At construction work outside and inside premises (if there are high ceilings) scaffolding is often necessary - it is not necessary to make drawings of auxiliary structures with your own hands, but anyone can assemble them using a ready-made method.
Scaffolding is used very widely in construction and repair. Even ordinary DIY wall plaster without them it is not easy to carry out, and the installation of a roof or wall siding becomes completely a daunting task without auxiliary supporting structures. Of course, the mobility of stepladders or hastily knocked together trestle stools is higher, and their cost is noticeably lower.
But only solid-sized scaffolding will allow you not to be distracted by the constant movement of everything you need along the facade or wall being repaired. Saving time and effort, concentrating energy on repairs is the main benefit of scaffolding, homemade or purchased. The productivity of construction labor when using scaffolding increases several times - so their cost can be included in the column “payment for the speed and convenience of repairs.”
Any scaffolding structure must be reliable and durable - including taking into account the people, tools, construction and Supplies. If there is even the slightest doubt that the scaffolding cannot be assembled with the proper margin of stability, it is better to purchase a ready-made, branded product in a specialized store. Moreover, the choice of such goods is quite diverse.
The term “scaffolding” itself is associated with the historical experience of decorating facades with plaster, stucco and painting during the construction of palaces and other elite buildings. For plasterers and finishers, multi-meter “shelves” were erected from real logs and platforms. After the completion of the work, all this material was spent on firewood, leaving to descendants only its name and the principle of construction.
Modern options are based on a frame and are designed with reusable use in mind. Structurally, scaffolding can be made in the following options:
Suspended, clamp and wedge options are only available for purchase; their independent “production” is not recommended. Pin or frame scaffolding, the drawings of which are given below, can be assembled with your own hands if you have the appropriate carpentry and metalworking skills.
Wood is the easiest to process and at the same time inexpensive material– the creation of wooden scaffolding takes several repair stages, quite doable on your own. We will describe in detail how to make them from wooden beams, boards and slats.
The work will require several types of wood. The load-bearing supports are made of timber measuring 10x10 cm (a smaller cross-section will not allow heavy construction work to be carried out from the scaffolding). Horizontal decking is made from thick boards (from 50 mm), stiffening ribs are made from boards from 25 mm thick. Fence slats with a thickness of 20 mm or more can be used. Wood for supports and platforms must be free of knots and cracks, and it should be treated with special compounds to prevent rotting and mold.
The end sides of wooden scaffolding must be made at a converging angle - this will significantly increase the stability of the structure and will not be an obstacle when repairing walls.
In addition, it is advisable to choose load-bearing supports made of 10x10 cm timber as solid rather than composite ones - then the strength of the multi-story structure will be higher. Minimum permissible width homemade wooden scaffolding is 50 cm, their length can be 3-4 meters. The height limit is considered to be 6 meters, otherwise there is a high risk of the scaffold overturning during work. To work, you will need standard woodworking tools - saws and hacksaws, a plane, a drill and a screwdriver.
Two beams no more than 6 meters high are laid on a flat horizontal surface, the distance between them is equal to the planned length of the scaffolding. The other two are placed side by side in exactly the same way. The upper part of the beams should converge slightly upward for the stability of the entire structure. For a distance between supports of 4 meters along the length of the scaffolding at the bottom a convergence of 40-50 cm is enough up. That is, if the center-to-center distance between the support beams at the bottom is exactly four meters, then at the top it is set at 3.5-3.6 meters. The result is two symmetrical wooden trapezoids.
The timber sidewalls are screwed to the support beams with self-tapping screws. They will serve as supports for working decks, so they are mounted with inside. At all, wooden scaffolding self-made can have no more than three “assembly floors”, so there will be only four sidewalls made of timber. Three correspond to the levels of the scaffolding, and the bottom one serves for strength; it is fixed 20-30 cm from the ground.
To connect the side trapezoids into solid scaffolding, you will need an assistant (or better yet, two). It is difficult to perform this operation alone, and the accuracy of the docking will certainly suffer. The side cross members are prepared in advance, and they will be of different lengths. The fact is that sustainable scaffolding should be pyramidal in both width and length. The required toe angle is small, otherwise between top part scaffolding and the repaired facade will create an inconvenient gap. Let's say, for a width of 1 meter, an upper clearance of 85-90 cm will be sufficient.
Having installed the wooden sides vertically and slightly tilting them towards each other, we fasten the side cross members with long self-tapping screws. The use of screws is preferable because after repair and construction work the scaffolding can be disassembled (partially or completely) and stored in a shed or garage.
All that remains is to nail the decking boards and fencing above each platform to the cross beams. On the sides of the scaffolding you can add additional crossbars that will serve as ladders. It is also useful to make a knot in the form of a retractable pin above each support for attaching the scaffolding to the earthen soil - on flat surfaces it is removed, and the entire structure stands on the cuts of the end beams.
