Drywall Stilts

The drywall hangers used drywall stilts. They have two different sizes, for the different ceiling heights.

I had heard that drywall stilts are not allowed anymore, so I looked it up. OSHA does prohibit the use of stilts in some areas and states. And their rules state that “Stilts must not be used without proper training and workers must have experience in their use.”

OSHA has quite a checklist for any area that stilts are allowed, but they all make sense. They don’t want you to trip and fall out of a window. “Guardrails effective at normal working heights are unlikely to be effective for stilt workers, especially if the work is being done near a balcony or stairs.”

I wondered about drywall stilts and got very distracted. People living in swampy or floody areas in Africa, China and Europe have used stilts to get around. And, did you know that French shepherds used to use stilts to keep watch over their sheep? And in Sri Lanka, people surf fish on stilts?

How long have they been around? I Googled “who invented drywall stilts” and got “Drywall stilts were invented by an out of work orthopedic surgeon.  He’s plenty busy now.”

I still don’t have the real answer.

Ready for Drywall >
Installing the Drywall >
Installing the Drywall – Part 2 >