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Time to put up the Christmas lights

Contributed by: Fran Miller on 10/22/2007

It's that time of year. You pad on down to the kitchen to make yourself a latte and what do you see but a "honey-do' list. Clean the gutters so we don't have ice dams and while you're at it big boy, put up the holiday lights.

So, while you're contemplating the additional tools and ladder you will have buy for this project you do a risk assessment and here's what you find:

1. According to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Center for Injury, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths and the most common cause of injuries and of hospital admissions for trauma.

2. 15,764 persons died as the result of falls (10% of all injury deaths) and falls account for 783,357 hospitalizations and an estimated 11.5 million minor injury cases that are not hospitalized.

3. More than one-third of all injuries are severe-fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations.

4. Workmen's compensation rates for roofers are the highest of any profession and equal about 40% of salary.

Now, I speak from experience on this matter. A couple of years ago I fell off a second story roof. Only 2% of people who suffer a fall like mine live to tell about it because normally the organs in your body tear lose when you hit the ground. I crushed my left leg, which absorbed the shock and then I went horizontal and broke my right arm, but miraculously, I lived. A year in rehab, $150,000 in hospital bills and a failed business, and here I am to impart my wisdom to you.

Here are the common mistakes homeowners make with regards to ladders, roofs, gutters and the like.

First, it is not the highest and best use of your time to be getting up on the roof, so at the end of this article I am going to give you the name of a guy who can do roof related repair and his guys can clean your gutters. Any hospital bill you incur will far exceed the modest bill you would otherwise pay for having someone who does this work every day.

If you must get up there, first secure your ladder with a bungie cord at the gutter. That will cut your probability of a fall by 50%. Second, if you are up there, do not listen to music on your I-pod. Loss of concentration and balance go hand in hand, even if you are a ballroom dancer. You must concentrate and place your feet carefully before you shift your weight. Once you lose your balance its all over and you cannot regain your balance on a sloped roof.

Another danger is electrified gutters on houses where the electric lines are not underground and come in at the roof level. It is not uncommon for the gutters to become electrified and then you put your aluminum ladder up against the gutters and what do you have? That's why so many old ladders used to be wood and why many contractors swear by fiberglass.

Inside your house, step ladders are also bad news. They make new ones that are more stable but homeowners tend to buy the cheapest thing they can because they use it infrequently. I had one guy offer to let me use this rickety old ladder he had bought years ago with Green Stamps. Fiberglass is the sturdiest and aluminum comes in second, but get one rated for your weight and tall enough you don't have to stand on the top two steps. Again secure it with ropes or cords to prevent a fall.

The consequences of a fall are serious. At a minimum you will rack up numerous hospital bills and copays and deductibles for therapy and medical equipment. Once you reduce your mobility from an accident, you have a higher risk of re-injury, arthritis, and a host of chronic pains. I can predict a storm two days in advance and with greater accuracy than Kathy Sabin.

Here's the guy I use for my roof and gutter related stuff:
Kent Eckhardt of Craftech Roofing, 720-313-0046.
Kent has been in the business for 25 years and does repair and re-roofing. He's honest, supervises the work closely and is very fair in his pricing. I recommend him highly.




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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Fran Miller

Parker , CO

Fran Miller has posted 106 stories and 14 comments since joining on 9/28/2007. Fran Miller 's average story rating is 4.78.
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