Home improvement problem

[soFlaNative]

Bosun's chair rigged from the other side of the house.
One line rigged on the far side of the roof peak, the other across the flat.
Little shaky, probably hard on the knees but a definite maybe...

 

[JohnSW]

Home improvement call Tim the toolman Taylor!!!!

Write to Ask This Old House, and wait for six months to see if they reply.

 

[Rule3]

Ummm, See my thread on extension ladder safety.

Call the Man! Not the guys who installed it. Or just get a paint ball gun and "tint" the block glass.

 

[LouisianaJoe]

If the opening between the slats is over 1 1/2" lay 2x4 on edge between the slats. Take some 4x4s long enough to reach the bottoms or the 2x4s. lay 4x4 down and X brace pairs of 4x4 4' apart with a 2x8 across the top. Make a set for each end of overhead 2x4s and a center set if 2x4 span over 8'. Stand each set up under the 2x4 in slots. Lay plywood on top of 2x4. go to work.

You can aways use the 2x4s 4x4 and plywood on another project or sell it on craigs ist for 1/2 price when done.

Adding a little more detail to this. What you will have is 4x4 supports that reach just under the slats. The 2x8 cross beams and and X braces make the supports steady. There is no load on your slats. 2x4s placed vertically between the slats on the 4x4's and/or cross beams provide the support of the plywood attached over the slats. This gives you a work surface above the slats with no load on them. If the space between the slats will not allow 2x4's, get some 5/4 deck boards that should fit.

 

[steelslaver]

Adding a little more detail to this. What you will have is 4x4 supports that reach just under the slats. The 2x8 cross beams and and X braces make the supports steady. There is no load on your slats. 2x4s placed vertically between the slats on the 4x4's and/or cross beams provide the support of the plywood attached over the slats. This gives you a work surface above the slats with no load on them. If the space between the slats will not allow 2x4's, get some 5/4 deck boards that should fit.

Correct. No load on slats or any of the sun shade. You are building a scaffold deck through the existing structure. The 2x4 form a grid through the tubing

The 4x4 structures support the 2x4s and the plywood lays on top the 2x4s. The 2x4 lay between the aluminum tubes. 2x4s touch the aluminum beams but are not supported by them rather they are supported by 2x8 on top of 4x4 structures which just touch bottom of 2x4 and aluminum tubes. Tops of 2x4 that supports plywood should stick up above aluminum tubes.

about 6-8 16' 2x4s, 2 sheets of plywood, 6 4x4s of a length just long enoung to go from ground level to bottom of aluminum tubes and 12' 2x8 sawed in 3 4' sections, 6 8' 2x4 for x braces. Bunch of 16 penny nails or better some 3" deck screws for assy of supports and you have a 16' long 4' wide deck to access and remove and replace window. Maybe $300 for materials You might want to tie the 3 sets of support columns together on one side.

It will work, its simple to build and if you use torque head deck screws simple to tear back apart and either use for something else or resell.

.

 

[JSR III]

Having watched the video, I am revising my suggestion. I think that the structure is strong enough for one person to walk on. As long as you move gently and are not planning on holding a line dance competition, I feel that there is enough structure to hold the weight of one average sized man unless you are over 400 lbs.

Throw a moving blanket over the cover to prevent scratching and then lay a piece of plywood on the blanket just large enough to work from.

The weight from standing on the cover is straight down and the attachement brackets are lagged into the side of your home. It would require a lot of shear pressure to break those lags.

Again, you are not holding a square dance up there. Walk out, attach or apply the solar cover and then get off.

Remove the wood and blanket, grab a cold beer and go sit under the cover and enjoy the rest of the day.

 

[soFlaNative]

Really feel for the OP.
Structural engineering and $100's for an awning.
Knock the darn thing out and hang an insulated window in the hole.
Single hung or solid... pebbled if you need the privacy.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

The weight from standing on the cover is straight down and the attachement brackets are lagged into the side of your home. It would require a lot of shear pressure to break those lags.

But remember everything is held together with three eighths long sheet metal screws and the Alumawood is very thin aluminum. It was not designed to support any weight other than the structure itself. Having built three of them myself there is no way I would consider trying to walk on top of one. Plus, in order to reach the top of the window it appears that a second ladder will be needed to do the work. Easiest solution seems to be to remove enough horizontal tubes so that a ladder can be extended up though the awning to the window. That's what I used to do when I had to paint the trim on my house.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

This project has so many hold my beer and watch this opportunities... We definitely needs in-progress pics and video if possible.

 

[Zacker]

Hard to tell just from photos how well the rafters are attached to the house but I would cut wooden legs to fit under each one to add additional support. Or you could place a built up beam under all of them with several support legs to hold up the beam and rafters. The outside beam seems to be strong enough to support the far end.

I would then ladder up onto what appears to be a room to the left and lay a sheet of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood on the rafters under the window in question. That 32 square foot surface should spread the weight of one worker and the solar cover enough that collapse should not be an issue.

My idea too. I would layer up three 2x8's or 2x10's and use it as a beam under the aluminum structure... one in the front and one near the house. make legs the same way... layer 2 or 3 2x6's or 2x8's and have them go from the ground up to the beam and screw them in place, sort of like making the frame of a pergola under what you have now. With a few sheets of ply wood on the top it should hold you. but make sure to support it so it doesnt just pull away from the house and fold in...lol