Traditionally, metal or wood is used to install scaffolding. Wooden structures are suitable only for one-time work. They have a simple structure, so anyone with basic woodworking skills can handle their assembly. Metal devices are reusable and dismountable; they can be reused on other objects. If you have the tools and knowledge of metal processing, it will be very easy to assemble scaffolding with your own hands.
In addition to the type of material, scaffolding differs in functionality, fastening method and design. Based on these characteristics, structures are divided into several main groups.
To connect the parts of the structure, a special wedge clamp is used. Such devices are very reliable, and, most importantly, durable. Their rigidity can withstand heavy weights and mechanical loads. Assembling wedge scaffolding with your own hands is very simple, and most importantly, after disassembling it is as easy to assemble as the first time. This design significantly speeds up and facilitates the work of lifting large loads and materials.
The basis of frame scaffolding is a rigid frame in the form of a frame. Similar devices are used in finishing and painting works. Horizontal and diagonal scaffolding elements are connected using knotted fasteners. The advantage of such forests is their low cost, they allow you to create convenient device without big expenses.
The parts of the pin scaffolding are fastened using metal pins. Such structures are most often used in ordinary construction work due to the fact that they are more convenient to assemble on site. The time for assembling pin scaffolding depends on the length of the object; as a rule, the process does not take more than a day.
For buildings of unusual, complex structure, clamp scaffolding is used. The frame parts are connected in a specific way, which is very popular in professional construction. Important characteristic in the installation and construction of drawings of such scaffolding, the step between the racks and crossbars is important. This distance is chosen depending on the configuration of the building and its dimensions.
Regardless of the type of connection of parts of the structure and its type, all scaffolding consists of similar elements, such as:
The number and size of elements varies depending on the scale and complexity of the object. To facilitate the assembly of the scaffolding, you can draw a schematic drawing.
Perhaps many builders and professionals have their own tricks for assembling and designing scaffolding; there are also many similar instructions on the Internet. Most of the structures do not differ in anything except the size of the racks and the thickness of the flooring. To understand similar instructions You should be guided by several dimensions:
Compliance with these rules will create functional and safe forests. To construct scaffolding with your own hands, you will need:
After preparing all the materials, you can begin assembly. First, 4 racks are fastened at a distance of 2-2.5 meters; to connect them, diagonal struts are used on all four sides. Then the lintel boards are mounted at the required level, and the flooring boards are attached to them. For protection, a fencing board is installed on the posts. The final stage- installation of supports and installation of stairs to reach the top of the scaffolding.
When assembling scaffolding from boards, it is worth considering the following nuances:
To extend wooden scaffolding, several sections are used, and boards are used to fasten them together. Fastener boards are placed directly on the supports.
Advice! Often, when fastening with nails, wood cracks where the fasteners are immersed. To protect the boards from such damage, it is worth drilling grooves in the places where the nails will be driven in.
Metal products are more convenient if you plan to build several projects. They can be disassembled at any convenient time and reassembled in a new place. To mount the simplest scaffolding with your own hands (height 150 cm, width 100 cm and length 165 cm), the following instructions will do:
When the work is completed, it is enough to remove the bolts and disassemble the scaffolding into frames. The service life of such a structure is tens of times longer than the service life of wooden scaffolding. And when proper care they can last for many years.
Construction devices are convenient when creating an object, but after the work is completed, the issue of their storage is acute. Even when disassembled, the structure takes up a lot of space.
Wooden devices can be dismounted, but this is not easy, especially if the boards were fastened with nails. And even plank scaffolding needs to be stored somewhere. In addition, in the places where the nails are attached, after disassembly there remain small cracks and cracks that will promote rotting. Often solvent or paint remains on such structures.
Advice! If you still have dismountable metal scaffolding after construction, you can sell it at a good price or rent it out.
Self-assembled scaffolding is not suitable for working on large sites. As a rule, they are intended for buildings of 1-2 floors. Exploitation of forests at high altitudes is dangerous.
Such structures are used infrequently (for repairs or finishing of facades), therefore their installation is not always appropriate. Painting work can be completed without scaffolding.
Often scaffolding is made with a length of 6 meters, which increases its weight and cost. Such a structure will be problematic to move from place to place, and its disassembly and assembly will take a very long time.
The assembly of scaffolding and its design should be thought through before building a house. If you will be hiring for finishing and repair work specialists, then you shouldn’t even think about how to make scaffolding. Typically, professional teams have a full range of equipment and tools, including scaffolding.
Often, when scaffolding is dismantled and after construction, scaffolding remains idle and is thrown away or sold. However, they may still be required for repairs or finishing works Oh. There are many other construction aids that can replace traditional scaffolding.
