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Post by Clipper on May 1, 2009 21:35:53 GMT -5
I have found the perfect way to remain safe while working around ladders. It has been a tough lesson, having fallen last fall when a ladder broke, and I broke my ribs. I recently replaced the broken ladder, and I have taken Frank's advice, and will not get my ass any higher than shoulder level. I have discovered the best way to remain safe around ladders, is to hire someone to climb them in your stead, LOL! Seriously, I have found a guy that is out of work, and does siding work. I have all the materials already and figured I would have to pay someone at least $500 t0 a grand to finish the job I started. (about 4 squares of siding). I found this guy, that is the son of our dog groomer. I asked him the other day to come down and give me an estimate. He stopped today and said if I do the ground work and cut the siding and hand it up to him, he will do the ladder work and side the other 3 sides of my building, including the peaks, for $250 BUCKS! That should be fair to both of us. I did one side by myself in one day, so he will make $125 a day for the other 2 days that it should take us to finish the job. Thanks for the advice Frank! LOL. I am not supposed to lift after my back surgery for another 4 to 6 weeks, so I did not need to be hauling the ladder around, and lifting boxes of siding and "J'' channel. My ass will be staying below the level of my head, and my feet will not leave the terra firma. LOL. ;D
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Post by frankcor on May 2, 2009 6:11:51 GMT -5
Clipper, you now have people. That's fantastic!
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Post by Clipper on May 2, 2009 6:39:55 GMT -5
Haha, and I am not even with Verizon and I don't use HR Block.
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Post by dgriffin on May 2, 2009 8:49:03 GMT -5
"Having people" is a milestone I passed a couple of years ago. It was occasioned by getting up on the roof to cut a tree limb and realizing how unsteady I was on my feet, compared to a year or so before. And my back hurting for days after a few other chores that simply are for younger people, so I've decided.
Once I got used to watching some other guy work on my house .... and it did take getting used to ... I actually began to enjoy playing Lord of The Manor, although writing checks to people still hurts a little. But I look at it as inevitable, and at least I'm helping with some guy's income.
I figured that I could either make a logical decision to step back from what was becoming dangerous for me (or onerous), or I could come to that same conclusion too late as I lay in a hospital bed contemplating an even more limited lifestyle.
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Post by Disgusted-Daily on May 3, 2009 0:59:50 GMT -5
Clip, I'm glad to hear your not on the ladder any more and sad to hear that I still will be learning things when I get your age, and the hard way....life is so unfair. On the serious side I am always leery of hiring anyone that is not insured.
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Post by Clipper on May 3, 2009 9:02:46 GMT -5
This guy IS insured, licensed, and I checked on the permits and none were necessary. I was just lucky that he is short of work, and looking to make a few hundred bucks, and that since we have had our dog groomed by his better half for that last eight years, he is cutting us some slack.
He is a very nice young man, and I think some of his benevolence is because he felt sorry for me when I fell, and when I had my surgery, and just wants to help me out. I am very appreciative of that fact, and will be giving him more than what he has said he would do the job for.
There ARE still good people around that get pleasure out of helping others, and he is one of them. God bless him.
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Post by Disgusted-Daily on May 3, 2009 11:38:42 GMT -5
Clip,
I should have known you did your home work and not let a cheap price sway your decision making.
I am glad your in a position to help someone else in a time of need and my other advice I was going to give you on ladder safety was a 99-cent "For Sale" sign. ;D
Clip I hope everything works out for you and you continue to stay on the ground.
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Post by Clipper on May 3, 2009 12:50:54 GMT -5
Hey, as Frank said, I now have "people". I just went to Lowe's for a couple of 8' treated 4x4's and a couple of cement deck blocks. It was quite nice to just have the guys in the little red vests put the stuff on a cart and put it in my truck.
As far as doing my homework Todd. It is always a poor decision to use uninsured help. It can either raise your homeowner's insurance rates if someone is hurt, or worse yet, your insurance may not cover it and the injured person could sue hell out of you personally.
Don't just ask them if they HAVE insurance, ask to see the certificate, or call the company to insure that it is still in effect. Even with the benevolence of the guy doing MY work, he understood my wanting to see proof of his insurance and his contractor's license.
When I had my cleaning and floor maintenance business, I was always prepared to show proof of insurance and bonding whenever anyone wanted to see it.
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Post by Disgusted-Daily on May 3, 2009 18:05:16 GMT -5
A friend of mine is in the construction business and a few years ago decided to start his own business. In NY State all it took was $300 to get his certificate, no test or schooling was needed. I guess some good references are a much needed part of the process also.
That's pretty scary in itself!
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Post by Clipper on May 4, 2009 5:52:39 GMT -5
We can only hope that without testing or training, they confine themselves to single story homes and no skyscrapers or bridges, haha.
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