Gutter clearing off a ladder

[southcoastkev]

I just wondered how many of you (if at all) cleared gutters off a ladder?

I usually do them by a gutter sucker vacuum, but I do check them from a ladder if necessary if a downpipe is blocked or an end cap pops off.

I have just moved to a town house and the previous resident (20 years +) had never had them cleared. There are only 4 small areas of gutter, 2 at the front, 2 at the back, but my vacuum just couldn't budge it. In the end I hired a very long ladder and went up and cleared them by hand. It was like thick turf, and being 30 foot up on a ladder isn't fun even though I don't mind heights. Fair play if you do, but I don't envy anyone who clears them off a ladder for each job.

 

[Pjj]

I just wondered how many of you (if at all) cleared gutters off a ladder?

I usually do them by a gutter sucker vacuum, but I do check them from a ladder if necessary if a downpipe is blocked or an end cap pops off.

I have just moved to a town house and the previous resident (20 years +) had never had them cleared. There are only 4 small areas of gutter, 2 at the front, 2 at the back, but my vacuum just couldn't budge it. In the end I hired a very long ladder and went up and cleared them by hand. It was like thick turf, and being 30 foot up on a ladder isn't fun even though I don't mind heights. Fair play if you do, but I don't envy anyone who clears them off a ladder for each job.

We use a gutter vac , but on some jobs you will still need a ladder now and then it’s always worth putting up the camera when quot just to try and spot ant hidden issues

 

[dazmond]

I clear my mother's and girlfriends gutters (using a ladder).its a horrible job.i dont offer this service to my customers anymore.i prefer normal window cleaning and the odd conny roof,fascia clean.

 

[southcoastkev]

I clear my mother's and girlfriends gutters (using a ladder).its a horrible job.i dont offer this service to my customers anymore.i prefer normal window cleaning and the odd conny roof,fascia clean.

Absolutely, it's a horrible job. I know it's a good maintenance thing to do, but I much prefer window cleaning too ?

 

[Dave B]

I used to clean this including the 3rd floor dormers above the gutter line off ladders
Pita with the Georgian bars all over the windows
Nowadays I only use a ladder to get on a couple of flat roofs and that’s it

 

[southcoastkev]

We use a gutter vac , but on some jobs you will still need a ladder now and then it’s always worth putting up the camera when quot just to try and spot ant hidden issues

@Pjj definitely. I have a little camera but couldn't see how deep the turf was. When I dropped a couple of chunks down my wife couldn't believe the thud it made when it landed on the ground.

 

[southcoastkev]

I used to clean this including the 3rd floor dormers above the gutter line off ladders
Pita with the Georgian bars all over the windows

Oh wow. No thank you very much. Plus the bars on them too ?

 

[Part Timer]

We do 2 block of flats, with individual gardens and 6' fences, so can only do them off a ladder. Pro gutter tools on the end of a WFP makes it a lot quicker and safer. Quite surprised you couldn't suck the turf out though.

 

[southcoastkev]

We do 2 block of flats, with individual gardens and 6' fences, so can only do them off a ladder. Pro gutter tools on the end of a WFP makes it a lot quicker and safer. Quite surprised you couldn't suck the turf out though.

@Part Timer there are two small bits at the front and back. One section is about 80cm long, the other about 120cm. The house has a sort of valley angled apex and some massive trees on another property. When I went up I genuinely don't think they've ever been done. Proper cramped and rammed up. I tried a few different nozzles and angles for ages but no luck. I like the pro gutter tools, they're very good value for money. Perfect on bungalows but not sure I'd want to do the flats you do yourself lol

 

[Part Timer]

not sure I'd want to do the flats you do yourself lol

There's 2 of us, one up the ladder beside the downpipe, not me, and one pushing the towards the ladder. It's only 2 floors though

 

[Crystalalan]

I use a ladder quite a lot actually. I do have a gutter vac to but sometimes it can actually be quicker up a ladder using extendable poles with profiled gutter clearers screwed onto the ends.