Before dismantling or renting out the scaffolding, you should make sure that the façade is in proper condition. Do not skimp on finishing work, otherwise you will have to restore the decorative layer. One of the most durable and easy to maintain facing materials considered a brick. Today you can find many varieties of this material, differing in colors, size and texture.
As a rule, others Decoration Materials(plaster, paint and panels) will need frequent repairs, which will lead to significant costs. To do this, you will have to hire a crew or rent scaffolding. If you have your own design from profile pipe for finishing work - you can save significantly on cosmetic repairs. To store such a structure, you can allocate a separate room or build a simple shed.
All photos from the article
When carrying out various works at height - from laying walls to façade cladding or applying plaster, it is necessary to construct structures that will allow the work to be carried out comfortably and at the same time ensure safety.
Professional builders use metal scaffolding, which is a prefabricated modular systems who may have the most different size, but for private use it is easier to build a structure from boards; this is the option we will consider in the article.
Before you build scaffolding from boards with your own hands, you need to prepare all the required materials and tools:
Racks | For them, either a board measuring 50x100 mm or a wooden beam with a cross-section of 100x100 mm is used, these elements will bear the main load and support the entire structure, so you should use only high-quality lumber without large knots, damage from woodworms and rot, this is very important for ensuring safety |
Flooring and lintels | For these elements, a board with a thickness of 40-50 mm is used; it is important that the flooring can easily withstand the weight of several people and a small supply of materials (if necessary) |
Spacers | Elements that impart rigidity and preserve the geometry of the structure being built are made from boards 30-32 mm thick; it is also used to create fences, which are mandatory to ensure a safe working process, because it is never excluded that someone will slip or trip on the scaffolding |
Fasteners | Either nails or self-tapping screws of large thickness are used to ensure maximum reliability and strength of all connections. Can also be used modern version– mounting angles and plates, with their help the structure can be made even more reliable and durable, and besides, the price of these elements is low |
Important!
Don’t forget about the tool, as you will need to cut wood, hammer in nails or tighten screws, as well as take measurements; the easiest way to do this is to use a tape measure, a square and a construction pencil.
The instructions on how to make scaffolding with your own hands from boards are quite simple, it is important to follow all the recommendations and requirements, this is where we will begin to consider the issue.
There are several generally accepted rules, the observance of which guarantees the reliability of the scaffolding you collect and ensures the highest safety:
The whole process consists of several operations that must be performed in a certain sequence:
Advice!
If the structure is wooden, then for additional reliability the system is attached to the walls, this will significantly strengthen the structure, everything is very simple: one end of the block is fixed on the stand, and the other on the wall.
From this article you will learn how to properly assemble wooden scaffolding with your own hands - prepared for you step-by-step instruction. The article will talk about the requirements for individual elements and the design in general. You will also learn about additional devices for working at height.
Scaffolding is a temporary or permanent system of supports and ladders that is used for lifting and working at heights. They are subject to increased requirements for strength, stability and safety, since working at a height of more than 1.5 m is hazardous.
Regardless of the material and design principle, the following general requirements are imposed on scaffolding:
Inventory scaffolding is a professional and expensive product. Buy them for home use unprofitable, only rent is possible for a large amount of work (for example, on the facade of a house). As a rule, in private construction it is customary to erect conditionally disposable scaffolding that exactly matches the structure of the building.
The design of these scaffoldings came to us from the Middle Ages. The principle of forming the frame and connecting parts has not changed since then. Only the fasteners themselves have improved. They deserve special attention.
1 - racks; 2 - transverse; 3 - flooring; 4 - braces; 5 - stabilizing slopes
Racks. Vertical supports made of edged boards good quality. They take the normal (according to the gravity vector) load from the entire structure and transfer it to the base (soil). Requirements for racks:
Particular attention must be paid to the vertical splice of the racks. The elements must be connected end-to-end, not overlay, and clamped on both sides.
Cross members. They take the load from the flooring and transfer it to the racks. The requirements for them are similar to those for racks. One additional requirement: It is unacceptable to use spliced cross members without additional support.
Flooring. Cross ladders that transfer the load from people and materials to the cross members. Can be made from edged or unedged boards, and also be combined - guides from the board, on top sheet material. Continuous flooring and a run-up are allowed.
Braces. Diagonal braces connecting the posts different rows. The use of slats and slabs is allowed. It is advisable to install braces maximum length to connect the largest number of racks.
Slopes. Diagonal stops that support the structure to prevent deviation from the wall. Usually a 25 mm board is used.
There is a set general rules, following which you can assemble a reliable and safe design. These rules are derived from safety requirements and the work experience of high-altitude masters:
To create a wooden scaffolding structure, you will need a minimum of tools: a saw, a hammer with nails and a tape measure.
