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buzzing

  • Posts: 97
cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« on: November 20, 2014, 07:04:21 am »


Got to clean out these two gutters above an old house, any advice on safety with ladder?

Total shine cleaning services

  • Posts: 895
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2014, 08:22:32 am »
the proper way to work safely off a ladder is either to have it tethered to an eye bolt in the wall or have it footed by a mate, harness with a short lanyard so that you still have three points of contact as you clean the gutter, short pole with a gutter tool so you can get it all from one position and something to hang a bucket off the top of your ladder
don't spend the money you earn from this, put it into a pot towards a gutter vac, you can get something good enough for 2 storey domestics for £300 ish from guttercleaningsystems

Graham

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2014, 11:23:03 am »
I use an ankalad stabaliser fitted to my triple ladders & microlite standoff that can rest on roof tiles.

It's the safest set up I have used to date and never do any ladder roofline work without them now.

As far as keep having to move the ladders I also use progutter tools on a pole if/when required.

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2014, 12:06:13 pm »
On that one I would position my ladder on the wall above the top window so the microlite standoff fits in nice as close to the guttering as possible. Then set the ankalad outriggers properly so it stops any backward and sideways slip which also happens takes the bounce out of the ladder too.

You will probably find lots of crap, broken motar, bits of tiles and all sorts in both of those roof gulley's too.
Being those downpipes have bends at the top and bottom they will probably be blocked aswell so you may need to take the joints apart to clear them that is if they are plastic and not glued together. If they are cast iron then will need to be vacummed from the top first then jetted through. You can on some ocasions try to unblock them with just using a garden hose attached to a pole with a cone nozzle in the downspot on full pelt. Also attaching a wet/dry vac (guttervac) to the bottom of the downpipe as in this pic.

What ever methods you use it's always best to do a water test to make sure the gutters & downspouts are free flowing.


Hope this helps?




Jakey boy

  • Posts: 869
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2014, 12:23:45 pm »
For goodness sake guys, get the ladder, put it up against the house and get up there. Not hard. We've been doing gutter cleans off ladders for 8 years, never had a problem, just be carefull and you'll be fine! What is going on with all this worry about ladders! People have been using them for years!!

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2014, 12:41:44 pm »
People have been  getting killed and/or seriously injured falling from ladders every year since they were invented too. It’s good to be cautious and use appropriate safety devices when using ladders instead of just saying it will never happen to me.  ;D

For goodness sake guys, get the ladder, put it up against the house and get up there. Not hard. We've been doing gutter cleans off ladders for 8 years, never had a problem, just be carefull and you'll be fine! What is going on with all this worry about ladders! People have been using them for years!!

Jakey boy

  • Posts: 869
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #6 on: November 20, 2014, 01:18:29 pm »
Exactly, be carefull and you'll be fine, that's the point.

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #7 on: November 20, 2014, 01:32:35 pm »
So are you saying no one foots the ladder for you and you use no safety devices at all for roofline work?

Exactly, be carefull and you'll be fine, that's the point.

Jakey boy

  • Posts: 869
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #8 on: November 20, 2014, 02:33:53 pm »
Yep, same as all 8 other window clearners I work closely with. Ladders were designed for use such as reaching gutters etc, after being carful about placement, you will be perfectly safe, it's no different cleaning windows off ladders, your just a bit higher.

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #9 on: November 20, 2014, 03:49:34 pm »
So how do you do awkard jobs say for instance like the fist pic I posted will deep sofitts?
would you rest the ladder on the gutters as there is no other place to put it as the fascia showing is tiny to rest the top of the ladder there safely. What I'm getting at is you need to use the right bits of kit that will make your job safer and easier to do surely?

Yep, same as all 8 other window clearners I work closely with. Ladders were designed for use such as reaching gutters etc, after being carful about placement, you will be perfectly safe, it's no different cleaning windows off ladders, your just a bit higher.

Caleb Morley

  • Posts: 376
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #10 on: November 20, 2014, 06:40:46 pm »
I use an ankalad stabaliser fitted to my triple ladders & microlite standoff that can rest on roof tiles.

It's the safest set up I have used to date and never do any ladder roofline work without them now.

As far as keep having to move the ladders I also use progutter tools on a pole if/when required.

What's the cost of that kit mate?

Would it fit on a pointed double ladder?

Cheers

Jakey boy

  • Posts: 869
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #11 on: November 20, 2014, 06:48:03 pm »
We rest ladder on gutter in those situations, you'll be absolutly fine, all you need to do is be vigilante and carefull

Jakey boy

  • Posts: 869
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #12 on: November 20, 2014, 06:49:56 pm »
From the pictures, Wouldn't it be easy I have the added up agaisnt the wall?! Next to the gutter? It's inly a small strip? You could easily reach it?

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #13 on: November 20, 2014, 11:01:03 pm »
That's just raving bonkers if you ask me ;D


We rest ladder on gutter in those situations, you'll be absolutly fine, all you need to do is be vigilante and carefull

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #14 on: November 20, 2014, 11:22:16 pm »
Hi, Best just google both ankalad and microlite standoff separately

I also like bps ladders as are more stable than ladders without the wide stabiliser foot at the bottom of the ladder also they have catches to stop the sections from moving apart when you carry then about etc. Not only that they don't tend to want to twist and become unstable when extending the sections like standard ladders do.
I would not have thought you could fit an ankalad to a window cleaners  ladder as the stiles need to be parallel to each other with at least 9 rungs.

I use an ankalad stabaliser fitted to my triple ladders & microlite standoff that can rest on roof tiles.

It's the safest set up I have used to date and never do any ladder roofline work without them now.

As far as keep having to move the ladders I also use progutter tools on a pole if/when required.

What's the cost of that kit mate?

Would it fit on a pointed double ladder?

Cheers

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #15 on: November 20, 2014, 11:51:23 pm »
I do gutter clearing as a living not just an addon to window cleaning so I like to do it as safely and as easily as I can. I also clear roof gulleys too when required as is a bit pointless just trying to clear gutters when they look like this.



Ian101

  • Posts: 7887
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #16 on: November 21, 2014, 12:02:22 am »
I do gutter clearing as a living not just an addon to window cleaning so I like to do it as safely and as easily as I can. I also clear roof gulleys too when required as is a bit pointless just trying to clear gutters when they look like this.




like the set up !

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #17 on: November 21, 2014, 12:04:07 am »
Thanks...Me too  ;D

I do gutter clearing as a living not just an addon to window cleaning so I like to do it as safely and as easily as I can. I also clear roof gulleys too when required as is a bit pointless just trying to clear gutters when they look like this.




like the set up !

richywilts

  • Posts: 4261
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #18 on: November 21, 2014, 12:05:18 am »
buy a standoff cant beat them for the price they bring u out away from the house, secure u better and balance u better for the sake of 30-40 quid u cant beat them slip matt at the bottom
Richard Wiltshire
Window Clean Direct

richardwiltshire36@yahoo.co.uk
www.windowcleandirect.co.uk
07894821844

Smurf

  • Posts: 8538
Re: cleaning gutters on old house with a ladder?
« Reply #19 on: November 21, 2014, 12:11:39 am »
I've used other types of standoffs but that microlite standoff is the only one that is class 1 rated in the UK and designed to be used on roof tiles too. As for using a slip matt I just don't trust them as don't work on slippery surfaces unlike an ankalad.

buy a standoff cant beat them for the price they bring u out away from the house, secure u better and balance u better for the sake of 30-40 quid u cant beat them slip matt at the bottom