What "man jobs" have you done today?

Got sick of awkwardly dragging my table saw out of the garage so I made a rolling cart for it out of a few £2 scrap OSB pieces I found in B&Q and some timber I pulled out of a neighbour's skip (with permission).

I hoped the bottom board was long enough for my thickness planer to sit out the side but it wasn't, I might bolt another piece on to hold that so that it's always ready to go. Then I can just fold down the infeed/outfeed tables and run pieces through the planer and in-between the legs.

I put the wheels with brakes on the back without thinking, couldn't be bothered to swap them round. It stays pretty still without the brakes on anyway and I can just apply them when I'm using the saw.

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Dismantled and dried off my tower scaffolding after doing some work on my roof and packed it away into the outside storage box I made for it.

It was a relatively expensive purchase but enables me to work on my roof, fascia, gutters and trees as some of these locations are impossible with ladders. The cost saving of just treating my roof for moss and lichen paid for it and subsequent roof repair savings mean its paid for itself three times over already!
 
Simon42 said:
The cost saving of just treating my roof for moss and lichen paid for it and subsequent roof repair savings mean its paid for itself three times over already!
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Replying to myself to add that sadly this highlights some trades are making very good profits for simple work, such as roof cleaning / treating and certain roof repairs. I do appreciate the costs of being a small business but I think the height aspect gives more opportunity to inflate prices.

For example the roof cleaning I just removed loose moss and then treated with a more expensive mild biocide rather than the usual sodium hypochlorite (bleach) the professionals use for quicker, but shorter lived results. 6 to 9 months later and I had a perfectly clean roof and three years on its still spotless. Cost of chemicals was under £60 for our large roof area (due to extensions), and less than two days work for me taking it slow. However I was quoted over £2.5K by several small local companies for roof treatment and that was before the post covid price jumps.
 
I did my roof years ago -bought some pro roof moss killer. As I have a bungalow it was quite easy - got up there and using scraper got most of it off then sprayed with moss killer - Did that again (spray) with half dilution and they have been clean up untill this year when I didn't spray the roof. - It is on my March/April jobs to do.
I did buy another pump sprayer with a longer nozzle so can do it all from steps.

Today I have been out doing a job I hate - used to love it and spent hours and money on it but it always started to look crap by end of year.
Yes - cutting the grass. I have no enthusiasum for it what so ever anymore and will just mow it when it looks a mess.
 
Simon42 said:
Dismantled and dried off my tower scaffolding after doing some work on my roof and packed it away into the outside storage box I made for it.

It was a relatively expensive purchase but enables me to work on my roof, fascia, gutters and trees as some of these locations are impossible with ladders. The cost saving of just treating my roof for moss and lichen paid for it and subsequent roof repair savings mean its paid for itself three times over already!
Click to expand...
May I ask what you bought? I have the same problem, i.e. lots of roof work to do but unwilling to pay some of the ridiculous quotes I've been getting.

£1,500 for scaffolding + two roof tile vents the most recent example.
 
Away most of the weekend but managed to get all my deep filling finalised. Also got some wood filler into the door/glued up the old door handle recess. Always forget to do those on a "lean burn" and end up doing a less than perfect fill job....so built it up decently and will do another fill at some stage.

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Left to do...

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dlockers said:
Away most of the weekend but managed to get all my deep filling finalised. Also got some wood filler into the door/glued up the old door handle recess. Always forget to do those on a "lean burn" and end up doing a less than perfect fill job....so built it up decently and will do another fill at some stage.

Bod7Gmg.jpg


Left to do...

tjNmO7q.jpg
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What's this? A real man job doesn't involve a list surely.
 
father-ted said:
Ordered x3 new carpets, after the wife changing her mind 2057 times (at least).
Loft getting boarded tomorrow, so the end is in sight at last.
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I've found it best just to let the mrs tell me when she's pucker then it's easier for me. I always get asked the question of which I prefer, but it feels like a rhetorical one.
I'm wanting to get fascias and soffits changed, but quotes are starting at 4k. It seems very expensive for what is likely a couple of days jobs. Not sure why they all want to use scaffolding rather than a cherry picker, unless it's to do with the width?
 
Simon42 said:
Dismantled and dried off my tower scaffolding after doing some work on my roof and packed it away into the outside storage box I made for it.

It was a relatively expensive purchase but enables me to work on my roof, fascia, gutters and trees as some of these locations are impossible with ladders. The cost saving of just treating my roof for moss and lichen paid for it and subsequent roof repair savings mean its paid for itself three times over already!
Click to expand...
Oooooo good timing, I was considering something similar myself, so I can get up to the awkward moss bits and fix the mortar in the gullies.

Any info and links would be much appreciated.
 
Participant said:
May I ask what you bought? I have the same problem, i.e. lots of roof work to do but unwilling to pay some of the ridiculous quotes I've been getting.

£1,500 for scaffolding + two roof tile vents the most recent example.
Click to expand...

There are many suppliers but after looking at some from BPS Access Solutions and some others I went with one from https://www.aluminium-scaffoldtowers.co.uk/

Key factors are what height, width (side paths), partial height options and feet choice. Height is often quoted as height you can reach, not the tower itself so that's one thing to check. Some really cheap ones are way too bendy so best to avoid those for taller towers. I checked weight as one indicator as well as the visual clues. Some also only be assembled to one or two heights, not in 1m stages which I preferred.

The choice of feet is also key and I went with a tower with optional good sized braked wheels and fully adjustable, not in steps by a locking pin which means lifting the tower. This means I can move around the roof perimeter even at full height with the outrigggers on (just lifted a about 50mm for safety) without dismantling. Some have tiny wheels on one end with the idea of lifting the other end but that's not easy for a heavy fully assembled tower.
 
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