Scaffolding is a key tool in the construction industry. It allows architects to draw more ambitious designs and bring a fantasy to life; it means working at height can be done safely and confidently. Although it’s used in all manner of building projects the world over, it’s also incredibly useful in smaller projects. This includes working on residential buildings, from cottages to four-storey townhouses.
Over time, outdoor conditions can be unkind to the exterior of our homes. Wind and rain lashing against walls and windows can eventually leave paint looking drab or dirty. More severe weather can whip roofing tiles off or even damage brickwork. When this happens, you may choose to bring in a professional to spruce up your exterior with fresh paint or perform minor repairs. However, this will often entail working at height. In this post, we take a look at how scaffolding can help you fix your façade.
Renovation
You should always choose the most appropriate equipment for the job. If you have a small cottage, it’s likely that a ladder (or even a step-ladder) would allow you to reach all of the areas you need to. This is probably the case if you’re just looking to add a new coat of paint or clean your windows. However, for anything taller than that you’d be better off investing in hiring some scaffolding. It will allow the job to get done that much faster, saving you labour costs and likely paying for itself.
It might be that you only need a smaller set of tower scaffolding, a way for your workmen to access the upper parts of your house without the need for a larger installation. They’re generally fairly mobile, and exceptionally sturdy thanks to smart engineering. HSE still requires certain regulations be observed, however:
“All towers must be inspected following assembly and then at suitable regular intervals by a competent person. In addition, if the tower is used for construction work and a person could fall 2 metres or more from the working platform, then it must be inspected following assembly and then every 7 days. Stop work if the inspection shows it is not safe to continue, and put right any faults.”
Rethink
If you’re in the market for a complete renovation, including a more drastic remodel of your façade, then you’ll probably need a more traditional scaffolding setup. On a project of this scale, workmen will need access to lots of parts of the building, and they’ll need it on a daily basis. The scaffold will also need to be sturdy enough to cope with the weight of several people and some potentially heavy equipment.
Don’t forget insurance
Many homeowners don’t realise that they need to contact their insurer before any major work begins. If something goes wrong - or your builder isn’t up to scratch - you might be facing a large bill without any support to pay it. There have been cases where roofs have collapsed having been rebuilt improperly, and when that happens you need to know that you’re not going to be completely out of pocket. It’s a straightforward phone call that will save you heartache later on. Let your insurer know.
If you’re interested in learning more about how scaffolding can make your renovation go much more smoothly, get in touch with a member of our friendly team today.