If you plan to clean your home gutters, this post will help you complete the task safely without incurring any injuries in the process. It’s saddening how often people lose their lives as a result of wrongfully placing ladders when cleaning gutters.
There has been an increased number of people getting hurt when they clean their gutters using ladders. In 2011 alone, the CDE revealed that more than 113 cases of injuries occurred, 34,000 people visited emergency rooms, and 15,460 fatalities were reported in more than a day because of the wrong use of a ladder when cleaning gutters.
Even from all the sad news, cleaning gutters is still an important task. You can’t avoid doing it – maybe, you need a few tips on how you can maintain safety when cleaning your gutters using a ladder to minimize the too-good-to-true stats above.
Now, there are a ton of devices and hacks that can improve the way you approach gutter cleaning using a ladder. You could use hose attachments, robots, blowers, vacuums, gizmos, hooks, among others. But gutters carry all sorts of things, which is why you need to clean them regularly.
One of the proven ways to clean your gutter is by picking the materials by hand on your gutter using quality gloves. This works better, but you need to do this by positioning your ladder well to ensure your safety when performing the task.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how you can clean your gutters using a ladder safely without getting injured during the process – with tips and hacks that are proven to work. Let’s start with the first tip:
Table of Contents
1. Identify the Best Ladder Positioning
Your safety should be your top priority when using a ladder. Therefore, finding the best position for your ladder is essential, especially when you want to clean your gutters. If you place your ladder in the wrong position, there’s a chance you’ll damage your gutters.
Not only that, but a wrongly positioned ladder will interfere with your comfort during work, and even worse, lead to toppling over.
Good news! You can position your ladder against a building at the right intersection, so you don’t have to worry about your safety.
One way you can identify the right position is by trying to reach the rungs using your fingertips while standing on your toes at the ladder’s feet. Make adjustments if you still find it strenuous.
In case of uneven surfaces, you need to block one of the ladder’s feet, so it’s perpendicular. This is to ensure your safety when cleaning gutter because it enhances more stability.
However, it is worth noting that whether or not you’re working on a leveled ground, the rungs of your ladder needs to be stable. If you find it hard, rest assured to find some ladder-leveling tools in the ladder stores.
During the rainy seasons, using a ladder can be a daunting prospect. Not to worry, though, because you can place the ladder’s feet parallel with the rails, and run them into the mud before positioning it against the building.
That said, below are some of the factors you need to consider when positioning your ladder:
Avoid leaning the ladder against the gutters to prevent damages. Instead, lean your ladder against the wall to comfortably clean the gutter.
Adjust your ladder to the right heights, so you have a comfortable working position.
2. Carefully Review Your Ladder Size
The worst mistake you can ever make is to choose the wrong ladder size. Using a proper-sized ladder will ease you from straining as well as toppling over during work.
In other words, your ladder should be of the right height. If it’s too short, chances are you’ll fall from it. Similarly, if the ladder is too long, working on it becomes uncomfortable.
Therefore, choosing the right ladder for cleaning your gutter is crucial. The best-recommended ladder heights for cleaning gutters ranges between 15 feet and 17 feet. These heights are perfect for anyone.
3. Do You Need a Standoff?
Do you have difficulties clearing debris off your gutter? Perhaps you should consider using a standoff. Cleaning gutters fitted close to the roof can be frustrating, especially when you have the wrong ladder.
Standoff or ladder-stay ensures efficacy while preventing damages to your gutter. It entirely fits on your ladder, and as such, helps you find the right position for cleaning your gutters.
In addition to protecting your gutters from damages imposed by the ladder, standoff helps enhance the stability of your ladder when cleaning the gutters.
It also provides you with a stable working position, preventing more pressure to the gutters. Your ladder becomes stable as well.
4. Leverage on Ladder’s Little Helper
By now, you probably know more about ladders. But, what the heck is Ladder’s Little Helper?
Well, it is a ladder safety device that helps prevent damages, accidents, and scratching of the gutters while using the ladder.
The patented design of Ladder’s Little Helper includes the anti-slip feature that’s excellent for in-home repairs as well as industrial requirements.
Because it’s also preferred for industrial purposes, most contractors are likely to use the same ladder for in-home tasks.
Climbing up the roofs is one of the in-home repairs contractors do, and as such, they stand a chance of falling off the ladder. Thanks to the Ladder’s Little Helper because it helps reduce the chances of accidents during work.
Advantages of Using Ladder’s Little Helper
- Comprises of the anti-slip technology that prevents accidents at home.
- Ladder’s Little Helper is popular across the world.
- It is durable and at the same time lightweight.
- The Helper enhances your safety during work.
- This device has a patented Design
- Compatible with all ladders and gutters.
- Perfect for high surfaces.
- Ladder’s Little Helper protects the gutters from damages.
- It can fit on multiple-sized poles due to the unique two-stage pole size they possess.
5. Safely Get Down the Ladder After Completing Task
Climbing down the gutter is also another way of protecting your gutters from damages. Most people are careful when climbing up the ladder, but pay less attention when getting down.
Once you’re done cleaning the gutters, try not to exert too much pressure on the gutters while stepping down. Also, supporting yourself on the gutter while climbing up the roof can contribute to damages.
You can ask someone for extra support by securing the ladder as you climb up. This way, your safety, as well as that of the gutter, is ensured.
Wrap Up
Sure, you can’t avoid accidents 100 percent because some of them come when you don’t expect.
However, you can prevent a ton of accidents by taking some precautionary measures, such as the ones we have discussed above.
You may think that it’s a waste of time to follow the above guidelines, but it’s for your safety. Please make sure that you have followed them to avoid more likely accidents.
