I got everything together I needed and went down to take care of that roofing panel that has been pulling up on the edge and flapping in the breeze today. I figured out why pretty quick and got up above the problem to get it all squared away and than failed miserably. Had it been any panel but one on the edge I could have done it easily like I have a 1000 times before but on the ladder I just don't have the balance anymore since my small stroke I had almost two years ago.
Ya I already knew this. I am still about as graceful as a Sumo wrestler on a tightrope but I had to try. Just pushing down on the self driving screws while standing on the ladder 3 feet above the top about pushed me over and the wife was not much help in keeping the ladder steady either.
I have been up on the roof a few times since my incident but I had to hire a young man to do all the work on the edge the last time the storm blew a huge hole in it and this repair really isn't any different. My balance is too far gone for the edge of things it seems. I am still kinda dragging my left foot a bit and even at work on level pavement I will occasionally veer off to the side for no reason. So when the ladder started moving sideways under my clumsiness I retreated. Hopefully I can get someone to help me for what I imagine will be a simple 10 or 15 minute job. It is only one panel and not but about 6 feet of that on one edge but it is on the edge and includes about a 14 inch over hang to boot.
Sad part is that probably like all the other panels I have fixed over the last 30 years I will more than likely never have an issue with it again. These old panels are not wearing out, nor are the nails breaking. What happens is the old 100+ year old washers are rusting or breaking down/away off the nails and the metal sheeting pulls out from the nails with no washer to hold em in place. I was actually looking into getting the whole roof replaced a few years back and the guy who gave me the estimate just recommended replacing all the nails with screws. After he told me that I was like "I can do that myself".... I just never thought about the edges and getting old. I should have just done the entire thing years ago when I was younger but it kinda got to be a Spring tradition. Honestly I estimate the entire barn has maybe a 15 degree pitch and it is really fairly pleasant to work up there on a nice Spring day. It still is pleasant as long as I am not on a damned ladder.
So I had to retreat for this round. I may have to try something else if my helper is not available.
I did go around and start most of my machinery up though to make sure it was ready for Spring but the rains are already going pretty well so my guess is it's gonna be wet now until May. I already had to turn my basement pump on once so far. Haven't done that in two years either.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!
Yeah, getting old is tough. There's a lot of things that I have to wait for the son to get back in town to do. I can get the ground work done but the climbing and getting up and down is tough. Bottom two strands of wire building fence. Just have to wait for help
ReplyDeleteBackwoods Okie
Anon - Ya I would say ladders are my weakest point right now. I have never been especially fond of them before anyway. This new lack of balance just makes it worse.
DeleteI've noticed that my balance isn't what it used to be, and I didn't even have a stroke! I almost tipped off the roof last year putting up the Christmas lights. I also notice it when I'm trying to prune a tree from a ladder. At some point you just have to admit that you can't do "that" anymore, and let someone else do it. I'm finding that this is the most obvious thing I didn't financially plan for... It never dawns on you that what you can do now you won't be able to do later... My great grandfather was a steeplejack. He helped paint the spire on the Empire State Building. How did he die? ...He fell off his garage roof!!!
ReplyDeletePete - Exactly!!! I to never planned on saving for the end of my handyman talents as well as employment options. All the wjile the government is pushing our retirement age up too. Some one should sue lol.
DeleteMy balance is much less than it used to be, especially on ladders.
ReplyDeleteThe important thing is that you realized that you could not do it instead of continuing to try as if you could.
Well TB the wife screaming at me kinda kept driving the problem home to me too :)
Deletebalance goes with age
ReplyDeletehaven't been able to stand on a roof for years but now step stools are out of the question
i have one of those grabbers with a long handle
deb - Well I never have been all that comfortable around ladders over 15 foot tall anyway. So I probably have a lower bar to make that call to the safety biased side compared to normal old guys :)
Deletenever had a problem, have climbed on top of pyramid in guatemala
Deletein my 40's we went up a firewatch tower, no where near as tall as a pyramid, and i realized my head for heights was gone!
left me nonplussed and astonished