Ladders and roofs have a friendly relation with each other. If you want to climb up to a slanted roof and repair a tile or doing some painting, ladders are your buddy. Ever thought about how the ladder is being kept stable on a sloped roof? This piece is all about how to stabilize ladder on roof.
How To Stabilize A Ladder On A Roof
Why do we need to stabilize a ladder on a roof? The main point is: You do not need to stabilize a ladder on a flat roof. However, if the roof is slanted or steeped, the issue of stabilization arises. The ladder will start to fall without stabilization.
Now, as we’ve shaded some light on “why do we need to balance or stabilize the ladder on the roof”, let’s start the process of stabilization.
Choose the correct ladder
Roofs are not similar to floors. The materials used to build the roof are different than the floor. You should know by which material your roof is made of. This will help you to select the correct types of ladder. You should not use a random ladder for roofwork.
Multipurpose ladders that match with the height of your house are a good choice to climb up to the roof and working on the roof. Besides this, you can choose a top quality roof ladder that has grippers at the bottom. Specific roof ladders are also available in the market.
You need to know the length of your roof. Then you can buy a ladder with extension, if needed. Choosing the wrong type of ladder might leave dents or scratches on your roof, even damage the roof to an extent that you need to call a professional to repair the roof later. That’s why choosing the correct ladder is very important for roofwork.
Get on the roof
Here we are presuming that you have to climb up to the roof. Place the ladder on a flat spot and set it against the corner of the roof. For each 4 feet of the ladder height, move the base of the ladder 1 foot away from your home wall. Take it as a formula to keep the ladder stable.
You can get help from some ladder tools. We have introduced some of them in the later parts of the article. Make sure that the top of the ladder is a minimum of 3 feet higher than the roofline. Once the ladder is set, climb up to the roof cautiously. For further safety, get someone to hold the ladder while climbing.
Set up the ladder on the roof and stabilize
Now that you are on the roof, hope you have lifted the required ladder on roof. Let’s start to set it up on the roof. Find a firm place for example: a gutter to anchor the ladder on the roof. Use a bungee cord to hook one end of the ladder to the gutter’s lip. Then fold the cord fully around the ladder in a circular manner. And then hook the other end of the bungee cord to another side of the gutter.
Ladder tools
Different types of ladder tools such as PiViT ladder tool, roof boot, tie down ladder hook with wheels, stand-off stabilizer etc. are available in the market. Depending on the shape and design of your roof, you can buy what type of tool you need and make use of them during climbing, setting up the ladder on the roof & stabilizing.
PiViT ladder tool
It creates a flat surface on a sloped or rough base. So, the ladder can stand on that flat surface perfectly. The process is simple. Place the PiViT ladder tool under the unbalanced leg of the ladder. This will balance the two legs by creating a flat base for the unbalanced leg and works as a ladder stabilizer.
Attaching a gripper at the bottom of the PiViT will increase the stability. This ladder tool can hold up to 500 lb. You can use this tool to work on different angles while standing on the ladder steps.
Tie-down ladder hook with wheels
This tool will give you a secure roof climbing experience. This handy tool hooks the ladder safely to the roof and keep it connected to the roof. It is designed in a T-shaped manner which allows it to grip a tiled roof perfectly without any damage.
Stand-off stabilizer
It’s there to help you if you don’t find any support to hold the ladder in a perfect place. This is a 19-inch handy tool, made of zinc and easy to install with your ladder.
SAFETY PRE-CAUTION
Ladder climbing could be risky and if you are not careful enough, you can fall and get injured. Besides, it can cost your life if the injury is serious. That’s why we suggest some precaution for your safety:
1. Be careful to choose the correct ladder for roofwork, as we described above.
2. Keep someone with you to assist, while doing roof works.
3. Keep your eye on the ladder during climbing to the roof. Always ensure 3 point contact (both hands and a leg or both legs and a hand are in contact with the ladder).
4. Select your dress properly. Wear slip-proof shoes. Use gloves too if you are comfortable.
5. Do the job in good weather. Going up to the roof using a ladder on a rainy or windy day does not sound great, right!
6. Check the manual of the ladder tools or get expert’s help for using them.
7. Ladder steps should be cleaned from dust and debris.
8. Never do roof works by yourself if you have fear of heights (acrophobia)
End note
Working with the ladder is fun, a bit risky too. Without proper stabilization, one can suddenly fell. Even if you stabilize the ladder perfectly, always be careful while doing any type of roof work using ladders.
Hope this article on how to stabilize ladder on roof will be beneficial for you.
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