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Suspended work platform on old sandstone building? (Read 776 times)

Fultonius

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We live on the 1st floor of a 3 storey (sounds kind a weird, as ground floor is floor 0...) sandstone built townhouse that is converted into 3 flats.

Scaffolding costs a fortune...

For DIY work (gutter cleaning, minor repairs etc.) could you install a line of resin anchor points along the top of the wall and suspend some kind of work platform off it?  You still want to be roped to an anchor, but it seems like you could do a fair bit that way.

I've seen Fall Arrest PPE anchor points installed on buildings before, and on modern buildings the windows are often cleaned from suspended gantries.

Madness or genius?

(personal use only...)

sherlock

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I'm guessing it's a pitched slate roof?
There should be access into the roof space from the top floor.If not from inside the top flat, (obvs you'll need to speak to them!)
Inside the roof space will be the roof beams.Anchor your ropes to these and chuck em out of the outer hatch then creep down the slate roof on a device of your choice. Have some one on the ground so you can haul stuff/lower stuff.
In the absence ot Access to roof space, if the hatch opens directly onto a flat roof, tie ropes round banisters,Use rope protectors where necessary.
If it's a flat roof and you need too do minor repairs on the wall below gutter levelthen creep down the slates on the rope and feed the end of your rope behind the gutter (the slates should move a little to the side for this) and prussik up.DO NOT RUN THE ROPE OVER THE GUTTER.Again use rope protectors. Of course use a separate rope with separate anchors as a safety rope.
I worked for 15 years on Edinburgh tenements doing this sort of work.
PM is you've any questions.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2023, 03:23:52 pm by sherlock »

Fultonius

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Thanks Sherlock, glad to see what I did aligns with your recommendations!  Y anchor off banister and a sturdy metal bracket on the chimney stay (might bolt on some anchor points to the rafters at the hatch for future ease.

I was more wondering if there was a way you could safely (DIY safely, not HSE safely) work on the guttering with some kind of platform.

Our roof is a double pitched (M-shaped) roof and we've got a wet wall below the gutter where the gully outlet skooshes into the main gutter. I've added a deflector and a flap of old tile carpet to slow the flow and hopefully get more of it into the gutter. Our bedroom wall is pretty wet on the inside, which makes me think there must be some mortar failure?

sherlock

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Hmm,sounds like re-pointing might be the answer but difficult to picture without a look see.
Re the platform, I always preferred to work out of a harness, the way over spec type rather than the skinny modern job.
Any chance you could email me a pic of the problem area and I might have a better idea?

 

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