I am very pleased with the platform I built to safely and quickly drywall the peak between the support beams. Keep in mind that the peak is 25′ above the floor. So I built what amounted to a floor that ran between the two side walls of the great room, it feels very safe and secure.
This platform is about 18 1/2′ above the ground floor, which puts it 7 1/2′ above the floor of the loft and about 6 1/2′ below the peak. The platform is 20′ long and 8′ wide. That makes it just wider then the distance between the two lower beams. In the middle of the span, I also have braces running down to the floor of the loft and to a double 4×4 on the scaffolding. I also ran a brace sideways so the platform will not move side to side. The support boards spanning the 20′ opening are doubled up 2×4’s that have been nailed and glued together. By Using a combination of 8′ and 16′ lengths, the joints are separated by 8′. This took me more than a week of thinking and two evenings to build, but I cannot think of another safe and cost effective way to do this.
Looking up in the great room ;
- looking at the platform from the loft ;
- This view is standing on one end of the platform looking along the ridge.
