How would you reach the peak of our house to paint it

[lift mechanic]

I had the same problem with a tall roof. I rented a articulating arm man lift. Just get all your paints and supplies together and rent a lift. I had to rent there trailer also, used it for a "long" day and returned it. It took a little getting used to it the movement of the basket. I would do it again in a heart beat and I am 71 yo.

[cwdc]

Get on top of roof, lay down and reach below you to paint trim 
cf

[Old Sawman]

Get on top of roof, lay down and reach below you to paint trim 
cf

... and don't look down ... or drop the bush ... D;

[R Clark]

I have three buildings:  house, shop building, and machine shed.  House and shop are 30+ feet tall at the peaks on the gable ends.  Needed cleaning, caulk, and paint.  

I wrote the check last year.  Pricey, very pricey.  But a 10 year guarantee from a longtime family-owned business using top quality paint and all necessary prep work.  Fully insured.  Of the 15 working days on the job, they only sprayed paint on about four days.  All the rest of the time was spent cleaning, prepping surfaces, caulking, masking, and painting trim.  All trim was brush painted.

Two guys, three weeks, and supervision was out every day to check on progress.  They cleaned up at the end of every day.  When it came time to paint the high stuff, one guy got on the ladder (40' extension ladder) and the other guy stayed on the ground doing the work of making sure the paint was flowing from the spray pump, moving ladders as necessary (the guy on the ladder actually shifted from one ladder to the other without coming down and the guy on the ground "leap frogged" extended ladders into position for him.

I'm glad I didn't do it myself.  I'm not a young guy anymore, and I could not have done anywhere near the quality job those guys did.

[Dumb_Polack]

********UPDATE, UPDATE, UPDATE!!!!!!! *********

Well, I stained as much as I could using just a ladder (and Firewood's triangle thingy that I put on the lower roof to reach as high as I could.

You can see, in the picture with the lower roof, there are a few times I couldn't reach all the way to the rake board, and the the portion of the rake board I couldn't reach.  (for the guy that jokingly said "lay on the roof and reach over", I can't do that because we have solar panels on the front roof).

Also in the other picture you can see I got up to 5-7 courses above our bdrm window.  Also, in front of the chimney there are a few course (and the rake board) I need to finish.  I'm also noticing a few bricks are missing from our chimney.


Oh well, it's pretty cold here in Mass so finishing the job will need to wait until the spring.  I'll rent a lift with wheels so I can scrape the rake board, prime it and stain it as well as finish the claps.  That'll be a busy weekend.

I didn't do the back of the house as it wasn't as faded as the front/sides, but I might do it next spring.  We have a deck that runs most of the entire length so doing it will be much easier.


Anyone have a wheeled lift they wanna let me borrow next spring?  Near zip code 01776? 
  When I called around I remember it would be $700/weekend......ouch!

[measure once cut remeasure]

I made a platform with legs on each side that straddled the peak of the house.

[barnowl]

You better pay some money for a professional team, who will do the job properly. I can understand the desire to do things yourself: cheaper and more fun. I've painted every room in my house with no one's help, and the satisfaction is indeed there
But as for the exterior of my home, I would never risk its aesthetic by doing it myself. Painting the interior, it's no big deal. You just need some primer and rolling paint or even spray paint. In a few hours, you're done. The exterior is more complicated. As I said in the beginning, my suggestion is to contact some professional DELETED LINK I'm sure the price difference isn't that significant.

SPAMMER DISPATCHED

[Dumb_Polack]

*******ANOTHER UPDATE!!!!!   **************


Found out a neighbor has one of those folding ladders that he used to straddle "peak over the peak" side of his house.  (Little Giant-type ladder).  Just drop a 2x8  and I should be able to reach that peak.  Says I can use it.


Also another neighbor has a very tall extension ladder that should be able to reach the opposite side's peak.


So, hopefully come springtime, I'll be able to finish the staining job.

[MT Woodworker]

From someone who’s fallen off a roof, hire someone, ain’t worth the risk....

[barnowl]

From someone who’s fallen off a roof, hire someone, ain’t worth the risk....

I second MT Woodworker's recommendation.

Doug, hire it out, or rent a lift.

Ladders that size are more than unwieldy.