Ladder standoffs for roofs

mattmia2 · July 21

Not heating at all but I need to do some gutter and soffit work and the people here usually know about this stuff.

I am looking for a support to put on top of my extension ladder to support the ladder on the surface of the roof rather than leaning it up against the gutter. One roof is 8/12 and the other is about 2/12. The extension ladder I have is a 24' fiberglass type 1a Werner. I have to store the ladder on some hooks on my garage wall and the space is limited so the support will have to be easy to remove and install, I don't want to spend 10 minutes with u bolts and wing nuts to do a 5 minute job.

What do you use and like?

109A_5 · July 21

To do soffit work I would want the ladder against the wall under the soffit ? Anyway they make those ladder adapters that span a window (to do work above a window) if put it at the top of the ladder it may reach the roof without the ladder touching the gutter. Seems that would be very awkward to do soffit work.

The way I would do it (have done it) is two ladders against the wall (often you can split an extension ladder), two ladder jacks and a Pick (or walk board, ladder planks) between the ladders. Set it up once and have a lot of range of comfortable movement.

They make protection boots for the end of the ladder where it touches the house wall.

Jamie Hall · July 21

I use the same type of gadget @109A_5 mentioned. Even has a pain can hook on it. Stands off about a foot. And I have absolutely no idea where I bought it. Sporty's Tool Shop, maybe? It just uses clamps and bolts on the ladder — they go around the sides and a rung, for stability.

SlamDunk · July 21

The original Ladder Max is what I use. Very robust.

EBEBRATT-Ed · July 21

The one @SlamDunk posted looks like it would go on on very easily.

Larry Weingarten · July 21

Or perhaps something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Ladders-Little-Helper-LLH1/dp/B00U830ZNQ

Yours, Larry

SlamDunk · July 21

I give it three stars out of five for installation. It could be me but I have put it on backwards a couple times. But once on, I feel very secure on the ladder.

Jamie Hall · July 22

This one

SMOQIO Ladder Stabilizer, Adjustable Ladder Standoff, Ladder Stabilizer for Roof Gutter Cleaning, Ladder Gutter Guard Accessories with White Anti-Slip Silicone Pad to Protect Wall - Amazon.com

is almost identical to the one I have and am very happy with.

mattmia2 · July 22

This is part of what i need to access so leaning it on the wall isn't an option.

I suppose I could try to lean it here:

This is where I could lean it on the wall.

I would not do well standing on a plank on ladder jacks at that height.

109A_5 · July 22

Yeah, I get it. To work where you drew the red line is short scaffold territory, with a fall barrier on the back side or all around. You could put a Pick between two step ladders and tie everything off so nothing can move.

The problem with supporting the top of a ladder with some kind of extension against that shallow pitched roof like that is it may damage the roof.

If it were me at my house and the scaffold was not possible, I would use two 2 x 4's to support the top of the ladder (kind of like an asymmetrical 'A' or an upside down 'V' when viewed from the side). The two 2 x 4's would span between the top (or near the top) of the ladder (attach securely) then to where the floor of the porch meets the house. At the house end the 2 x 4's would be at least twice as wide as the ladder for stability. The 2 x 4's would be cross braced so they can't shift or deform their shape. Something may be needed to protect the porch floor and the house wall. The assembly with the ladder could be slid or moved (left or right) to where is needed then tied off again.

Everything would be tied off to the structure or some other securely fixed point so your ladder assembly can't move.

I've never had a ladder that was tied off securely move unexpectedly on me and I have been in some sketchy places.

Jamie Hall · July 22

That is a sketchy location. What's in the yard in front of it? More or less level? I have a rather nice but exceedingly heavy 16 foot stepladder (one of those contraptions — Werner I think) which would do, but not if the ground wouldn't support it.

I'm cheap. Well, not cheap, but let's say the budget is limited… even so for that application I would find a place which rented man lifts and take it for a couple of days…

mattmia2 · July 22

the 24' type 1a fiberglass ladder falls in that exceedingly heavy category. There are shrubs under it. If I were doing more than replacing the fascia and gutter i'd come up with something more elaborate. You can reach a lot of it from the porch but the fascia is not in the right place for that.

