Wa gwan.

Got a little job needs tackling at home. The house has this glass roof built onto the side of the kitchen into the miniature yard we have, and all of the cover strips between the glass have rotted and need replacing.

I can do all that, might consider something aluminium for replacement. It’s more that I thought folks might have a few ideas about how to go about it so as I don’t fall through the glass and die in a pool of my own blood. That would be preferable anyway.

So, it’s a pitched glass roof, wall to two sides, the lowest side goes onto the neighbours yard, who have a sketchy plastic roof there so can’t really access from there, and then the open side to our yard which realistically is the only angle of attack.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2gcNNJY]Untitled[/url] by blackteaonesugar, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2gcNAGz]Untitled[/url] by blackteaonesugar, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2gcNB5D]Untitled[/url] by blackteaonesugar, on Flickr

The roof isn’t the highest standard of builds but it’s ok however, I wouldn’t want to lay across it on a ladder despite the little stop things you might be able to see on there I assume for that purpose. Also, that would obviously prevent me from getting to the bits that need replacing.

My current thinking is to get a couple of these type of scaffold brackets, hang out of the window above and fix them solidly into the brickwork.

I can then span the roof with a couple of bars, then support the other ends in the yard, either with a load of wobbly chairs and books stacked on wonky tables, or some sort of hired scaffold tower.

Can anyone suggest anything simpler/safer/cheaper?

👊

I had something similar twice.

Solon #1.

Tower scaffolding in yard.
Separate polls running to window ledge the boarded to make a platform. In your case I would make the boards in sections so the could be easily removed for access to roof

Solon #2.

tower in yard. Large angle iron bolted to wall with several large Rawl bolts or epoxyed in studs depending on your brick work.( Soft bricks I would be more tempted with epoxy studs. Angle our was spreading the load NB very wide. Then U bolts to bolt scaffolding. Tubing to angle through pre drilled holes.

Which is similar to what you suggested.

Pi.s buy a second hand tower and sell on when finished. Probably cheaper than hiring

Scaffolding over glass is, err, fraught. You don’t say what size the lean-to is but it looks at least 8ft so you’d more than likely need something a bit more substantial than plain scaffold tubes.

I’d strip the glass roof back completely working from the open end then replace it along with new strips. No real need for scaffolding.

If you really don’t want to strip the roof back, I’d talk to your neighbours and ask about putting a scaffold in their yard then cantilever over your roof to about halfway (or at least to the point where you can reach the lead flashing). At a higher level a set of tubes pushing against the back wall to stop the whole lot tipping over.

40 years since i was student and worked for a builder in vacations – don’t need to fix anything into brickwork if you can live with window being open just use clamps on short sections of pole to create inverted U hooks over the window ledge maybe x 3 then run a pole or 2 parallel to the wall and connect across to tower using some boards to protect the ledge and inside – maybe a bit of wood to close off gap and some temp security screws in the frame

would need a or two clamp under the lintel to stop the whole thing lifting when working near lower end of roof if doesn’t make sense I’ll do a drawing

edit or as whitestone just said

im a bit confused.
why would you want to put a scaffold above the work?
or have I misunderstood?

I suggest you build a platform inside the conservatory and work from underneath, that would also stop the glass from falling and you would work at waist height renewing glass and bits in between and maybe have a platform at the end for the last piece to go back in.

Hmm, I’m liking that idea antigee. I think I get the jist of what you’re saying.

I wonder if I might feel happier with something bolted in though 🤔

Yeah the roof is about 8-10 foot I’d say. I’d make some sort of crawl board on top of any horizontal poles too.

I think removing the glass would be a hideous can of worms really, plus the lead flashing there is really nicely done and I’d rather not disturb it too much.

We have asked a few builders but are struggling to get anyone to look. A simple job requiring fiddly setup.

buy a second hand tower and sell on when finished. Probably cheaper than hiring

Good shout. Seen many on Facebook marketplace etc. Might be difficult to sell after I guess.

Few things to think about thanks folks.

im a bit confused.
why would you want to put a scaffold above the work?