Operating procedure:
Attention! The angle between the post and the cross member should be 90°. Distortions can deform the frame under load.
Attention! Never, under any circumstances, splice decking between supports! The joint of boards or sheets of flooring must be on the crossbar!
Scaffolding is carried out in reverse order— dismantling of flooring, crossbars, extended racks, slopes and envelopes. Disassembly must be carried out by qualified and experienced carpenters.
Steel cross member - bracket
This element significantly simplifies installation, allowing you to quickly change the level of the flooring. Such a device must correspond to the cross-section of the board.
Triangular bracket
Such a bracket can be wooden or steel. Allows you to attach the scaffold directly to the wall. To construct a flooring based on it, a few boards for the ladder are enough. But at the same time, to rearrange it, you have to dismantle it. Installing anything from the bottom up is impossible. The most dangerous type of high-rise scaffolding. The work requires special skill and caution.
Bricklayer's express scaffolding
They are created from pallets on which bricks are delivered. As a rule, rafter boards are used for flooring. It does not require sawing of the material, and is quite reliable if you do not make spans of more than 1.5 m.
Bricklayer's scaffolding on video
Whatever type of scaffolding or scaffolding you choose, remember that your life and health are in your hands. Saving one board or 10 minutes of time to strengthen can result in unpleasant and sometimes serious consequences.
A person's height is less than the height of the house, so it is impossible to lay walls or finish the facade without scaffolding or scaffolding. These designs allow you to safely work at heights and make it possible to always have a supply of consumables on hand.
Builders have their own terminology used to refer to such devices.
They call forests structures that are quite long and tall. “Goat” scaffolds are usually called low portable tables that can accommodate no more than two people.
If you have to lay walls, insulate, repair or decorate the facade, then think in advance about what scaffolding or scaffolding will be required for the work. For our part, we will tell you how to make scaffolding with your own hands strong and stable, saving a lot of money on their rental.
Despite the wide variety of types of scaffolding, their designs contain elements that are identical in purpose:
The material for assembling scaffolding and scaffolding is traditionally wood or metal. Wooden structure cheaper than steel, but withstands no more than two or three reassemblies. After that, it is only suitable for firewood.
Metal scaffolding is several times more expensive than wood, but has no restrictions on the number of cycles of use. They are easily dismantled and moved to a new location. Their design allows you to build additional tiers as work progresses, increasing the working height.
If your plans include the construction of several residential buildings and outbuildings, then it is better to make homemade scaffolding from profile metal. If high-altitude work will be carried out only once and at one site, then it is more profitable to assemble a structure from beams and boards.
Before you start preparing parts for assembly, you should make a schematic drawing and put on it the main dimensions of the structure.
There is no need to fantasize here, since construction practice has already determined the optimal dimensions of scaffolding:
Ergonomics has established that maximum productivity is achieved when the builder’s hands during work are 30-40 cm below chest level. Therefore, jumpers for installing the first flooring must be placed at a height of 40-50 cm from the ground level. This will save you from having to put together low scaffolding.
It is better to provide fastenings for the second level flooring at a height of 180-200 cm. The third flooring is placed at a level of 360-400 cm.
If you decide to make a structure from boards, then buy the following set of lumber and fasteners in advance:
When choosing between nails and self-tapping screws, you should remember that nails are more difficult to remove when dismantling scaffolding. Self-tapping screws, on the contrary, are quickly unscrewed from wood with a screwdriver. However, they are worse at breaking than nails, since they are made of brittle hardened steel. Therefore, for making small forests We can recommend the use of nails, and for long and tall structures - self-tapping screws.
Scaffolding from boards is assembled in the following order:
If there is a need to install two or more sections of wooden scaffolding, then they can be tied together with wide sections of boards, stuffed onto adjacent racks. To prevent nails from splitting short boards, drill holes in them before nailing.
Scaffolding made from profile pipes their design is similar to that of wood. The difference between them is the use of adapters. They are used to increase the number of storeys of a metal structure.
A set of blanks for assembling one section includes the following elements:
Assembling a single-level section metal scaffolding consists of several operations:
Helpful advice: to prevent longitudinal displacement of the flooring, you need to screw 30x30 mm steel corners to its lower part at the point of contact with the lintels.
Diagonal ties must be fastened on one side of the scaffolding, and horizontal ties on the other, so that they do not interfere with each other during assembly.
If the installation of scaffolding is carried out with the extension of a section of the third tier (4.5 meters), then in its racks it is necessary to make holes for attaching a profile pipe of a thrust bevel, which protects the structure from falling.
In the lower and upper parts of the racks of each section, it is necessary to drill holes for bolted connections with other sections (when extending the scaffolding in length).