Scary looking ridge pole

[GaDawg]

I can not picture myself straddling the ridge pole 40' in the air. I have no problems with building up the wall, but that pole with nothing underneath (except dirt at the bottom).
Would a bucket truck or man lift work for doing this part of the building. I would hate the fear of heights preventing me from going thru with this.
Thanks

In God we trust: Everyone else keep your hands where I can see them

[Basil]

I doubt you will find a bucket truck that has the reach necessary. You can't really put the ridge pole up until the walls are mostly constructed, so your bucket arm would have to go up then over the wall all the way to the center of the structure, plus have the height to reach the ridgepole. Perhaps a scissor lift inside, if you can get it in, or some scaffold. But you will burn a lot of time moving equipment. If you are scared of heights, this is going to be torture- after the ridgepole, there are rafters, sheathing the roof, tar paper, shingles, framing the gable ends to the top, trim, etc. I spent several months of my life 25+ feet in the air. The shorter your walls, the lower your ridgepole can be (but the larger the footprint to get square footage).

One thing I did to make things feel more stable was put a ladder against the ridgepole where I would be working then climb the ladder, used carrebeaners and webbing to tie the ladder to the ridgepole, then tied my equipment and stuff to the ladder. Then I straddled the pole, tied myself to the ladder strap (wearing a climbing harness), and kept one foot on the ladder. The knowledge that a fall will not mean hitting the ground gives you much more ability to work. Further, the stability of having one foot on the ladder is immeasurable. It gives you all kinds of leverage you wouldn't have otherwise so you can pound, torque, etc.

[GaDawg]

Good info. As long as I have something under my feet I'm fine.

In God We Trust: Everyone else keep your hands where I can see them

[rocklock]

I am not fond of heights... not afraid, just not real comfortable...
There are three thing that I have done..
1. My second floor wall (height of cap logs) is minimized.
2. My pitch is minimized (6 by 12).
3. I built a temp second floor.
So, I only needed a 12 foot ladder to get to the top of my ridge pole, from the second floor...
The top of my ridge pole is about 32 feet from my footer... basement and two floors. See the below picture...
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/flintlock1/IMG_2743.jpg
The systems that are taught in class will help you to understand why the process works....
hope this helps...

[sparky]

Rocklock has the best system and that is to put your floors in as you go giving you a stable platform closer to your work. Then you can work from a section of scaffolding or a short ladder. Another alternative although much more expensive is to rent a Genie boom. He is a picture of local hero Dave Ross pining his ridge pole from a Genie.
http://i31.tinypic.com/5yu351.jpg
http://i32.tinypic.com/1tlg6a.jpg
We have also used the extendable reach forklift with a good old Washington state apple box (approx 5ft X 5ft X3ft deep) on the forks to lift someone and the necessary tools up to the ridge. The apple box in great because it gives you room to work and plenty of room for your tools.

Power washing from the "apple box"
http://i26.tinypic.com/a0vr6g.jpg

Sparky

[Basil]

I forgot about the extension lifts. Unless your house is really large (over 32X32) you can probably reach all the way to the center with a sky-trac or similar device. However, they are expensive to own or rent and will drain building money away at thousands of dollars a month. Rocklock's ideas are great provided you are going to have a second floor that reaches all your walls. Walkboards are also an option so long as you have a place to put them.

I was amazed at how much stability having one foot on a ladder gave me while I straddled to that ridgepole, though. Not that I want to do it again anytime soon. I was a rock climber for many, many years so I had lots of equipment for heights and was very used to being high enough to die. None of the people that helped me (other than rock climbing friends) could get up there with me. They literally froze on the ladder.

[Shark]

When we cut our RPSL's to length, I slid a wood pallet onto the forks of the 42' forklift we had rented.
My wife extended the machine as I went up with the tools & chainsaw.
(I had a fall harness on, just incase).

Worked out well, but of course, this is assuming you already have a machine there.

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z289/Shark13_/IMG_1072.jpg

Now of course, if you have the machine holding something (like the ridge pole!) well, you're left with the ladder:

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z289/Shark13_/IMG_1083.jpg


While doing the walls, I strung up a 1/4" steel safety line. I'd rather hang from the harness, than fall 2 stories, when working alone.