Really just because the glass is (probably/presumably) all bedded in on sealant and all that shizzle. Would be a mission to remove all of that I imagine. It’s not like it’s nice snap in strips into extrusion.

It’s only the cover strips that need doing so I’d much rather not have to disturb the whole lot innit.

Kayak
it will be really awkward to work above your glass and handle the glass
I still think the best thing is to work from below

I should add that I’m a qualified scaffolder but following a road accident haven’t done it as a job for twenty years ago so some of the regs have changed but the principles remain the same.

Domestic properties aren’t designed with inserting structural fixings in mind so I really wouldn’t go that route. Would you trust an expansion bolt drilled in to 100+year old brick?

If you can’t use your neighbour’s yard then a tower (properly braced) at the door end of the roof. Two tubes running through open window with a tube across the window reveal inside the room. Once everything is in the window only has to be open enough to allow the tubes through so 50mm or so. Don’t use singles (scaffold fittings with a single bolt) as they aren’t rated for this kind of use. Use doubles or 90s which clamp two tubes at 90degs.

there is no need to drill into the wall
erect a couple of vertical poles from the end opposite the window, then rest 3 poles from those uprights onto the window cill, one in the centre, and one in each side of the window reveals.

( 3 poles or even four would negate the need to use a centre support, as long as you dont overload it)

brace the end opposite the window in two directons

toward the window
towards the wall coming away from next door.

then a couple of short intermediate poles to support your planks.
a couple of guard rails.
this should leave you enough room to get at all the glass and room to manoeuvre.

this wont pass health and safety but will work

Please, please don’t do what @lester suggests, it’s an accident waiting to happen.

Regardless of how you scaffold it, I’d replace the clapping strip with some 2″upvc and shit loads of clear silicone rather than ali. I’d also be checking the integrity of those internal rafters especially at the bottom as they support the glass. Water could easily have penetrated that detail and it will always rot at ends of joists where it bears the weight.
As for scaff I’d be lifting that sash window, scaff board the sill to pack it up then a tube across the top of the roof on to a standard (upright) braced on to the floor at the internal corner.
Then a single tower at the eaves and a small youngman board spanning between the two. Bit bouncy but safe enough.

Spider boom lift would be able to trundle through the gap past your shed and have just enough cantilever for you to reach what you need to.

a couple of trestles with boards across inside is still the best way to go I think

@ whitestone

qualified scaffolder but haven’t done it for 20 years? have you kept your card in date then?
and you forgot to mention how to support the middle of the span?

all of the above are accidents waiting to happen, a mobile tower erected by a competent person or a proper scaffold company is the only safe way to go.

my method WOULD work, if erected properly. I did qualify it by saying it wouldn’t pass health and safety, but if carried out correctly by someone competent.

my qualifications are advanced scaffolder since 1971, advanced scaffold inspector, and our company have just erected the most important project in the uk at the moment, pm me for details.

and that crap about old buildings not designed for structural fixings, what a crock, all brick buildings will take a structural fitting of some sort. I have a pull test certificate too.

Whilst back in the real world away from the most important project in the UK (power station?) I’d still do it my way which I believe is similar to yours lester. I’d also put up the tower myself as you’ve got to be really shit to get it wrong. However, I like Lester don’t condone this behaviour on my not so important sites but I’d do it at home.
Whichever way you do it, check for that rot at the joist ends or the lot could be down if we get a fair dump of snow…

If I was doing it on my house I’d follow Lester’s approach, 3 or 4 poles on the sill, supported on well braced poles at the end, BUT I’d also tie the poles at the sill through the window. I wouldn’t rely on bracing on the uprights to stop it moving away from the window, nor even a tower at the end.

You can make it the full width at the end, but the width of the sill means it will taper in. If that doesn’t allow you to reach, drill and fix a bracket on the wall next to the sill and add another pole.

Poles without central support on that span wouldn’t be acceptable on an industrial scaffold because you can’t control what might get stacked on it. You know you’re only going to put your own weight on it.

If you use a tower, I’d suggest a steel one. The lightweight alloy towers are OK for domestic use for standing on with light tools, but not up to building into anything more structural.

Not a scaffolder, but am a structural engineer.

