Walter and I talked about this a year or so ago
I would be intersted in anyones opinion that has extensive experience with these—————
I will be doing a 55 square roof in a few weeks in what is probably the most expensive neighborhood i have ever worked.– I expect to be doing the neighbors house shortly after that as well( it’s comparably sized)
secluded location, extensive landscaping—bad access for shingle delivery trucks
and, oh yes– I will be doing it solo( and hopefully I will now be able to work solo for the remainder of my career)
so—– If you have bought or extensively used one of these— what shoukld I look for–what should I watch out for—–Gas or electric—number of extensions?– how awkward is it to unload the bundles from the platform at roof height on say a 14/12 pitch?– are they loud?–tipsy?- prone to breakdown?— how long do they take to set up?- are they heavy?-hard to transport?
any info appreciated
stephen
Replies
Stephen ,
I just checked back in after some billing / bidding action.
When you're my age you wouldn't work without one <GGG>
If I were you I'd buy electric . My first one was gas 'cause I did work out in the boonies too. The gas is noisy and requires having a can of gas around . The electric ones are not loud , but very reliable .
Setting up beyond 24' alone isn't easy but it can be done -- just make sure Wheaties are eaten for breakfast ! Once you're sections are bolted together you need to run the cable , which is also easier with a second person . I sometimes grab a friend for an hour to help with set up , but I can do it solo if needed .
They are quite stable if set properly . I usually tie the top off to my top lift of pipe staging to keep from sliding - metal to metal .
Mine are all Reiman / Georger lifts capable of 44' , but I only have 2 of the optional 16' ladder that enables that much height . The stock item comes with 16' base with platform ,an 8' section and a 4 footer making any 4' increment from 16 ' to 28 ' possible .
Best , Walter
Can you rent shingle hoists? That beleive it or not is my least favorite part of roofing. I don't mind tearing off even, just hate getting the stuff up there.
My parents house needs new roof and I am not sure about booming them due to the location of the electric drop, right across the driveway.Webby
Webby,
I don't know the answer to that question since I've never tried to rent one .
I loan one of mine out quite often to people I trust to not abuse it , or if they have a slate roof to strip and I get the slates !!
I imagine there are places that do rent them , but it must vary according to region .
Walter
Stephen,
I have no knowledge about shingle hoists but just curious...how long would it take you to do 55sq solo?
Mike
mike-- it's 55 square plus 5 skylights to replace plus 2 chimneys.
I expect to be there approx. 10 days or so.
the neighboring house is comparably sized, less skylights but more valleys. the first house is owned by a doctor- I have worked there 3 previous times( on referall from one of his nurses--- I roofed something like 15 buildings in her condo developement over the years) neighbors house is owned by a guy who apparently cashed out of his business ahead of the market crash a while ago( turns out I went to highschool with his stock broker) I have a proposal for a house around the corner from these two--owned by another doctor--on referall from HIS lawyer--- who is also the lawyer of about 4 other of my customers and so on and so on frankly--- I am not all that wild about working these roofs---- its about a 25 minute drive from home--and I prefer to work about a 8-12 block radius of my home--- but my neighborhood is mostly roofed out by a hail storm 2 years ago.
I will be working on a tile roof about 30 minutes away for the next 2-3 weeks--- and then I will head over to take care of these doctors, LOL
stephen
Stephen,
Sounds like a lot of work but hey, in this economy, thats a good thing to have!
Mike
My mason has an electric ladder-vator. I have seen it used to move all kinds of things slowly and carefully up. I believe it runs on household current. If I were roofing and could not get rooftop delivery I would definitely own one. Watch craigslist... all sorts of very good stuff for sale cheap nowadays.
I have a very old Reimer one with a briggs gas engine I found it VERY useful for 2 story buildings or one story at the peak, Trouble is i really need 2 people to set it up although i can do it by myself in a pinch, The gas engine and wench is a bit to heavy for me, Once set i can set 4 bundles up keep them up and take them off by myself, I think if i had a electric one it would be better or a Honda motor.
No insurance, extra truck i can load when and where i want to.
I wanted a small hoist for a one story house because the Reimer has a 16 foot ladder to start with, then a 8 foot then a 4 foot part.