If the standoff can angle more down than at a right angle then it would plant itself better on the low pitch roof.

SlamDunk · July 22

For what it’s worth, I have had the feet of the ladder shift from poor positioning on a sloped ground and those horns saved me. they saddle the rungs and are held in place with pins. Tool less installation.

JUGHNE · July 22

For a commercial rooftop access, when the gutters were change, the installer put a steel angle iron frame inside the top of the gutter.

That could be hardly noticed from the ground. The frame was about 3' wide.

It kept the ladder from crushing the gutter and would help to tie the ladder down.

Once secured, the ladder would not scratch the gutter.

mattmia2 · July 22

In reality I think most of my issue is that my gutter is home depot grade 19 thousandths gutter. I want to find someone to run 32 thousandths for me. If anyone knows someone around Ann Arbor that runs gutter and returns messages please let me know.

ChrisJ · July 23

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1860777#Comment_1860777

Sheet metal is generally measured by gauge.

If you ask an installer in thou, he's most likely not going to know what you want.

The guy that did my gutters was impressive. Not only did he really take his job seriously and was very good at it, he installed a 40' gutter alone on a 2nd story and I can't figure out how. But he did.

mattmia2 · July 23

There is a little hook that you put on a nail that holds one end of it. if the gutter is heavy enough gauge it will support itself over enough of that span to put it on the hook and lift up the other end. I plan to do something similar with some 2x4s clamped to the open rafters.

as far as I can see the standard thicknesses of aluminum coil are .019", .025", .027" and .032" which sit between 20 and 24 aluminum sheet metal gauge, some seem to line up with a gauge number, others do not.

ChrisJ · July 23

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1860806#Comment_1860806

I thought the leaders he used seemed heavier than what I could get from Homer, but I also thought maybe I was just nuts

mattmia2 · July 23

There are different thicknesses of downspout too though they are typically thinner than gutter because they are corrugated.

Home depot grade gutter is usually .019". They sometimes have "heavy duty" that is .025". Professionals usually use .027" or .032" coil stock.

Long Beach Ed · July 24

That doesn't look very high and calls out for a Little Giant-type folding ladder. It's a very handy tool if you ever have need for the investment. You can take it apart and use the two halves to support a plank, or stand it up right next to the roof. Some have leveling legs. Costco sells a discounted version that's probably tall enough, or you can rent one. On a single story house, you can do anything with one.

Little Giant moved their production to China, and their prices recently soared. I think Werner makes a USA version that's more economical and better USA quality.

They're very stable and versatile, and as we grow older we tend to appreciate our longevity in spite of past risks and value our continued survival more and more. So this may be an investment.

https://www.wernerco.com/us/products/ladders/multi-ladders/MTSeries/MT-22

EBEBRATT-Ed · July 24

I agree with @LongBeach Ed

A little giant type ladder is the best investment you can make. I bought one 30 years ago and it does 95% of what you need.

When I was working I used it for everything almost indestructible. It will make a 19' extension ladder, 6'-9' stem ladder and on stairs its unbeatable. Safest ladder you can use. Well worth the price.

A Co-worker had one and at first I thought it was a "gimmick" a little heavy etc but after I used his I loved it.

There is another way. take a 2 x 6 or 2 x8 and span it across the porch roof supports up under the gutter. Secure it with screws and lean the ladder against it.

Or clamp the 2 x 6 with big C-Clamps

Other techs drove around with 6', 8' 10' step ladders and an extension ladder on their vans I just had my little giant that did it all. If I needed another ladder, I would grab one at the shop.

One of the best things I ever bought.

I even set it up like an A frame with a chain fall dropping down through the middle and picked up a 500# pump.

The 19" extension ladder would get you on most roofs.

A regular 24' extension ladder overlaps 3' so you only get 21' out of that.

Jamie Hall · July 24

I use the Werner version of the ladder @EBEBRATT-Ed and @Long Beach Ed are referring to — got it at Home Depot. Incredibly useful around the place!

Mine at least has levelling extensions on the legs, so that it can be used even on sloping or uneven ground — never mind things like staircases or other such unhandy spots…

Ladder standoffs for roofs

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