Options to minimise working at heights for a 2 storey display

Danno

Apprentice elf
Joined
Nov 18, 2018
Messages
64
Location
Perth, WA
I will be doing my first display this year, and I live in a 2 storey house. While the CFO has been quite supportive of doing this, she also is the chief Health and Safety officer who is not keen with me being on the second storey roof.

I would love some suggestions on how to effectively mount props at heights without the need for expensive hire equipment. I looked at hiring a cherry picker and they were about $500 for half a day, very expensive indeed. I could hire tall extension ladders, but I didn't want to be carrying bulk props up ladders (not 4m high anyway).

Here is a sketch of what I'm planning to create.
2eZdWyA.png


The blue lines on the 2nd storey roofline are icicle lights. While on the left and the middle of the house I can stand easily on the ground floor roof and reach the second storey gutters, it isn't the same over the garage.
I was thinking of attaching the icicles to PVC pipe (or something similar) with J hooks attached to it. I could then use a long pole (with a J hook on the end, or some other wooden frame to support the PVC) to push the icicles lights up and over the gutter. I would need to lift both ends at the same time obviously.


When it comes to the window over the garage, this is something that I'm REALLY seeking input on. I am going to have a PVC frame for the window outline pixels, with some PVC running vertically through the middle of the PVC frame which will support the Santa coro prop. So when built, this will be bulky and heavy, not ideal to lift up on a ladder.

I originally thought I could use 2 brackets at the top of the window frame (Screwed into the window frame), each in an L shape approx 10cm long, to slide the PVC behind. This would make it easy to insert the top of the PVC into the window frame. I could then have 2 eye hooks at the bottom of the windows which I could zip-tie the bottom of the PVC pipe to. Like so:
sZGLZFP.png

This would allow me to easily push the top up into the frame, and have someone from inside the house do the zip tie to the bottom of the prop. It won't stop be having to lift the prop up a ladder, but it will mean it won't be difficult to push up into the top bracket. The top part may jiggle around a bit, but it wouldn't pop out.
The top L piece and bottom eye hooks could be permanent fixtures.

The problem I see is that the top of the window is likely to have a lintel above it really limiting my ability to attach those L pieces to the top. Would silicone suffice to attach them? I don't think there would be huge forces put on it?

I then thought about suction caps on the glass and just zip tieing the PVC to the suction caps? But that could be a bit risky?

Am I over thinking this? Does anyone have any suggestions?
 

ShellNZ

Senior elf
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
892
Location
Karaka, Auckland, NZ
I have a 2-storey home. I have a very thick rope that is tied to a large pylon at the back of my house. I then throw the rope over the ridge of the house. I wear a safety harness with fall arrest lead and crawl all over the roof that way. We did have a cherry picker some years back but I found I still had to get out of the cage to do things so at $500 for a half a day (same cost here too) why bother.

It does take me 20-30mins to get used to it initially each year, but I generally only spend one day, maybe 2 tops up there. The first floor is of course MUCH easier :)
 

i13

Dedicated elf
Joined
Jul 5, 2013
Messages
1,172
Hi @Danno, did you end up figuring out how to achieve this? I have moved house and am about to face similar problems.

Thanks
 

Freman

Uh Oh Elf
Generous elf
Joined
Aug 9, 2021
Messages
118
I dunno about your windowed things but the icicles you could probably put up using a bit of pvc conduit and some hooks, put the hook on the icicles, put that on the end of the pole, hoist to the gutter?

Tho if you manage to do it right this year you won't have to get up next year :D
 

Danno

Apprentice elf
Joined
Nov 18, 2018
Messages
64
Location
Perth, WA
Hi @Danno, did you end up figuring out how to achieve this? I have moved house and am about to face similar problems.

Thanks

Hey! I ended up using an eye bolt in each corner of the window frame (screwed into the brick) - it's the only location I've drilled as part of my display, but I realllyy didn't want it falling down. Fortunately it's a second storey window, the eye bolts don't stand out all during the rest of the year. I zip tie the props to that, so there's no chance of the props coming down.

Regarding the actual install, I couldn't find a way around needing to get on a realllyyy high ladder. I hang the icicles on the 2nd storey gutter and mount the this window outline, and that's the only time I need to go above the first storey roof line.

I have 1 ladder either side of the window and pull it up and secure it into place with the help of someone else. It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be
 
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Croydon Lights

Apprentice elf
Generous elf
Joined
Jan 6, 2018
Messages
98
I have attached my icicles to PVC pipe and attached magnets to the PVC which stick to the under side of the gutter
I used these from bunnings and unscrewed the hooks and replaced them with a screw that went though the PCV and screwed back onto the magnet

 

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Katekate

Senior elf
Joined
Jan 1, 2020
Messages
542
Location
Portland, Vic
talk to your equipment hire place about weekend rates. often they will give a reduced rate for a friday night pickup monday morning return.
 
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