Roped Access

[ElizabethMcC]

This is a really tricky one! We have a gutter just under roof level at the back of our house that's leaking - causing torrents of water to land on the patio when it's raining heavily. There is no space to get a ladder through the house (which is terraced, so no side access), and there's not enough room at the back to lean it against the wall at a safe angle anyway. I've decided the only real option is roped access (ie the abseiling chaps) and they'll have to come over the roof from the front. Does anyone have any experience of using roped access? and how much it might cost? thanks very much in advance.

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Moderator

please note 1a & 9 which are here

 

[Jasonb]

Could you net get a single width alloy tower at the back of house, needs about 800mm width and all the bits will fit through a door.

Jason

 

[ElizabethMcC]

thanks for your reply Jason. the single width worries me though since the tower will need to be quite high - it's a 3 storey house. Do you think this would be safe?

 

[Nige F]

Drill holes in the wall and use "rawlbolt" type anchors with "eyes" screwed in and rope tied to scaffold . as many as you like to feel safe. Did a job recently on a Pro. erected narrow scaffold, and they`d done this with metal clips. 100 times better than the lash up`s we used to work on when I started in 1970

 

[ElizabethMcC]

thanks Nige, sounds like a good idea. I'm going to speak to a scaffolding company and see what they say. I had thought roped access would be cheaper, but they all seem to cater for industry only, so a piddling little job like mine doesn't seem worth bothering them with!

 

[masona]

Cherry picker?

 

[Jasonb]

How you going to get that through the house?

Not sure what width you have but the towers onme with outrigger legs to stop them falling or tie into house as has been suggested. A proper scaffold would be good provided you could get the poles and a ladder through the house, you climb up the tower using the side as a ladder sa no need for anything longer than about 2.0m.

Jason

 

[dabaldie]

I use rope access through work to inspect walls and such like that a cherry pick cant reach and also cant get a scaff tower near.
Rope access is safe, quick and reasonabbly cheap.
I actually used it to paint my house and also to remove ivy.. just cos it would be more fun.
If you need to go over the top of the house all you need is two good belay (anchor) points for each rope... NOT the car in front and the car behind!..
the biggest problem with roped access is getting tools to the place of work.. can be done with a sling and third rope (use two to climb).
a good access technician wil cost less than a scaff tower.. but more than a ladder..
HSE actually state that roped access is the safest form of access.

 

[dabaldie]

further to the final comment.. unfortunately roped access IS usually confined to industry or construction.. our company wouldnt be inerested in a small job like the above.. but there are a few that do.. just ring around...
i would offer.. but i live in plymouth and cant advertise on here