# Stilts on Commercial jobs



## proficient Mudder (Aug 28, 2010)

I was just wondering if the Companies you own or work for where stilts on a Commercial project?
I know the hourly wage will put most of the guys around here on just using a scaffold.
I have done residential work for 27 yrs and Stilts has always been a big part of saving time.
I have also worked for a Commercial company on and off for the last 10 yrs. 
Bill


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## SaskMud (Jun 9, 2010)

I have my own company stilts are needed if you plan on making and sort of income and keeping the clients/gc's happy...

They save time, and if you think about it are easyer then jumping up and down from sawhorses all day,

A Couple of my guys cant use them for long though they have knee, ancle or back problems... or so they say they do.. lol


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

I find the rule of thumb is piece workers use them, hour workers don't. or private company's do,hour working union guy's don't,p/w union worker's use them though.So in regards to commercial jobs,depends on who got the bid/job/contract....


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

2buckcanuck said:


> I find the rule of thumb is piece workers use them, hour workers don't. or private company's do,hour working union guy's don't,p/w union worker's use them though.So in regards to commercial jobs,depends on who got the bid/job/contract....


Well said


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## proficient Mudder (Aug 28, 2010)

2buckcanuck said:


> I find the rule of thumb is piece workers use them, hour workers don't. or private company's do,hour working union guy's don't,p/w union worker's use them though.So in regards to commercial jobs,depends on who got the bid/job/contract....


Yeah, I agree. I still would rather use stilts even though I am on the Hour with the commercial jobs. I hate scooting around on the scaffolds. Too many yrs of using the stilts i guess.

Speaking of stilts on the hour. I have a 1,000 board job I start wednesday and they give me 10 days to finish it. This is a commercial job by the hour, it's bad when I have to make a hourly crew work like peice workers just to keep them working and not sold out to the other language.

Bill


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## Arey85 (Jan 2, 2010)

Don't you think that a non union hourly worker would want to use stilts to get the job done faster. After all..how quick you get the job done...is what separates you from the next guy who uses a baker and gets fired cuz he took too long.


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## fenez (Nov 30, 2009)

I was on a job last week doing venetian plaster and the taper on the job asked if I was looking for any more guys, I asked him what he wanted a day he says $200 then i asked him if he walks stilts.. he says no.. I told him if you don't walk stilts your not a journeyman and not worth $200 a day.


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## proficient Mudder (Aug 28, 2010)

Arey85 said:


> Don't you think that a non union hourly worker would want to use stilts to get the job done faster. After all..how quick you get the job done...is what separates you from the next guy who uses a baker and gets fired cuz he took too long.


I agree Arey and in my last reply I am being faced with this problem and with stilts just being part of a schedule pickup. The company I work for has quite a few guys that has been there for many years on the hourly wage. A few of them have never even walked on stilts because of always using scaffolds and those that have walked on them before, feel that they are taking the time from themselves for using them. But the pressure is on and the budgets are getting shorter and you can just feel the Love in the air (LOL) when I walk on the job everyday after telling all these guys to pick it up to a piecework speed or there job might be in danger. I have trained all my life to make quality with a safe speed limit, now I am transforming a whole company to start a whole new pace without losing Quality control.

Bill


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

Arey85 said:


> Don't you think that a non union hourly worker would want to use stilts to get the job done faster. After all..how quick you get the job done...is what separates you from the next guy who uses a baker and gets fired cuz he took too long.


 nope,hour workers (usually Union) dont invest in tools,they keep their jobs by back stabbing and kissing a$$.
was on a job in Sarnia(casino)(non union job) where it was by the hour,every taper there taped by hand.......I showed up with my machines.......was told by the so called head taper"when in Rome ,do as the Romans" I was like F'you.lets just say I had to check my tires on my truck every night to make sure they weren't slashed,they tried every thing to get rid of me,which just made me work harder and faster.
IT was like taking a machine gun to a turkey shoot,got the nick name machine gun Kelly from that job,now that I'm older my nick name is 10 o'clock Kelly.
but in your defense Arey85,most of these guys were union guys (on non union job)hour work and peice work two different ducks.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

fenez said:


> I was on a job last week doing venetian plaster and the taper on the job asked if I was looking for any more guys, I asked him what he wanted a day he says $200 then i asked him if he walks stilts.. he says no.. I told him if you don't walk stilts your not a journeyman and not worth $200 a day.


gee!!!! I wonder what a journeyman Clown on stilts makes at a county fair
So would you hire a taper that tapes by hand and uses stilts,or a machine taper that doesn't use stilts.
I did veneer plaster at a time when stilts were banned in Ontario,what was I then
I could have a guy working in stilts in under 5 minutes 
stilts make a journeyman??????????


