a.bentonab
Expert
INGO
I will likely be putting up our Christmas lights this coming weekend. However, we do not have a ladder tall enough for it. We like the icicle lights to hang off the gutters.
Last year we paid someone off a Craigslist ad. The gentleman who showed up came woefully unprepared. I was upfront about the 20' peak but he only had an 8' step ladder. He made up the difference by putting the ladder in the bed of his truck on top of all the trash and beer cans that were in there too! Also during casual conversation I'm pretty sure he admitted to enough felonies to make Charles Manson blush.
I only have a 6' step ladder which I know is inadequate for the 20' peak. We have a single story home.
I've thought of a few different ways:
1. Ask the neighbors. This request is pending. I'm not sure if my best neighbors have a ladder but I'll soon find out. Our other neighbors (who I SAW using a tall extension ladder) I have not had much interaction with. They speak Spanish and actually I do too so it would be a nice way to get to know them perhaps. However they are our least favorite neighbors often having loud parties. Has never really escalated at all on either end though.
2. Purchase a ladder then return it: I could buy a ladder from Lowes or wherever and return it later that day. Alternatively I could keep it until after I take the lights down so I don't have to repeat the process. But I could probably take the lights DOWN without needing quite as tall a ladder. Possible problems I could see are that we only have a small SUV (think Ford Escape). It does have roof rails but only really for show as it has no cross members to actually tie stuff to. I doubt I could fit the ladder sufficiently inside the car and would have to purchase roof cross bars to tie it to the roof safely.
3. Ladder Rental- Morally superior to option #2. Same shortcomings as far as transporting it. I also have no idea of cost. I know that SunBelt rentals out of the local Lowes does offer ladders though.
Any thoughts? After last year's fiasco, I am NOT having anyone else paid or unpaid hang my lights due to smarting up about liability issues. I rent my house and will be moving shortly so I don't really want to keep a ladder around after the holidays.
I will likely be putting up our Christmas lights this coming weekend. However, we do not have a ladder tall enough for it. We like the icicle lights to hang off the gutters.
Last year we paid someone off a Craigslist ad. The gentleman who showed up came woefully unprepared. I was upfront about the 20' peak but he only had an 8' step ladder. He made up the difference by putting the ladder in the bed of his truck on top of all the trash and beer cans that were in there too! Also during casual conversation I'm pretty sure he admitted to enough felonies to make Charles Manson blush.
I only have a 6' step ladder which I know is inadequate for the 20' peak. We have a single story home.
I've thought of a few different ways:
1. Ask the neighbors. This request is pending. I'm not sure if my best neighbors have a ladder but I'll soon find out. Our other neighbors (who I SAW using a tall extension ladder) I have not had much interaction with. They speak Spanish and actually I do too so it would be a nice way to get to know them perhaps. However they are our least favorite neighbors often having loud parties. Has never really escalated at all on either end though.
2. Purchase a ladder then return it: I could buy a ladder from Lowes or wherever and return it later that day. Alternatively I could keep it until after I take the lights down so I don't have to repeat the process. But I could probably take the lights DOWN without needing quite as tall a ladder. Possible problems I could see are that we only have a small SUV (think Ford Escape). It does have roof rails but only really for show as it has no cross members to actually tie stuff to. I doubt I could fit the ladder sufficiently inside the car and would have to purchase roof cross bars to tie it to the roof safely.
3. Ladder Rental- Morally superior to option #2. Same shortcomings as far as transporting it. I also have no idea of cost. I know that SunBelt rentals out of the local Lowes does offer ladders though.
Any thoughts? After last year's fiasco, I am NOT having anyone else paid or unpaid hang my lights due to smarting up about liability issues. I rent my house and will be moving shortly so I don't really want to keep a ladder around after the holidays.