You will not regret buying one but get a electric.
I bought mine 25 years ago for 200 bucks sitting in a blackberry field all rusty, I rebuilt the whole thing.
If i had to go back in time i would have bought a nice new one rather then always be fixing mine.
Last time i checked they were around 2400 bucks.
Funny story when i fixed mine here in OR everybody came from all over to see what sort of crazy thing i had, We were useing it to frame houses, Sent all the lumber up, Even the masons used it.
Common back east but no one here had seen this or pump jacks at that time, My brother sent me my pump jacks and i was the first one here to have them.
Saw one here on CL for 800 bucks, pretty sure it was gas. Try the Lex Ky CL about 2 weeks back.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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I had a Reimann Georger hoist for years. I finally sold it to someone here on BT a few years ago.
It was an 1-1/2 HP electric one. The only thing I'd say about that is make sure the circuit it's on can handle it. You don't want to be running back and forth to reset the breaker. But it is pretty quiet.
Before we got that one, we rented (or maybe borrowed?) a gas one a few times. Its nice not to have to run an extension cord, but the gas hoists are loud. If you have to communicate with someone at the other end of the ladder, the electric hoists are the way to go.
Plus the electric ones are a lot simpler to maintain- no worrying about leaving the gas for extended periods, etc.
My feeling is that gas lifts are if you're doing a lot of new construction, where having electric power isn't always available. And electric hoists are best for existing homes, with good electrical service.
If I were still doing roofs, I wouldn't be without one. I think more than 1/2 the work of doing a roof is getting the materials up there. If your supplier won't deliver to the roof, you need a hoist
Stephen:
I would not do roofing without one. They would be a little difficult to set up without help. I have used one in the past and loved it. Saves the shoulders.
I would probably go with electric in your circumstances.
stephen.... we have a gas ladder-vator.. use it for all kinds of material.. including plywood roof sheathing
if i was guessing..... i'd guess we have 3 sections and can go about 40'
i'd get an electric one, but i bought this one off Barry's son after Barry had his accident... we used to borrow it form Barry.. or just hire him and it would show up
very useful toolMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Can some one explain to me exactly what the difficulty is---setting these up solo? I set up a 32 FT fiberglass ladder solo with out any hesitation----is the "ladder" section heavier or more awkward?---or is the motor the problem? frankly---if I need 2 people to set it up each day---then I don't need the machine
I can set the ladder but the platform is heavy but i can do it. The problem for me is the engine is heavy and its sort of big and awkward to carry.. 2 guys is a snap. Maybe im getting older.
We have an electric and setting it up alone is not a problem. I can't imagine doing the roofs you describe without one.
Eric
I've got a gas one but only because I got it for three hundred bucks.
it goes 27' and you should be able to set one up by yourself no problem.
leave the motor off and run the cable on the ground then stand up and put the motor on.
but the ones I've ever used can only be operated from the bottom
and can only hold about three bundle and when you top it out a shelf flips down and the shingles can and do easily fall off which can be a problem.
also using it solo you will make alot of trips up and down just without the weight of the shingles.
you should rent one first and see what you think in columbus they rent for $35 a day
and sell new from the Ladder Man for $1,400.00
if you have troulbe setting it up solo you could always stand on the roof and pull it up with a rope
but It's better to have somone load and someone to unload.
i bought a gas one earlier this year for $1800, it goes 44 ft. and is a great tool to have. The problem is it is heavy, definitly a two man job. I would take a look at the way the carriage is built. Mine is all solid steel but I know they make the carriages out of welded bars which I'm sure save you on weight.
well did you bite?
I read your posts with interest.
Why on earth solo now?
Have you discovered fountain of youth ? Viagra?
Your business knowledge and skills to pass on to the next generation.
Are you now that wealthy that it is a mere hobby to keep you fit and healthy?
