me and I was strapped to each vertical upright with a harness.

 

[southernfriedcj]

For a low gable like that I would just go off of a couple ladders.
Next option is ladders with walkboard brackets.
Another option is to frame the gable wall and then run a 2x4 out a couple feet (parallel to the ground, nail it to a stud) and run a 2x4 brace at a 45 degree angle from the far end back to the wall. Do this twice and run a walkboard across them.
After that I would go to pump jacks on double 2x4 poles. Make sure and stagger the joints on the poles.

 

[southernfriedcj]

Pump Jacks were what I used. You can buy a pair of them for under $100 on Craigslist. Build the poles out of 2x4s, make the platform out of OSB & 2x4(on edge). Just throw away all the wood when you done. See my picture, I had same issue as you.

Here is a craigslist ad, $40 for a pair

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/tls/1927759826.html

Be careful with these. I have four of them and you may **** yourself when you are spinning them down and they do a 3' drop (slip on the pole) out of the blue. Especially if you are 30 feet or so off the ground.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

How high up can you go with scaffolding?

As high as you want, as long as you tie it off on the building, I think your supposed to tie off at 3 sections (15'), then probably every 15' after that, or at least thats how Ive seen it done. I did just meet a guy at a construction materials auction a couple weeks back, who was wearing a neck brace, his scaffolding fell over while he was on it, I didn't get the full story from him, as his wife approached, he stopped talking.

If your going to shingle that yourself, get a safety harness, expandable lanyard (pretty sure thats not what they are called) and a climbing rope, and tie yourself off to something on the opposite side of the garage, so if you do have a miss-step, you survive it. Ive crashed from over 8' twice (I'm 43 now) as was lucky enough to limp away from both accidents,,,... I was on a job where a plumber fell from 8' and broke his back and both legs, and is done working and walking.

I just finished ridge vent on a house I'm re-habbing, its a two story with a 10/12 pitch roof, and its turn of the century, so its built about 3' out of the ground, scary work ! Anyhow, I tied us off to a tractor, and then just moved the tractor around to the opposite side of the house as we moved around. All went well.

Check into renting scaffolding if you need it, its pretty inexpensive, I bought mine, because I got 8 buildings that need maintenance

 

[little d]

+1 on the scafolding. when i was younger and bounced when i fell, i did everything off of a ladder. im 50 now and i dont bounce anymore, its more like a splat. i've also found, i'm not in near as much of a hurry now, as when i was younger, lol. I dont know how much of your build you are going to do yourself but, from what i see in the pic, you could very well justify buying it instead of renting. if you cant find used scafolding around you, check out U.S. Scafolding, very reasonalbly priced, especaly when compared to a er room visit.

as far as setting it up, i like to use 2 by 12s, 2' long, criss crosed, also known as cribbing, as a base on ground. then leval it with a leval, a little out will become a lot out the farther up you go so get it right from the start. tie it off, although its 5' by 7', it can fall over! as far as shingling goes, if ya use a 5' section, its a lot easer to throw the shingles on that walk board off of the sholder, then on the roof off of the walk board then carring them up a ladder. good luck, you have a nice build going on there.

 

[reds]

Pump Jacks are the way to go on the eve end. Don't use 2 x 4's on end. They are border line in strength. Use at least 2 x 6's on end, 2 x 8's would be even better for the walk board.

Also use roof jacks for the shingling. That way you don't need a tie off.

 

[twostory]

I was gonna ask you how the hell you got straight 4x4's that were 25 ft long........then I read your post.

That's "hold on to the platform/**** puckering height" for me.

The poles in my picture are actually 32 ft long. When you build the double 2x4 post, pick thru the pile and get 2x4 with no knots, or buy #1 wood.

As for "pucker factor", what you can not see in the picture is our climbing ropes anchored to the roof, and our climbing harness around us & tied to the rope.

Also we are both rock climbers, so we are used to heights & not much to hold on.

Be careful with these. I have four of them and you may **** yourself when you are spinning them down and they do a 3' drop (slip on the pole) out of the blue. Especially if you are 30 feet or so off the ground.

I have never had a pump jack drop 3ft while cranking them down. Not saying it can not happen, but it has never happened to me.

Pump Jacks are the way to go on the eve end. Don't use 2 x 4's on end. They are border line in strength. Use at least 2 x 6's on end, 2 x 8's would be even better for the walk board.

Also use roof jacks for the shingling. That way you don't need a tie off.

Good idea on the 2x6 or 2x8, it really depend on your weight. My wife & I are fairly light, so we can get by with less wood (i.e. less strength).