If you use a tower, I’d suggest a steel one. The lightweight alloy towers are OK for domestic use for standing on with light tools, but not up to building into anything more structural.

There really is far too much thought going in to this. A single ali tower is perfectly fine to span boards off!

Thanks folks. Lots to think about. I think I can interpret what you’re saying mostly.

Kayak
it will be really awkward to work above your glass and handle the glass

Just to clarify, I’m not taking the glass out, or at least I blummin hope I’m not.

Good call checking the joists.

So what you’re saying about the centre being unsupported and not allowed on site, does that mean if I was to get a scaffold company in to quote on putting something up, they wouldn’t do it because it can’t be supported?

Spider boom lift would be able to trundle through the gap past your shed and have just enough cantilever for you to reach what you need to.

I’ll have a look at them thanks, only it’s down the end of a narrow alley with a step or two. I reckon I’d struggle to get anything in.

I reckon personally I would trust decent fixings into the brickwork, albeit multiple fixings.

The thing with running poles through the window is that it may end up a little far away from the roof to reach safely. It might be a stretch.

I think Lester mentioned building scaffold out of the window down the wall then coming off that? Sounds like I might get closer that way.

Might just be better to get an expert in eh? Pricey though 🤔

OP, what you are trying to achieve is gonna be difficult, very difficult.

Firstly ignore Lester and the others, im currently owner of a scaffolding company, my carded scaffolders are all up to date;) and i am happy to provide free advice.

If its to service the glass/stop leaks then you can only really do this from next door or above the strips themselves. If you cant reach across from next door to the full length then above working underhand it is.
A STRUCTURAL tower built in your garden and two beams projecting into window cill will suffice.
Get your scaffolder to board the BOTTOM chord of beams and you will have to lay/kneel to get just below onto the strips. There wont be too much load so the beams can be tied/braced sparingly and boards placed so you can move them to suit working underneath. Some spring ties or reveal ties will stop beams moving and although far from ideal you will get the job done this way.
Only realistic other way is glass out and replaced piece by piece starting against main house.
Transoms can project 3 boards outside beams to get to the outer edge.
Fully legal? NO, workable and safe? Yes if you are sensible.
Hard part for th scaffolder is getting the beams across the glass into the cill. Once one is in its an easy job.
Time to erect about 2hours for 3 guys. Approx cost here in Bristol around 3/4 hundred quid plus vat.

Hard part for the scaffolder is getting the beams across the glass into the cill. Once one is in its an easy job.
id put a 13ft board onto the cill and slide the beam across, thats really hard 🙂
but why you would need beams on what looks like an 8ft span is beyond me, or even a 10ft span.

Transoms can project 3 boards outside beams to get to the outer edge.
2 before they need spurring up

Fully legal? NO, workable and safe? Yes if you are sensible.
and the other suggestions aren`t

A single ali tower is perfectly fine to span boards off!

OK, but you mean a proper Ali tower, not a DiY one? It’s the DiY type (which I have and use) that I wouldn’t want to span off.

I think Lester mentioned building scaffold out of the window down the wall then coming off that? Sounds like I might get closer that way.

That would get you lower, and if you’re careful, you can go sideways a bit and closer to the edge of the roof.

Can we have a ‘Rate my Scaffie‘ thread once it’s up?

Cheers all. I didn’t want to start a scaffold argument 😅

Thanks for the ballpark figure gooner. I might look into getting someone else to do the scaffold bit as I’ve not got all the bits anyway obvs. 👊

sorry Kayak
didnt mean to spoil your thread,
hope you get it sorted !

Whilst you have access , and if possible have a good look/maintain the guttering above the glass roof – I have a similar setup luckily not glass but
still a pain for the guttering.

From one of Lesters posts above any scaffolder who erects a structure that doesn’t pass health and safety is NOT competent.

op
sorry about that, I thought you had to take the glass out, I now realise my suggestions of working from underneath are redundant. just a platform, built in any of the ways above would work just to lie down and do the joins from above.

