There are three common ways to work at height, and they do not substitute for one another. The wrong choice costs you either safety or schedule.
Facade scaffolding
A fixed system erected along the facade. The whole elevation becomes accessible at once.
When it is right: long-running work, several crews on the facade at the same time, material stored at height. Insulation, render, paint and stone cladding are all scaffold work.
The cost: erection and dismantling take time, the material quantity is large, and it occupies space along the facade.
Mast climbing work platform
A working deck that travels vertically along the facade. Unlike a scaffold it does not cover the whole elevation; the crew rides up and down with the platform.
When it is right: tall facades where the work advances as a single band. The crew brings itself to the level it is working on, with no empty scaffold frame standing below.
The cost: one level at a time. If three crews need three floors, the platform becomes the bottleneck.
Scissor lift
A mobile platform that rises vertically from the ground. Not fixed; it rolls.
When it is right: scattered, point-by-point work. Lighting in a warehouse ceiling, pipework in a plant, maintenance inside a shopping centre. Finish at one point, drive to the next.
The cost: it needs a flat, load-bearing floor. Reach is limited, and it does not suit continuous work along a facade.
Decision table
| Facade scaffold | Mast platform | Scissor lift | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facade length | Long | Medium | Short / point |
| Simultaneous crews | Many | One level | One |
| Material storage | On the facade | On the platform | Limited |
| Erection time | Long | Medium | None |
| Ground requirement | Firm base | Tie points | Flat, load-bearing |
On most sites the answer is "both"
On real projects these do not compete, they complement. The facade scaffold does the main work; the scissor lift handles interior work the scaffold does not reach; the mast platform comes in later for maintenance, once the scaffold is down.
What we offer
On the scaffolding side we produce flanged and H-frame systems in our own plants. Mast climbing platforms and scissor lifts are also in our range; on the scissor lift side we have a production capacity of 20 units a month.
If you are not sure which fits, send us the elevation and a description of the work; we will cost all three side by side.