[rocklock]

here it is...
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/flintlock1/IMG_2454.jpg
not much else to say... It is twelve feet to the top of the rafters...
I cut our RPSL's when they were on the ground. Very easy to be exact with a little math, and my ridge pole is exactly level, as well as the two cap logs...
It makes rafters easy as well...

[Dennisa]

Hello Rocklock. What type of logs are you using?

[rocklock]

My logs are Doug. Fir and in this picture one white fir... or hemlock... from my property...

[spiralsands]

Really, thanks alot for posting that photo. Whenever I sit down to plan a bit, I get hung up on the vision of myself straddling a ridge pole out is space. I feel my insides cave in and I get vertigo just thinking about it. But with that floor there it seems much more manageable.

[gonehunting]

shark was checking out your pic's of your log home and was wondering what your plans are for covering the concrete tubes that will be sticking out from the home on the outside when you are finished?

[Shark]

shark was checking out your pic's of your log home and was wondering what your plans are for covering the concrete tubes that will be sticking out from the home on the outside when you are finished?

I'm not really concerned with the back since it's all tree's, but the front sides, we are most likely putting a deck, possibly a covered porch on in the future. The main reason we did the tubes, was so we didn't have to hire out the concrete work. Saved alot of $$ that way.

[rckclmbr428]

There are plenty of broke rock climbers, looking for a case of beer, or some money for new equipment with a little extra for mac and cheese, go to your local outdoor store and ask around, or make a post on there board, climbers come with our own equipment, and heights dont bother us at all!!

[huffjohndeb]

I'm thinking about doing my 2nd floor/loft at 4' then a 6/12 roof. Are your loft walls 4' and is your roof pitch 6/12? If so how far can you get under the slope of your roof before you whack your noggin on the roof rafters? In other words how far are you from the wall and still be able to stand upright.

[rocklock]

I wanted my roof to start at less than 4 feet, but my wife said I couldn't stop at 13 layers.
So I have 14 layers... I'm 6'4" and don't hit my head on the roof...cause I shrink a bit when I get close...
My pitch is 6/12... The log wall is about 56 inches high plus the 4 by 10's add about a foot to about 68 inches.
Real reason, I don't want to heat lots of empty space. We wanted a great room and its about 22 feet to the ridge pole... That big or great enough...

[huffjohndeb]

13 courses, a broken mirror, a black cat walking under a ladder. I think the main reason for an even number of courses is so that the butts and tapers even out for a level final course.
Those proportions sound good for a great room, but not gargantuan room that requires binoculars to see the ridge pole.

[rocklock]

yea, but Pam's got 15 layers... check it out...

[Shark]

Heh, 13 courses might work for you west coast folks with the nice doug-fir no-taper logs.......

If I stopped at 23 instead of 24, my corners would have been about 4" off of level at the top :(

[sparky]

A view of the second floor with local heros dross and Senior Fanning
http://i31.tinypic.com/121pt8y.jpg

[ChainsawGrandpa]

Ohhh...so nice....
More pics, more pics!

-Rick

[Shark]

Nice roof!

[spin05]

[quote=GaDawg]I can not picture myself straddling the ridge pole 40' in the air. I have no problems with building up the wall, but that pole with nothing underneath (except dirt at the bottom).
Would a bucket truck or man lift work for doing this part of the building. I would hate the fear of heights preventing me from going thru with this.
Thanks
W
I have 12 courses and a 46ft high at the very top of my roof.But my logs are about 15inch's on average for dia.........I used to walk down the ridge pole no problem.

[greenthumb]

Hey Spin, what's your house size and roof pitch? That ridgepole is way up there!

[rocklock]

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/flintlock1/118-1862_IMG.jpg
This is spin05's house from about two years ago....
I feel guilty that every time I would go see him he was on the roof or doing something way up in the air...
I haven't helped him but I steal all of his ideas and procedures... Note, my ICF's and roof are exactly the same..
Good luck

[Shark]

Nice!
Looks like spin05 is holding out on sharing pics :) lol....get into the members area & post us a link, please! :)

[spin05]

well have not been on here in awhile. I will post some pics soon. I got burned out on the whole process and really have not done any work in the last 2 years except finish the outside of my basement. Time to get back at it and make another big push to finish the summer. I will post pics in the members section soon....

[panderson03]

W e l c o m e b a c k ! ! ! !