Cleaning your gutters can be a nasty, difficult and dangerous task, but it is required to prevent water damage to your roof and walls of your home. This article discusses how to use a ladder to clean your gutters in a safer manner, as well as about the ladder safety gear you should consider employing.
Did you know that the United States has the highest number of ladder associated fatalities in the world? Nearly nine million people are treated in emergency rooms each year as a result of ladder-related accidents.
Any maintenance or repairs that require you to climb a ladder onto your roof or ladder for guttering should always be handled by an experienced individual. Nonetheless, we understand that you may find yourself in a situation where you must do maintenance on your own. If you must climb a ladder, we strongly advise you to follow these safety guidelines.
Before you begin, make sure you have all types of safety gears, like a decent pair of waterproof plastic gloves to protect your hands from sharp debris and uneven surfaces.
Select the Right Ladder For Guttering
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If you don’t already have one, the first step is to select the best suitable ladder for guttering, which will be determined by the height you need to reach. Step ladders can be utilized for a single-story bungalow, while extension ladders are required for two-story structures.
However, we do not advocate attempting to remove guttering on three-story structures; this is a task best left to the professionals. Ask your window cleaner for assistance, you will likely find that they can assist you with gutter cleaning.
How High Must Be the Ladder for Cleaning Gutters?
Source: Forevercleangutter.com
A simple single-story house’s gutter is around 3.3 meters high, whereas a two-story house’s gutter height is approximately 5.7 meters. As a result, you will need to choose a gutter ladder with a working height that matches your ceiling. In the case of a single-story home, this means a 10 or 12 tread step ladder or a two-section extension ladder with a 3.9m or more expanded height.
There are no acceptable step ladders for two-story home gutters; instead, an extension ladder with an expanded height of roughly 8 meters should be considered.
Combination Ladders
The Combination Ladder is one of the most flexible ladders for cleaning gutters and performing a variety of domestic tasks. These ladders may be used as both a step and an extension ladder.
A heavy-duty ladder leveler is integrated into combination ladders like the Hailo Combi or the Lyte Trade Combination Ladder, which is important for gutter cleaning duties.
Choose a Ladder Stand-Off
Housebuilders in the UK seem fond of getting the plastic gutters as close to the roof tiles as possible. Making clearing away the trash difficult and as hard as possible. When you use a ladder stay or stand off, you have a better working position above the gutter without crushing it, and your ladder has a more solid base.
What is a Stand-Off?
A stand off is a device that attaches to your ladder and keeps it about 50cm above the ground and away from the wall, providing you plenty of room to access and clean the gutter. Because it has a longer span than your ladder, generally around 1 meter / 40 feet, it makes contact with the wall .As a consequence, the stability of the ladder is increased, and you may now span over downpipes and other outside objects. We propose the Adjustable Ladder Stand Off because it allows you to vary the distance between the ladder and the wall from 43cm to 60cm, making it safer to use.
Using a Ladder for Cleaning your Gutters Dos and Don’ts
- Set up your extension ladders at the proper angle – most new ladders have a safety label on the side that shows the safest angle to use.
- If you don’t already have one, invest in a Ladder Paint Tray for storing paint pots and supplies.
- If you are not prepared and in control when using a pressure washer, it can blast you off a ladder.
- Reposition the ladder as needed while moving along the guttering and taking 30-minute rests.
DON’T
- Overreaching is one of the most common causes of individuals falling down ladders while sweeping gutters. As a general guideline, work with your belt buckle in between the stiles, hence it makes the ladder for guttering more safer and easier to use.
- Use a ladder that is appropriate for the work. You should never be more than three rungs from the top of an extension ladder. Your knees should be below the top of the stairs or the safety rail on platform steps while using a step ladder for cleaning gutters at home.
