The View from on High

One of the best things about being a contractor is getting to play with really cool toys! Since the roofs on the house are so high I had been not only unable to do any work way up there but had not been able to even see the work up close that had been completed. So when the solar guys said that they needed to rent a 45' lift for getting their panels onto the roof I thought this might be the perfect opportunity to finally get to see things topside and touch up any issues. The siding had been pre-painted but there were still minor things to repair and there was caulking to do.

The machine showed up on a Wednesday and the solar guys needed it only for Thursday. That meant that if I would pay for Friday I could have it for the entire weekend. The rental company dropped the lift off up in the restaurant parking lot and it was only when I went there to eat lunch that I spotted it in their parking lot.  I saw that the key was in the ignition but I had not a clue how to even start the thing, let alone drive it or raise it up. It probably took an hour to figure it all out, get it down the house, and raise it up to the top of the roof. After that, I was an expert and I laid out a plan for getting the most out of it while I had it. 

I started on the front exposure, which is only about 25 feet high, where I finally got to see and repair the scratches and scuffs the siding people had made with their ladders. 

On the other side of the house the height of the roof is closer to 38 feet, which is definitely not a height I like to work from on a ladder, so I was glad to have the machine. On each of the three days I used it to caulk and touch-up until it was nearly dark out, but still, by the time I had to drive it back up to be picked up I was sorry to let it go. After I win the lottery I can get one and park it next to my Ferrari!