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## proficient Mudder (Aug 28, 2010)

fenez said:


> I was on a job last week doing venetian plaster and the taper on the job asked if I was looking for any more guys, I asked him what he wanted a day he says $200 then i asked him if he walks stilts.. he says no.. I told him if you don't walk stilts your not a journeyman and not worth $200 a day.


 I personally would have a $200 a day person on the floor putting out the most work and the cheaper wages on the stilts.

Bill


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## sean B (Sep 9, 2010)

you wouldnt get a job around here if you cant or refuse to walk on stilts. 

i can see where an hourly person would want to milk an employer who doesnt pay a good hourly wage and work off a baker or scaffolding. but a good finisher around here is expected to kick butt and carry his own weight, no gravy grabbing in my company, gravy grabbers go out the door.

there are exceptions to the older guys who have packed on some weight over the years but still they jump up when needed.

i couldnt imagine finishing drywall without them.


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## sean B (Sep 9, 2010)

fenez said:


> I was on a job last week doing venetian plaster and the taper on the job asked if I was looking for any more guys, I asked him what he wanted a day he says $200 then i asked him if he walks stilts.. he says no.. I told him if you don't walk stilts your not a journeyman and not worth $200 a day.


 he must be really good to not have to be on stilts, you shoulda told him ok, you get everything on the floor and the rest of us will do high work, you leave when the floor work is done for 200 bucks, we will be waiting at the bar when you get done. sounds like a deal to me.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

from all the old guys who have packed on the weight over the years but still jump up when needed ....we thank you:thumbup:
actually it's called ,thank god for you fit young bucks who are told to "get you a$$ up there and ...." we thank you:yes:


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## Capt-sheetrock (Dec 11, 2009)

2buckcanuck said:


> from all the old guys who have packed on the weight over the years but still jump up when needed ....we thank you:thumbup:
> actually it's called ,thank god for you fit young bucks who are told to "get you a$$ up there and ...." we thank you:yes:


 I feel your, arthritis !!!!!:thumbup:


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## fenez (Nov 30, 2009)

2buckcanuck said:


> gee!!!! I wonder what a journeyman Clown on stilts makes at a county fair
> So would you hire a taper that tapes by hand and uses stilts,or a machine taper that doesn't use stilts.
> I did veneer plaster at a time when stilts were banned in Ontario,what was I then
> I could have a guy working in stilts in under 5 minutes
> stilts make a journeyman??????????


If a guy can only do bottoms then he isn't worth $200 a day... how could you leave him in a house alone? Keep in mind that we on long island for the most part don't use auto tools, we work with hawks and knives so if you aren't on stilts you can't do tops.


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## 2buckcanuck (Jul 9, 2010)

fenez said:


> If a guy can only do bottoms then he isn't worth $200 a day... how could you leave him in a house alone? Keep in mind that we on long island for the most part don't use auto tools, we work with hawks and knives so if you aren't on stilts you can't do tops.


I agree with you ,if your a hand taper you need stilts,technically, with machines you could survive with out stilts ,stilts were banned in ontario for 30 years,lets just say, in general,most guys became machine tapers in Ontario,get what i mean,would lose your shirt taping by hand here


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## fenez (Nov 30, 2009)

2buckcanuck said:


> I agree with you ,if your a hand taper you need stilts,technically, with machines you could survive with out stilts ,stilts were banned in ontario for 30 years,lets just say, in general,most guys became machine tapers in Ontario,get what i mean,would lose your shirt taping by hand here


contractors just hate the auto tools here... when I work alone I use them but if they see you the questions start and they feel they are getting screwed for some reason... thank god the numbers here are still high and hand taping is still feasible.


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## joepro0000 (Jun 14, 2008)

Stilts here 100% of the time, no excuse. MY question is for those people working or have worked in unions, where you need to take it slow - How is the union getting paid for you, by the job or by the hour? I don't see how a GC would be paying a union by the hour to do a job, because obviously the contractor will be taking his time.


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