Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Scaffold Tower Sales: How to Buy the Right Scaffold

There are various types of scaffold towers available in the market. Before you go to buy the scaffold towers, you should have some ideas about the available scaffolds for sale. The scaffolds are available in various designs, shapes and metals. The following is a discussion on the various types of the scaffolds available for sale.

There are mainly three types of the scaffold towers available in the market such as steel scaffold towers, aluminium scaffold towers and fiberglass scaffold towers. These three types of the scaffolds have their own special characteristics. Knowing their features will help you make a decision.

Steel scaffold towers

The steel scaffold towers have been in use for many years. People have been using the steel scaffold towers mainly for heavy industrial duties. They are very sturdy and durable. So, if you want to use your scaffold towers for heavy industrial works, you should use the steel scaffold towers. You can use them for such purposes as the construction works, site maintenance etc. They are also cheaper than the other kinds of scaffold towers. One negative thing about the steel scaffold towers is that they are very heavy and difficult to move from one place to another. So, you will have to face difficulty, if you want to relocate your scaffold tower.

Aluminium scaffold tower

If you do not like the heavy steel scaffold tower, you can buy the aluminium scaffold tower. The metal aluminium is lighter than steel. So, the scaffold towers made of aluminium are lighter than the steel scaffold tower. Aluminium scaffold towers are available as the portable scaffold tower and the movable scaffold towers. The aluminium portable scaffold towers are easy to carry from one place to another. They are east to dismantle and set up. The aluminium movable scaffold towers bring even greater facilities for the users. They come with wheels. You will not have to dismantle and set up the movable scaffold tower each time you change the place of work. So, they save time and labour.

Fiberglass scaffold tower

If you want safety as well as easy to use functional scaffold towers, then you can buy the fiberglass scaffold towers. The fiberglass scaffold towers have several advantages over the steel and aluminium scaffold towers. Unlike the steel scaffold towers, it is very light. It is also safer than the aluminium scaffold towers. The metal fiberglass is inert and hence prevents electrocution. So, the fiberglass scaffold towers are not conductors of electricity. You should give preference to fiberglass scaffold towers, if the environment you work in is exposed to electricity. There are also two types of the fiberglass scaffold towers: the portable scaffold tower and the movable scaffold tower. Like the aluminium portable scaffold towers, you can easily carry the fiberglass scaffold towers. There are also fiberglass movable scaffold towers, which also come with wheels. Thus, if you want easy to use, safe scaffold towers; the fiberglass scaffold tower is right for you.

Thus, if you need scaffold towers, you can buy any of the above scaffold towers. If you know the advantages and disadvantages of the scaffold towers, it will help you make the right decision.

Scaffolding

Scaffold Towers – Few steps to Using a Scaffold Tower Safely

Scaffold Towers have recently seen a sudden rise in popularity in the D.I.Y market, possibly due to the current economic climate of the world, cheaper to ‘do it yourself’ than hire a builder.

Many budding do it yourself builders view the purchase of a scaffold tower as a good investment not just in financial terms but also in safety, and at face value this would seem a reasonable assumption, however as the use of scaffold towers increases so to does the amount of serious accidents and deaths associated with their use

With that in mind here are my top 4 tips for using a scaffold tower safely.

When erecting the tower use the advance guard rail system, fit guard rails to the upper levels from the platform below, this will ensure you never access part of the scaffold without handrails, lack of handrails are the biggest cause of falls from scaffolding towers.

Never use a ladder propped up against the side of the tower, use the built in ladder, moving up and down the scaffold within the frame, this will keep your weight within the towers centre of gravity avoiding the possibility of it toppling over.

Never use the tower scaffold on soft or uneven ground and always apply the brakes if it’s fitted with wheels.

Always check for overhead cables before you erect the scaffold, if the tower has wheels and you intend to move it, make sure you check that there are no cables in its path.

Before you undertake to use a scaffold tower please get professional advice and training, never underestimate the dangers involved in using such equipment.

Scaffolding

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Mobile Scaffold Towers

It doesn’t matter whether you want to do some repairs to your roof or carry out structural work to your home, having scaffolding can be very important to reach these high areas. If you are keen on DIY, whether it’s because you want to save money or simply want to make sure that the job gets done properly, you will want to either buy or rent a scaffolding tower. Scaffolding is a structure made from metal poles and planks of wood which can be assembled so that maintenance to a property can be carried out safely. Although buying or renting the correct type of scaffolding for your needs in very important, you also need to be aware of safety measures. For construction workers, one of the main causes of accidents is from working on scaffolding so it’s imperative that safety is at the forefront of your mid otherwise you could do yourself a major injury if you were to fall off.

Although there are different types of scaffolding, they are typically all made from steel and timber. They have steel frameworks with wooden planks or platforms so that you can walk about easily. When looking to buy or rent some scaffolding you will notice that there are type main types: fixed and mobile.

Mobile Scaffolding Towers

Other types of scaffolding can be very dangerous if not assembled by someone who knows what they’re doing. Proper erection is essential if you want to prevent injury or even death. This is why scaffolding towers are recommended for your own home improvements. A tower can be assembled by yourself however it’s suggested that two people assemble it.

This type of scaffolding allows you to have it freestanding and has wheels at the bottom which allows you to move the scaffolding about from location to location. This is ideal if you are having to work over a large area and don’t want to have the hassle of dismantling and re-erecting it all the time. However whilst you are actually working on the scaffolding you should lock the wheels so that it doesn’t move about.

There are many types of scaffold towers which you can buy and rent and the sizes vary from about 4m to 12m. If you are unsure about which type to choose, discuss this with a scaffolding supplier who will know all the different types on offer and what will be suitable to your needs.

Fixed Scaffolds

You can build these next to a building and can be either putlog or independent. With putlog scaffolding there are uprights along the outer edges of the scaffolding however the inner part is uses the building for support. Putlogs also feature flat ends which are put between the brickwork for extra support.

Independent scaffolding has uprights on each side of the platforms and can stay upright without needing to use the building for support. However to increase stability and support it is recommended that you tie the scaffolding to the building at various intervals.

Suspended Scaffolding

This is the type that is typically used for high-rise building that need their windows cleaned. The scaffolding platform can be raised and lowered so that the different levels of the building can be worked on. This isn’t the type of scaffolding the typical DIY-er would choose to clean their gutters or repair a roof.

Whatever type of scaffolding you ultimately decide to choose, you should make sure you ask the supplier some questions such as:-

* Is there any guarantee or warranty?
* If the scaffolding needs repaired during the warranty period, what is the process?
* If the scaffolding goes wrong and causes injury, what is the compensation awarded?

Although there are different types of scaffolding on the market, tower scaffolds are the type recommended to the average home owner who wants to carry out maintenance work on their property. Because of the risk of being so high up, it’s very important that you assemble the scaffolding tower correctly and double check everything. Although doing maintenance work on your own can save you a lot of money, you don’t want to put your life at risk by doing anything daft.

When making your purchase, make sure you shop around for the best deals, if you want to find a cheap tower scaffold you’re best bet is to buy second-hand. However you need to be aware that you won’t have any warranties with used scaffolding.