Posted by
Zhongxin Ladder on Thursday, August 20, 2009 12:00:00 AM
When the fates dealt me a one-two punch one afternoon, a
ladder stabilizer saved my life. I was rebuilding soffits and fascias three
stories up on my 40-ft., fully extended ladder. As I juggled tools and lumber,
rising winds began buffeting the ladder. It wiggled and jiggled, but withstood
the gusts, thanks to the stabilizer. Then, in a Keystone cop–like
maneuver, my partner accidentally banged a 1x10 across the bottom of the
ladder. It shuddered even more, but stayed put. Without the stabilizer, that
ladder and I would have slid off the gable wall and crashed to the
ground.
A ladder stabilizer (also called a stand-off) is an accessory with
wide tubular arms and non-skid rubber pads that grips a house wall,
increasing both a ladder’s stability and your “reach” working aloft.
Stabilizers mount on all types of extension ladders, allowing them to
straddle wide windows or “stand off” farther from a house to reach deep
eaves, while providing a rock-steady workstation. We’ll show you how a
stabilizer can extend your ladder’s capabilities and how to use it to
work faster and more safely.
Stabilizers Help Ladders Do More
Although ladders are the No. 1 tool for helping you work up high, their
narrow, 16- to 20-in. stance sometimes limits their ability to position
you properly and safely for tackling these tricky tasks:
-
Accessing all sides of a wide window (Photo 1). With a stabilizer, you position the
ladder only once to efficiently reach all areas around the window.
-
Painting
the rake board of a wide overhang (Photo 2). A stabilizer allows you to
see and reach the work from a more comfortable position.
-
Working
around a deep soffit to hang a gutter (Photo 3). If the ladder rests
against the house, you have to bend back too far to work on the fascia.
If it leans against the fascia, the ladder interferes with placing the
gutter.
Renting scaffolding can solve most access problems. But you’ll save
a lot of money and setup time by renting or buying a ladder stabilizer
instead.
Adjustable Stabilizers Are The Most Versatile
Stabilizers can be divided into two groups: fixed-depth and adjustable.
Before renting or buying either type, verify that it’s intended for use
with your aluminum or fiberglass ladder. To install a fixed-depth
stabilizer, like the one shown in
Photo 2, slide it over your ladder’s rungs and lock it in position with
the safety clip. A typical model spans about 45
in. and holds the ladder 10 in. away from the house wall. They have a
load capacity of 300 lbs. and are sold at home centers for $15 to $30.
Adjustable stabilizers are the most versatile. Attach this type to
your ladder’s side rails with U-bolts (Photo 4). It too has a 300-lb.
load capacity and quickly converts from variable widths of 49 in. to 65
in. (at a 12-in. depth), to a narrower width of 48 in. (but at a 29-in.
depth). You can get one at a rental center for about $10 a day or buy
one for about $70 from stores that cater to contractors (look in the
Yellow Pages under “Ladders”).
Use Your Stabilizer Safely
Apply this ironclad rule: When installing a stabilizer, position it so it will be between the house and ladder (Photo 5).
Follow these other rules too:
-
Don’t use the type of stabilizers
shown here on most folding (also called “articulated”) ladders. Use
only the manufacturer’s recommended stabilizer for the model and duty
rating of folding ladders.
-
Be aware of
overhead power lines. You could be electrocuted if you touch them with
your ladder or stabilizer. If necessary, enlist a helper to raise the
ladder (with stabilizer) into position.
-
Don’t stand on the stabilizer.
-
Stabilizers
aren’t load-rated to carry the additional weight of ladder jacks and
walk planks hung from the ladders. Also, don’t use the stabilizer arms
to support planks.
-
Working aloft using old
joint compound buckets to carry tools and materials is wonderfully
efficient. For maximum safety, limit the weight of the filled bucket so
the total load (including your weight) doesn’t exceed the capacity of
either the ladder or the stabilizer. Tie a rope to the bucket, climb
the ladder, haul the bucket up and tie it to the ladder rails, not the
arms of the stabilizer.
Stabilizers can give you an increased sense of security aloft, but
know your limits! Avoid a mistake caused by overconfidence—like
overreaching to get an additional 6 in. closer to a spot—that could
lead to tragedy.
1. Working around high windows is easier with a stabilizer set
up in a wide stance. Something as light as a gallon of paint can safely
hang from the stabilizer’s arms, but otherwise avoid placing weight on
them.
2. Paint trim on a wide overhang without performing a backflip.
A stabilizer permits a direct view of the work area and makes this kind
of work safer and less tiring. Fixed-depth stabilizers, like this one,
attach to an extension ladder by slipping (and locking) over the top
two rungs.
3. Use a stabilizer to stand a ladder away from a deep
soffit—providing a gap to lay a gutter section in—and making working
alone easier. Some adjustable stabilizers, capable of multiple
configurations, can be set up to work in front of soffits as deep as 24
in.
4. Carefully attach a stabilizer to an extension ladder. Read
the directions and determine whether the stabilizer is designed to fit
aluminum and/or fiberglass ladders. Attach the stabilizer only at the
top of the ladder and position the U-bolts and angle clips correctly on
the side rails and around the ladder rung.
5. Convert adjustable-type stabilizers so they have a wide
stance and shallower stand-off OR narrow stance and deeper stand-off.
The foot pads and the stabilizer arm sections can flip-flop into either
the wide or deep configuration. The rubber foot pads are detachable and
set up on either end of the stabilizer arms. The rubber pads allow the
firmest grip on siding. To prevent black marks on the siding, cover the
pads with accessory fleece bonnets.