Serious question, did anyone else have to choose between taping a 12 foot ceiling solo or calling for a lift?

Had a job in a new build in Henderson last month where the client wanted the ceiling done fast, so I had to pick between renting a lift for $200 a day or trying to tape it myself on stilts. I went with the stilts to save cash and ended up with a sore back for three days and a few messy seams. What's your move on a tall ceiling with a tight deadline?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee62718d ago

Been there with the 12 foot ceilings! Renting a lift is a pain, but my rule now is if it's more than a quick patch job, the lift is worth it. Kaiblack isn't wrong about the cost, but a messed up back will cost you more jobs down the line. Getting a clean finish up high is almost impossible on stilts when you're rushing. Sometimes the right tool is the one that saves your body and your rep.

kaiblack18d ago

Nah man, you made the right call. That lift money adds up fast, and you still gotta get it up and down stairs or through doors. A sore back is just part of the job sometimes, you'll heal up. Those messy seams are on you to get better at, not the tools. I've done way worse to my body for less than two hundred bucks.

finley_craig5318d ago

How's your back feeling now, three days later? I get wanting to save the cash, but man, that sounds brutal. Kaiblack has a point about the cost, but I'd argue your body is worth more than the rental fee. Next time a lift might be the smarter play, even if it eats into the profit a little.