Ladder work
The gable and soffits of the McNickle's home were painted using a 20 foot Oregon pole ladder against the awning aided by a roller on an extra long pole. The job was completed without any scaffolding although McNickle's wife was forced to support the ladder, all the time saying "get a man in"!

Tackling a job that most DIY's would shy away from, the McNickles relined the veranda ceiling using sheets of Hardiflex, each weighing 13 kgs, which they pre-painted in Resene Barley White before installation. Each sheet was positioned between the rafters after careful measurement. Using a twelve foot hinged prop at the upper end plus temporary stays at the lower end the sheets were positioned, then glued and screwed into place. On sheets 3 and 6 McNickle's wife was nearly decapitated when he lost control of the sheets. By sheet 7 the installation had been perfected - unfortunately sheet 7 was the last one!

Verandah ceiling	Tennis court
Resene Barley White	Resene Green House

Last on the list of jobs was the tennis court. The tennis court poles plus net stays, after careful preparation, were painted with gloss Resene Green House. The work was completed during the October westerlies rendering the ladder susceptible to the capricious gusts. The ladder was therefore fastened to each pole using a brown trouser belt, it being the most readily available and easily adjusted by hand. The belt is now covered in green paint splodges and is a constant reminder of the job. Unfortunately with the belt busy holding the ladder in place, the painter's trousers fell down 17 times during the job! The moral of this story - make sure you have two belts handy before you start!

Thanks to the McNickle family of Auckland.

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