@ sandwich
you are wrong! I am a competent scaffolder with 45 years of experience, if it doesn’t pass health and safety doesn’t mean im not competent, it just means the work will not pass todays health and safety laws. it possibly would of in the past.

as a competent scaffolder I would not erect anything that isn’t safe for me to work on, I would not erect it the same way for a third party.

Just pray that your liability insurer never finds that post above.

It’s not up for debate.

Competent people ensure that their scaffolds are safe for all. Good grief!!

Tbere really is a lot of knit picking on this post which has resulted in it being not all that helpful to the op.
He was after solutions not arguments, I’d be expecting the scaff quote to be the price of rebuilding the **** lean to at this rate.
If you’re not happy doing it yourself op, get a few local scaff companies in and explain to them what you’re after.

Interested to hear back from Kayak when he has had someone locally take a look..

Nip over to Marrakech and check out their scaffolds with folk walking underneath although 35 years ago tattie boxes piled up high were often the norm in rural UK or poles the odd diagonal and a couple of batons

I understand Lester’s point. The Health and Safety at Work Act applies as its name suggests. The main purpose is to prevent employers putting workers at risk, where the workers have limited control and possibly limited understanding of that risk. There’s no law preventing the OP from doing what he likes on his own property provided it doesn’t put anyone else at risk. The OP is in full control of the process and the only person involved; if he understands the risk and how to stay safe, that’s up to him. Since he’s asked, there’s no reason why Lester and others shouldn’t suggest ideas for him to consider.

If the OP employs a scaffolder to erect it for him, that scaffolder is at work so is legally required to use best practice, to protect himself as much as the OP, and some of the suggestions wouldn’t be acceptable in that case.

Can you not just knock up some sort of medium sized tower crane, and hang from a bosoms chair to do the work? Perhaps make it out of bamboo like they do in asia??

disclaimer: don’t do this!!

I thought I’d revive this thread to ask a probably fairly stupid question about tower scaffolds.

I’m wondering whether I can set one up against my gable end wall, but the adjacent (concrete) garden path I’d be erecting it on is fairly steeply sloped – I’m not sure exactly but maybe one in seven. Anyway – steep enough such that feet like this, where the foot is fixed perpendicular to the vertical, wouldn’t work.

Can you get articulated/adjustable-angle feet? Or maybe some kind of chock?

I thought I’d revive this thread to ask a probably fairly stupid question about tower scaffolds.

I’m wondering whether I can set one up against my gable end wall, but the adjacent (concrete) garden path I’d be erecting it on is fairly steeply sloped – I’m not sure exactly but maybe one in six or seven. Anyway – steep enough such that feet like this, where the foot is fixed perpendicular to the vertical, wouldn’t work.

Can you get articulated/adjustable-angle feet? Or maybe some kind of chock?

If you’re buying/hiring a tower, go on the PASMA course so you don’t die. It was only about £120 for the whole day (and the practical bit building huge towers is quite fun even if the classroom bit is a bit dry). I’ve watched someone fall backwards off a relatively small tower indoors, the noise they make isn’t nice (thankfully he was only a bit bruised).

Tower scaffold that we get on site all have adjustable locking wheel height may be enough to sort will tower need to be moved or a one off static set up? All operators need to have training for obvious reasons! Make sure outriggers are supplied and actually used!!take care stay safe

I thought I’d revive this thread to ask a probably fairly stupid question about tower scaffolds.

I’m wondering whether I can set one up against my gable end wall, but the adjacent (concrete) garden path I’d be erecting it on is fairly steeply sloped – I’m not sure exactly but maybe one in seven. Anyway – steep enough such that feet like this, where the foot is fixed perpendicular to the vertical, wouldn’t work.

Can you get articulated/adjustable-angle feet? Or maybe some kind of chock?

Most of the decent towers have wheels (that lock) rather than feet so as long as the surface is solid it’ll be fine. There should also be a good amount of screw adjustment to get the tower level.

If you’re hiring and building on a slope ask for foot plates not wheels, they should have a ball joint in them to accommodate some slope. (leveling screws are circa 400mm and should be in place on foot plates and wheels)

The plasma course is interesting enough but, of the full day, the important takeaways are “follow the instructions” “don’t be stupid”