FWIW, I bought a 24 ft aluminum walk board off of craigslist for $125. It is sooooo... much better than the wood platforms I used to make/use.

I would highly recommend you buy a long aluminum walkboard, but they are expensive. Look for a deal on craigslist. An inexpensive deal on a walkboard is very rare.

 

[nate379]

That is one time where I open the checkbook. Anything over about 20 feet and there is no way in hell I'm doing it. I would rather make love to a blender and gargle bleech... no joke.

 

[NUTTSGT]

You pretty much have 2 choices honestly,

Use a ladder or scaffolding and do it yourself, (**** it up and face your fears, this comes with great personal accomplishment when finished)

or

hire it out.



The roof, I'd do myself. I'd have no problem carring shingles up, I just dread carrying them back down. You don't have to carry them up all at once, carry three bundles (not at once) shingle the roof, come down take a break, repeat.

 

[Bull]

Would you guys suggest scaffolding for someone painting the gable end of a two story barn, too? I had figured on just using a ladder, but I really don't like being up that high trying to focus on footing, balance, holding a paint bucket, and swinging a brush.

 

[trbomax]

I have 8' fork extensions on the forks I put on the tractor. This way I can move a double stack w/o disassembly,And assemble/disassemble them by setting them up w/forks.When they are knocked down they dont take up much space,2 sections make a pile about 16"
high. Get em off craigs list and keep em! Make sure you have/get the pins to hold the stacks together.For the feet I cut 12" squares from 3/4 plywood,Then 12" pcs of 2x12. Hole saw a 1 1/2" hole thru the 2x12, then screw them together. When they are on the concrete,I either carpet them or fasten snowmobile dollys ,the plastc ones w/ 3 casters, to the bottom of the plywood.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Would you guys suggest scaffolding for someone painting the gable end of a two story barn, too? I had figured on just using a ladder, but I really don't like being up that high trying to focus on footing, balance, holding a paint bucket, and swinging a brush.

Hi Bull, Ive been renting a neighbors "boom lift" for working on the ends of the barn, I think my big barn approaches 40' at the peak. I too and not a fan of ladders over about 16', since I turned about 30, my sense of balance is not what it used to be and I find anything over 15' to be uncomfortable. I'm working on the ends of the house right now on 5' x 7' scaffold, at 15' working height, tied off to the house, and I don't really even like that... its a long way down. You can also rent boom lifts, rough terrain scissors lift (need level ground all around the barn for a scissors) or bucket trucks, or find a painter that has one and hire it out.

If scaffold is in the budget, and the lifts are out, Id do scaffold before Id do a ladder,.. at least you can do a really thorough job that way, and your chances of crashing are significantly reduced.

 

[dlewis]

You can rent a towable boom lift 34' or 50' comes with outriggers so you can use it on rough/unlevel ground for around $150 to $200 a day just rent it from a place that's not open on sun. and you'll have two days to use it for a one day charge.Alot of places sell the harness kits for roofing comes in a bucket with everthing you need including the peak bracket.

 

[southernfriedcj]

Would you guys suggest scaffolding for someone painting the gable end of a two story barn, too? I had figured on just using a ladder, but I really don't like being up that high trying to focus on footing, balance, holding a paint bucket, and swinging a brush.

I would use a ladder.
That being said, one of my fellow Atlanta Firefighters was killed when he fell off a ladder while working his side job as a painter.
My Battalion Chief fell off a ladder while cleaning his gutters and had a collapsed lung.
These guys were trained to work off ladders.

 

[Bull]

Ladder horror stories are not encouraging. My dad fell off a ladder and severed his Achilles' tendon. That was a long road to recovery.

One challenge for renting is that painting takes a long time. The paint I am using needs 24 hours before the second coat. So, if I rented a boom lift or rough terrain scissors lift, I'd need it for about a week to get both gable ends finished. That's a pricey rental. I also have to paint one gable end of my house next summer, so there's more lift time needed.

Ugh.

 

[Red05GT]

You can make more time with scaffolding than pump jacks or a lift bucket. Have you
sided the building yet? If not get your siding up as high as you can run it from the
ground on the gable end and then set up rented scaffold, work your way up and then
run the rake soffit, trim and facia covers, and finish the gable end siding. Repeat on
other end. The scaffolding would really help as a work and staging platform for finishing
the dormers also, as well as a starting point for your roofing. Just speaking from experi-
ence.

 

[southernfriedcj]

Ladder horror stories are not encouraging. Ugh.

That's just a couple stories. I have a lot more that we responded to. I used to call it gravity sickness.