 

[Yogi1872]

I still use the ladder for them, use the pro gutter tool on a pole. I thought about a guyter vac but it would be time consuming

 

[southcoastkev]

I still use the ladder for them, use the pro gutter tool on a pole. I thought about a guyter vac but it would be time consuming

For general stuff I like the vacuum. It's also much less messy. Sometimes though the ladder is quicker (or in my case I couldn't have done it without it). The pro gutter tools are brilliant.

 

[Cleanco]

I still use a ladder for the smaller jobs with easy access as I find it quicker than the vac. I may be a little ocd when using and cleaning my vac as I don’t like to leave anythin inside the hose and poles incase it hardens and starts to cause blockages. I always use a ladder if possible to check the downspouts as my vac isn’t powerful enough to clear really plugged downspouts and also the corner pieces where two roofs converge to form a lead gulley which usually overlaps into the gutter I find are sometimes tricky to get with the vac.

 

[southcoastkev]

I still use a ladder for the smaller jobs with easy access as I find it quicker than the vac. I may be a little ocd when using and cleaning my vac as I don’t like to leave anythin inside the hose and poles incase it hardens and starts to cause blockages. I always use a ladder if possible to check the downspouts as my vac isn’t powerful enough to clear really plugged downspouts and also the corner pieces where two roofs converge to form a lead gulley which usually overlaps into the gutter I find are sometimes tricky to get with the vac.

I agree. I just can't always get everything with the vacuum. If I could justify the expense of the larger powerful vacuums then that's ok, but I don't like doing it much as it is, so don't want to encourage more gutter clearing jobs lol.

 

[Bell Pallisey]

dont work alone cleaning out gutters on a ladder

if you cannot afford a helper then you are not charging enough its as simple as that

 

[Cleanco]

dont work alone cleaning out gutters on a ladder

if you cannot afford a helper then you are not charging enough its as simple as that

I worked for many years without help on a ladder. That said it is good to have someone foot you on the odd dodgy climb. I wouldn’t be paying for someone to come in just to hold the ladder for me though.

 

[Dave B]

dont work alone cleaning out gutters on a ladder

if you cannot afford a helper then you are not charging enough its as simple as that

You use an Ankalad ladder stabiliser and microlight stand off to be safe and do it on your own
Don’t trust someone footing you

 

[southcoastkev]

dont work alone cleaning out gutters on a ladder

if you cannot afford a helper then you are not charging enough its as simple as that

@Bell Pallisey thank you but I wouldn't work by myself with ladders. This was just at home and my wife was footing the ladder . I hired a ladder from jewson as mine isn't tall enough. It was a pain in the a*se getting it up 3 floors as it was lol. Definitely wouldn't do it at a customer.

 

[Bell Pallisey]

I worked for many years without help on a ladder. That said it is good to have someone foot you on the odd dodgy climb. I wouldn’t be paying for someone to come in just to hold the ladder for me though.

i too worked alone on ladders -and once fell the full drop too [when cleaning windows] but this threads about gutters i probably do 2 or 3 gutter jobs each week on ladders and about 1 in ten of these is the one where youre risking your neck if you dont have a helper .Guaranteed youre going to fall eventually if you do 3 gutter jobs per week every week that 150 jobs per year solo .

 

[Bell Pallisey]

@Bell Pallisey thank you but I wouldn't work by myself with ladders. This was just at home and my wife was footing the ladder . I hired a ladder from jewson as mine isn't tall enough. It was a pain in the a*se getting it up 3 floors as it was lol. Definitely wouldn't do it at a customer.

was it a ladder that pulled up by a rope? i remember yrs back i rang round the hire shops for a really big ladder to go 4 storey on a new house and one shop told me yes we DO have one,its out the back,,,, hasnt been used in yrs .... i later found a newer sounding one at a different shop but never got the job as the cost of the hire [£80] put me out of the running