Cheers
s crough,I haven't bought one yet----it's still a possibility but I am leaning against it. checked with my supplier a couple days ago----the model I would buy would be around $2000 and I can have it in less than a week--- I would not "need" it untill about the 2nd week of sept. some factors to consider
1) I will be 47 at the end of the month2)- my son starts his last year of college this fall---- I have been paying private school tuition for 17 years--and that is ending--- so my income needs are dramatically reduced3) in 21 years of business--- this is about the first job where a lift would have been usefull-- usually I can get roof top delivery OR the bundles I need to carry up each day are only 15 or 20 which I find quite manageable--even fun4) I am doing different work than I have in the past--- more slate and tile repairs--less shingles. More oddball carpentry repairs---
I haven't even fired up my air compressor in 7 weeks.5)-- financially---carrying heavy things up a ladder has been pretty good for me.- I can continue to do so-----but I am also kind of bored with it--- I have been trying to ease my way out of it for 3-4 years.Buying a lift doesn't really take me in the direction I want to go6) I don't know exactly the direction I want to go-- but I know I don't want employees7)--- I can start winding down my season around the end of september.----- At that point I need to start doing some heavy duty research-- and i think I will start moving into some segment of the real estate business.- my youngest son starts HVAC school on monday--when he finishes that and starts working-- I think the 2 of us may partner up on some rehabs/rentalsstephen
You got scaffolding Stephen?I have been using a twelve volt auto winch or a chain hoist with a site built cradle- both are easy for one guy to set up and use.chain hoist will easily send up four bundles at a time- really as much as the hardware and cross beam will carryNo Tag
That would hurt my back; leaning and bending and trying to slip them off that swinging perch.
I've got a similar set up and we use a set of walk thru scaffold at the top for that reason. It's too slow for a big crew, but works well with a 2 man crew.http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
What height can you go up to with that set up ???
I've got a Harbour freight hoist (paid about $100) for it that will lift 400 lbs 40' or 800 lbs half that distance thru the scaffold like that. I used it when working alone and Dale/Duane used it on the last slate job we did. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44006http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
you can stock to whatever weight your scaffold is rated for. I have a chain hoist that will raise six tons (little overkill)No Tag
Thats nice, but he asked how high you could go (G)Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"If Brains was lard, you couldn't grease much of a pan"Jed Clampitt
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okay-tie the scaffold off every three bucks and go as high as you wantNo Tag
can you ride that thing up and down or do you have to climb?
we used to ride them around Granpa's shop when I was a kid...here i am climbing up an adjacent ladder- one trip per square so on a fifty five square roof that is what- a hundred and ten fewer trips up and down a ladderNo Tag
no--- I don't have any masons scaffolding like that---- I am rarely anywhere long enoughwhere it would make sense to put it up.
stephen
Stephen - I had a gas machine for a while. Unless you have a low pitched area to stock to, they're awkward to use on a steep roof. You end up packing the shingles across the roof from the hoist location more instead of packing them on the ground. I used it 4-5 times and sold it after I realized it was creating as much work for me as it was saving. If we did less complex/steep roofs, it's value would increase in my eyes.http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
I can set that scaffold rig up faster than I could set up the shingle hoist I had.http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
Same thing I was going to say- I can go six bucks high in about forty minutes by myselfNo Tag
hubcap
how long does it take you to take DOWN the scaffolding? doesn't make sense from my perspective---- I can put a ladder up in seconds--it won't take any where near 40 minutes to carry up my days production of shingles--ladder comes down or is moved in seconds. on this roof I will be carrying shingles up from about 22 different ladder placements at least--- I can't see putting up that pipe scaffolding 20 plus times!
stephen
fair enoughI don't tear down and move on a daily basisNo Tag
on this roof I will be carrying shingles up from about 22 different ladder placements at least--- I can't see putting up that pipe scaffolding 20 plus times!
That's why I don't use a shingle hoist. But, hubcap's & my point is that scaffold rig can be set up in about the same time or less as a hoist. http://www.quittintime.com/ View Image
I havent read the whole thread but if you are interested I know a retired roofer that has one for sale probably very reasonable.
Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end,
i am i bit older than you so i use pump jacks and shingle from top down after nailing down the old 1X6 sheathing and covering the roof with 4 by 8 sheathing so the cracks and knot holes are covered. i use waterproof shingle underlayment since i've work in ocracoke n.c. in the atlantic ocean and tar paper does not hold up in a bad storm. i use a good extension ladder resting on the 2 x 12 walk boards with a sled i built that will slide up the ladder with guards on it to keep it from sliding off the ladder and a block at the low end to keep the shingles from sliding off. a bungle cord helps too. you pull this up to the walk way by hand , your strength determines how many shingles you being up. tie it off then unload it. with the ladder you want the lower section to be over the top section so the sled will slide up the ladder and bounce down with out a load on it. my aim is to build to last. i bit old fashion to day but time will tell.i tried a hand winch years ago but it was to slow. by shingling from the top down you can screw 2X3's to keep you on the roof [ most of the old roofs are steep ] when you work down, and when you remove the screws put a shingle nail in its place, no leak. i assume you know how to shingle top down which keeps you off the new shingles so hot days don't hurt it. good luck john
i am i bit older than you so i use pump jacks and shingle from top down after nailing down the old 1X6 sheathing and covering the roof with 4 by 8 sheathing so the cracks and knot holes are covered. i use waterproof shingle underlayment since i've work in ocracoke n.c. in the atlantic ocean and tar paper does not hold up in a bad storm. i use a good extension ladder resting on the 2 x 12 walk boards with a sled i built that will slide up the ladder with guards on it to keep it from sliding off the ladder and a block at the low end to keep the shingles from sliding off. a bungle cord helps too. you pull this up to the walk way by hand , your strength determines how many shingles you being up. tie it off then unload it. with the ladder you want the lower section to be over the top section so the sled will slide up the ladder and bounce down with out a load on it. my aim is to build to last. i bit old fashion to day but time will tell.i tried a hand winch years ago but it was to slow. by shingling from the top down you can screw 2X3's to keep you on the roof [ most of the old roofs are steep ] when you work down, and when you remove the screws put a shingle nail in its place, no leak. i assume you know how to shingle top down which keeps you off the new shingles so hot days don't hurt it. good luck john
jrrjrr, I know ocracoke very well( but not as well as YOU do--what with you living there and all.) I have been visiting there since the mid-late '60's----we used to camp at the old national park campground that is now a parking lot---used to fish all day for pin fish off the docks---usually under the ferry ramp in the shade my dad was good friends with an artist Jo Ko who owned a house that is now a pottery and bookstore---sometimes we rented that house stayed many times on howard street
you are a lucky,lucky man to live there---to me OINC is the most beautiful place on the planet-----and the happiest moment of my year for 40 plus years is that thrill and joy I still get stepping foot on the ferry to come over was pained to here about the explosion this year with the fireworks
please know you have my envy---- I would be living there now if I could figure out how to put it together,
best wishes,
stephen
Do they not need roofing and restoration guys in the Outer Banks?
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
you would have to ask the guy who lives there on okracoke--- the houses are pretty much devided into houses built BEFORE about 1982---( comparitively few)--- and those built AFTER 1982 or so( a great many)--- most of the houses are vacation houses and rentals-----and i know up here at least--rentals are NOT a good market for me. My wife likes the place a lot---- but she doesn't LOVE it the way I do( seriously-- i would estimate that i spend about 2 hours a day day dreaming about ocracoke, 365 days a year) If my wife could get hired as a teacher at the school-- i would give it a go--- but i would almost certainley end up in some other line of work than the one i am in now. my Dad loved the island as well----and came very close to buying a place in the late 70's there--- if he had I would almost certainley be living there today
when we go-- I am up at 4:00 Am, riding my bike all over the island----- I don't wanna miss a second of my time there i did not go this year-----wanted to get together the money to pay off my sons last year in college---- i will NOT make that mistake again. I may go down in late sept. or Oct. by myself and camp at the national park campground-- my wife has already informed me that we have to go next summer come hell or high water as she can't take another summer of me moping around because i missed my island fix. I don't usually go to the breaktime fests because i am usually on Ocracoke about then
last year I took some hail storm money----and took my wife and I, our 2 sons(blood), our informally adopted son, my sister in law and her husband, the sister inlaws' co-worker and good friend, and 2 of our friends and THEIR son------who happened to be my employee at the time---- oh yes-and brandens' girlfriend--- just the best time EVER.stephen