Ladder Work on Two-Storey Tract Homes

Twenty four feet of extension ladder reaches a second storey eave, and it only does so safely when the feet sit on ground that will not move. Every teardown temecula painters my beverly hills kitchen has logged shows the same thing, that ladder placement decides how fast a two storey repaint goes, and painters working in Temecula, CA plan the ladder before the first brush.

How are ladders set on sloped lots?

Many tract lots in the Murrieta Creek and Temecula Creek drainages slope toward the street or the backyard. A ladder foot on a slope slides. The crew levels the base with a proper leveler or a flat board, sets the angle at about one foot out for every four feet up, and ties off at the top when the roofline allows it. A second painter foots the ladder on the first climb of the day.

What about soft landscaped beds?

Garden beds, bark and gravel do not hold a ladder foot. Boards or plywood sheets go under the base to spread the load, and drop cloth goes over the plants nearby. Where a bed is too soft or too narrow, the crew sets up from the driveway or a hard patio and uses a longer extension to reach across. Nothing is leaned on a window frame or a gutter.

How do crews reach gables and eaves?

Gable ends are the tallest walls on a tract home, and the paint on them is usually the most weathered. The crew works from an extension ladder with a ladder stabilizer or a pole system, or from a small scaffold when the wall is wide. Eaves and fascia are cut in with a brush from the ladder while the sprayer waits on the ground. Scuff sand and patching on high trim come first, before any primer goes on.

Why does high work come first?

Paint drips and runs down, so the crew starts at the top and works downward. Gables and eaves are done while the lower walls are still bare, and any drips land on surfaces that are about to be painted anyway. The topcoat on the second storey is finished before the first storey is touched. It also keeps the ladders off freshly painted walls, which would mark the film.

How is the day staged around heights?

High work goes in the cool early hours, when ladder feet are dry and metal is not hot to the hands. Wind is checked before every climb, since afternoon gusts coming off the Santa Rosa Plateau side can rattle a fully extended ladder. When wind or heat rises, the crew moves to ground level work on the lower walls and the garage. The ladders are brought down and laid flat at the end of each day.