OV9

Last night I mostly spent 3hrs approx 8m up ladders, at the eves of the house mounting some cameras.

It reminded me how little I enjoy being 8m up on ladders. Mine are 3-piece alu so when fully extended they creak and move a fair bit. The bits where the ground slopes to one side, causing me to put a bit-o-wood (tm) under one foot of the ladder gave particular comfort.

Naturally my cordless drill picked last night to die, so i had to use the big heavy mains job. And of course the cable on that isnt 8m long, so I had to plug it into a short extension and hold up the weight of the drill and that extension.

Cams are all configured but I need a sparky mate to fit a 13A socket in the loft so I can turn them on again... at which point I will undoubtedly need to wobble up teh ladders again to correct the viewing angles.

Ladders are hateful - every time I have to use one it seems that instant death is only ever seconds away.

8m up? Christ, rather you than me. I’ve only pulled the dead ivy off the walls of our house as far up as I can reach while standing on the ground (i.e. not even as far up as the tops of the downstairs windows).

Jobbo wrote: Sat Aug 04, 2018 12:58 pm 8m up? Christ, rather you than me. I’ve only pulled the dead ivy off the walls of our house as far up as I can reach while standing on the ground (i.e. not even as far up as the tops of the downstairs windows).

To me this reads like you were stood on the ground pulling the ivy off

I cleaned the first floor windows recently wobbling on a ladder with an extendable squeegee thing - wasn't particularly fun I agree.

I was stood on the ground! Ladder for getting into the loft and that’s it.

Oddly I have no problem with ladders on quaysides etc when sailing. Just don’t like the sort of freestanding ones you use at home; too narrow a footprint to seem anything like safe if you shift your weight sideways slightly.

I hate ladders. I've got to go up one to get the wisteria off the roof soon

I only use tripod ladders at work now. They're ace but the biggest is only 3.6m and they're no good for working close to buildings

Another ladder hater.

I'm not scared of heights, I'll happily wander about on scaffolding or on the roof, but hate free standing ladders. I guess I've seen too many YouTube clips of them sliding out, plus the flex always seems massively unsettling.

I know they're probably safer than they feel, but it doesn't give much confidence when you're not used to it.

Always amazed at the window cleaner just slinging the ladder up and trotting up with a bucket of water in one hand.

I’m not good with heights. I start to get wobbly on ladders above 3 steps up. That’s why I paid someone to fit my cameras.

Tell us more about these cameras. Are they a thing now? Is it for perving on neighbours and passers-by?

Yes, cameras are a thing now.

These are just to save our arms for outdoor selfies around the perimeter of the house

I bought an Alu ladder when I was planning to replace my guttering. I got it home, put it up, climbed to the top then climbed straight back down and ordered some towers to work from.

Horrible.

As I get older I think I'm a bit more of a pussy than before. One of the hotels I was developing had a separate pub / restaurant. Just a two storey building but with a cat ladder to access the roof.

Got about 3/4s of the way up it and had a proper Fuck This moment. Not pleasant.

At 20 stone I find most ladders a pain. I happily go up them but a better ladder is needed really.

Luckily my friend is a window cleaner and now I just borrow his, no flex, it has a leg for support on the bottom and I could jump up and down on it without it moving.

Dave!

My company fit CCTV so I would just borrow big ladders or bung a few beers at the lads to do ladder work1 Failing that my neighbor a few along is a fireman and also has long ladders. he has cleaned my gutter for a beer which was kind of him.

Weirdly, whilst I fvcking hate normal ladders and being more than about 8ft up, I'm fairly blase about standing on the top step of a 6ft stepladder on uneven ground whilst waving a 5kg 60cm electric hedge trimmer around above head height.

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Mon Aug 06, 2018 11:10 pm Weirdly, whilst I fvcking hate normal ladders and being more than about 8ft up, I'm fairly blase about standing on the top step of a 6ft stepladder on uneven ground whilst waving a 5kg 60cm electric hedge trimmer around above head height.

Just watch out for the cable. apparently it is quite easy to cut through.......

Threw an extension cable into the loft tonight 'til i get a proper power supply up there. Amazingly only 2 of the 4 cameras required adjustment.

Back up the ladders

I think my gutters are blocked. They might be broken? But for years, during heavy rain, they've over flowed.

I need a ladder to reach the gutters to have a look

I don't own a ladder that tall

After this (what I hope is a) 5 minute job, I'll probably never need the ladders again

Annoying

We had blokes come round and offer an annual gutter cleaning service for £70.

I had been up my ladder doing it myself 2 weeks before so declined.

But next year....

To bring this to a close - i now have power in my loft.

One camera - furthest from out router - was a bit marginal for wireless connection, so i plugged an ethernet cable into it and hooked it up via a homeplug. Plugged into my new mains socket. In the loft.

I have no other current ladder-related plans.