Posted 7 April 2016

painting a 2 storey house from a ladder???

I need the exterior of my house repainting. Its a 2 storey house but with the loft conversion suppose its 3 storey inside but the convesion doesn't add to the painting outside, house has pitched roof and 3 gables. Question is in the past when I got 2 (cowboys) to quote for reattaching some weather boards on a section 2/3rds up the house they started saying they needed scaffolding or sissor lifts and things and I was like can't you go up a ladder? Thought they were just trying to up the whole project cost for a couple weather boards they were quoting £100's got a guy to go up a ladder for £70? Question I have now though is painting the outside been putting it off as don't want to get ripped off on price. But do you have to have scaffold just to paint the outside? I would say there was only one tiny area where you would have to stand on a one storey roof the reach a small section of wall the rest you could get with ladders etc. Don't people paint via ladder these days? I've seen it before on a house my size then other people sometimes in even smaller places put up scaffold just to paint? Please can someone explain? Also are there reliable roller painting methods where you can stand on the ground level, and could these be done by the home owner? I would say my house would be a large 4 bed victorian detached with most being smooth but bumpy finish (painted over pebble dash and an extension in a finer sand like new painted pebble dash effect which maybe a bit rougher/harder to paint. Would there be some kind of ball park figure for repainting a house like this? Thanks in advance
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  1. Jan6767jan's avatar
    The HSE have guidelines on ladder use & consider ladders dangerous. Ladder use can be considered a dangerous offence. Ladders need to be securely footed. Works area needs to be within reach to avoid leaning/over stretching and of short duration. Standing on a ladder rung for more than a short duration can reduce blood flow in the foot and reduce feeling. Putting operative at risk of misplacing his footing. Since it is possible to die from a fall above 3foot by cracking your head. The HSE are hot on use of ladders. Any reputable contractor will recognise this risk and use alternative safe means of access.
  2. bavis1's avatar
    hire a scaffold tower from tool hire shop,they deliver and usually around £40 a day then do it yourself
  3. YouDontWantToKnow's avatar
    You should be able to get a painter for about £120-150 per day plus paint.

    Roughly 2 to 3 days work tops. So £360 to 450 plus paint would be about right to do a proper job including frames & facias.
    (edited)
  4. YouDontWantToKnow's avatar
    And just to say I bet you that you wouldnt like going up 10 meters on a ladder.

    thats why insurance companies sometimes insist on using scaffolding of some sorts to ensure the safety of the painter adding another couple of hundred on top.
  5. barrel24's avatar
    We just had our house painted. Fair enough it was by the landlord and his decorator friend but they used ladders and we're done in 2 days.
  6. potatokid's avatar
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    YouDontWantToKnow

    You should be able to get a painter for about £120-150 per day plus … You should be able to get a painter for about £120-150 per day plus paint.Roughly 2 to 3 days work tops. So £360 to 450 plus paint would be about right to do a proper job including frames & facias.



    plus paint = you mean extra money for paint ?
    I'm not good with heights but I'd even consider painting it, but lack the experience
    We dont have frames to paint and most facias are plastic with some plastic weatherboards up top too
  7. potatokid's avatar
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    barrel24

    We just had our house painted. Fair enough it was by the landlord and his … We just had our house painted. Fair enough it was by the landlord and his decorator friend but they used ladders and we're done in 2 days.



    not bad going 2 days
  8. tinkerbellian's avatar
    Depending on how you feel about heights , we bought our own little scaffolding set a few years back for re pointing a wall on our 3 bed semi. Cost us about £100 for the scaffold which was tall enough to get to gutter level. Could then paint it yourself. Wouldn't fancy doing it via ladders myself as you have to keep going up and down for supplies and it's odd how much of an effect a small gust of wind has on your balance even at that height.
    (edited)
  9. Jan6767jan's avatar
    I would estimate cost at approx £18/m2 plus access plus any preparation time if render has cracks/loose existing paint plus access equipment - tower if ground conditions allow or scaffold.
  10. Domthedonkey's avatar
    If it's so easy from a ladder I suggest you have a go yourself

    We have done a little painting on ours and it really isn't as easy as you think on ladders,never mind the safety aspect.
  11. sussexroyal's avatar
    I did ours from a ladder. Easy. Screwfix was the best price for decent exterior paint.
  12. tje1978's avatar
    If you hire someone to do it the HSE regs say Ladder work should only be carried out if they will be used for short spells of work. If you are looking at a 2 day job then it will not be safe for ladders, so scaffolding or tower should be used.
  13. potatokid's avatar
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    termite

    I did ours from a ladder. Easy. Screwfix was the best price for decent … I did ours from a ladder. Easy. Screwfix was the best price for decent exterior paint.



    screw fix thanks.
  14. lancsman's avatar
    YouDontWantToKnow

    And just to say I bet you that you wouldnt like going up 10 meters on a … And just to say I bet you that you wouldnt like going up 10 meters on a ladder.thats why insurance companies sometimes insist on using scaffolding of some sorts to ensure the safety of the painter adding another couple of hundred on top.


    I had a downpipe to fit to my guttering and considered doing it on a ladder.The prolonged time balanced up a ladder and risk after what ive been through with a head injury!!!I opted to buy a "domestic scaffold for just over 200 with stabiliser/extensions.Now i don't mind painting my own house and ive done jobs up ladder in past...
  15. potatokid's avatar
    Author
    lancsman

    I had a downpipe to fit to my guttering and considered doing it on a … I had a downpipe to fit to my guttering and considered doing it on a ladder.The prolonged time balanced up a ladder and risk after what ive been through with a head injury!!!I opted to buy a "domestic scaffold for just over 200 with stabiliser/extensions.Now i don't mind painting my own house and ive done jobs up ladder in past...


    def considering this option thanks for your view/experience, was the domestic scaffold a recent investment? is it possible to supply link? Thanks muchly
  16. lancsman's avatar
    potatokid

    def considering this option thanks for your view/experience, was the … def considering this option thanks for your view/experience, was the domestic scaffold a recent investment? is it possible to supply link? Thanks muchly


    The tower was a very recent investment would recommend getting the stabilisers too.well worth it now got lots more jobs planned.The company was dedicated too.Needs another coat of paint on the scaffold itself to make it super durable.\\i'm going to hammerite mine come summer.

    ebay.co.uk/itm…AIT
  17. YouDontWantToKnow's avatar
    lancsman

    The tower was a very recent investment would recommend getting the … The tower was a very recent investment would recommend getting the stabilisers too.well worth it now got lots more jobs planned.The company was dedicated too.Needs another coat of paint on the scaffold itself to make it super durable.\\i'm going to hammerite mine come summer.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231325297685?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT



    You shouldnt need extra paint. All scaffolding supplied/used for trade now should be made of aluminium as steel is illegal. It should be the same for the public?
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