Walking Top Plates

TempestV

Yep, Fergusen and Cascade, and all painted bright colors- purple, red, yellow, ect.

As for clearing off when OSHA shows up, I know exactly what you mean. we had Osha show up on that job, and we quite for the day. Back in the Bitterroot, if the log home places hear OSHA is in the valley, they shut the whole operation down.

I've walked quite a few walls, but the worst ever was a 30' long 2x4 garage wall that we were tearing the roof off of. There weren't any braces, so once the trusses came down, that wall was really wobbly. It made it rather exciting to walk.

I worked with one guy that was afraid to walk a 2x10 top plate sitting on a log wall. I mean, come on- it's practically a side walk. Not surprisingly, he didn't last long.

Brandito

2x6 is a sidewalk, 2x10 is an 8 lane highway

KennMacMoragh

I've never seen anyone over 6'1" walk a wall efficiently, doesn't matter how long they've been framing. I'm 6'2" and whenever I'm with a guy my height or taller, they say they don't mind walking walls. Then when I see them get up there, they are like me, walking around really slow, won't bend over, even on a 2x6.

Brandito

i'm glad i'm not the only one who looks goofy. i really can't think of many guys my height at work though, a couple, and they're pretty good wall walkers. i still think i'm proficient enough up there to get the job done i actually enjoy it.

i spread trusses with an older guy once, he was an exterior trimmer, but was framing with us for a while. the guy wore like cowboy style boots up there, i'm talking with a big heel on them. not only was it goofy for him because he wasn't used to it, but the heels on his boots kept slipping over the edges of the plates, it was a tough site to watch.

i think that's the main reason i've stuck to die hard boots since i first tried em. the flat bottom is perfect for walking plates, they get pretty good grip on the roof too.

KennMacMoragh

Oh, I only ever buy the athletic style Red Wing boots for that reason. I've found they work good on roofs and not so bad on walls. Yeah, having those bulky ANSI safety approved boots with a huge sole definitely isn't safe, not for framing.

Tall guys with some experience can usually walk walls good enough to get the job done. But I've seen some guys (whom are all shorter, under six feet) get up there and almost run, then hop around from wall to wall like it's nothing. I could never do that. I worked with a kid once who was 6' or 6'1", who would run and jump around on walls just fine, but that's the tallest one.

Warren

Brandito:

I'm with ya on the die hards. i have worn the same kind for 15 years. I buy a pr probably every year on sale and keep a spare pr available. makes boot shopping easy I can send my wife. Seems like they take a while to break in but after that it feels like theres nothing on your foot
i'm about 6 2 and consider myself to be decent on the walls. its like anything else, some days you got it some days you dont. I have never taken a serious spill off of a wall yet in 25 years. Doesn't feel right to say that, glad I'm not on any walls this week.

Brandito

definitely does take some time to break them in, a good week and they're pretty loosened up. my current pair i even went as far as using leather softener and mink oil to speed up the process. they're hell on your feet that first week but after that they're the most comfortable boots i've owned. in the winter though i switch to some danner law enforcement type boots with goretex so my feet stay dry.

stopped buying redwings after my first pair fell apart after only a few months, i could have bought literally 5 pairs of diehards for what i paid for those things.

i was a bit worried going back to work this past summer after being laid off for quite a while, first day back i was up on the walls spreading floor trusses, came right back to me.

KennMacMoragh

That's weird, my Redwings usually last about a year.

Framer53

I am 6'7" and no longer walk walls. Did so when I was younger. That being said, didn't feal real comfertable doing so. i worked with a guy that was 6'4" and had no problem.

vos

so can you steal walk walls and not get fined by osha?

Framer53

No, but when was the last time you saw OSHA on residential?

festerized

opps

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Chris@Sunrise

A few months ago

Chris@Sunrise

as long as your walls are 6 ft, or tied off, or theres no way to fall over ten ft and your walls are 12 in wide.

vos

So If there was A rope tied at each end of a wall for fall protection then you could?

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Chris@Sunrise

No it would have to have a 5000 lbs anchor point to something above you(thats no built yet) so you'd have 18 feet from anchor point to where you'd hit. Its about impossible to tie off. All three of those were jokes there almost never gonna happen. We solve it by building temp scaffold 42 in down on the inside of the wall. 2x6 with an inch space between them and make sure window and door openings are safety railed. This complies unless your over 10 ft walls. This system is really fast to incorporate and dismantle. Ive also seen guys with mounts that go over the wall.

B.D.R.

In the subdivision where my nephew bought his new house ( in Calgary Alberta)) the whole street had the roofs built on the ground in the front yard. When they were done a crane showed up and lifted them all into place .then the roofers did there thing.
Granted they were simple gable roofs.
The Swiss Chalet restaurant in Nanaimo Bc had it's roof built in the parking lot and craned into place.
I would think that it would reduce the cost of workmans compensation

aikenback

I do as much roof work or any work on the ground that I can since I'm getting older and fatter. Some of the "safety" requirements are ridiculous. We are not a bunch of old ladies here. While i agree that only one fall from height is all it takes to kill you, a fall of 8-10 ft to the inside subfloor is just an eyopener. The thing driving this is money. Who is liable and who can we pass the buck to? There are times when you can't be protected. Just because the office girlymen get scared knowing a manly man like me is in his neighbourhood walking the walls for all the women to see, with a healthy tan and godlike body swinging my "hammer", is not proof that it is foolhardy. Dangerous, sexy, intimidating, manly, absolutely.

"Why yes maam I sure could use some lemonade and some more suntan lotion."

Dirtywhiteboy

OK next I'll check the post date before I respondsorry

OK this is Bu it no need for scaffolds ! I spread 35 footers in under 1 hour by my self from the floor I get a stick 2x4 no knots, from a ladder snap the banding, from the floor stick the stick in the stack and leaver them around till the stack falls forward like a stack of cards my carrier is set up! my layout is going down the center wall and marked on the side of the top plate so I can see it from the floor. Sometimes i cut a notch in the stick to help grab the bottom cord, grab the b-cord in the middle and push the fu in truss down the building to the 4' or 6' set back or where ever, now the truss is pointed the wrong way so I flip it over with the stick, just grab the top cord and push the thing over! If it's a doubler go get the next one push it down and shove it on top, line it up real good and shoot it together from the floor,. Less bending that way you will need to be 5'10" or taller for the nailing part. Now you have a layout on some interior wall so push each one to it's layout and flip into place and go get the next one while you are doing this your hommie is getting the shear, blocks, and backing ready. Cutting any special blocks, when I stand the trusses I nail down the backing my hommie has hanging as I go he has the catwalks with layedout and ready to shove in, we even nail the blocks on the ridge and wall line before we stand em up

Dirtywhiteboy

He must have getting hero pay