When you live on scrounge, and also do labor gigs for neighbors, and also live deep in the desert where neighbors can be kind of transitory because they move here thinking it’s a good idea and then move away when they learn (or are convinced by their wives 😀 ) that it’s not, abandoned property is a good source of tools. But you can’t be choosy, which is how I ended up with – well, all three of my ladders, really. This extending ladder is not something I would have chosen if I was perusing the selection at Home Depot, but it’s what I’ve got. And though it always scares hell out of me, the thing I most hate about it is also what makes it useful: It’s light and handy. But it’s also wiggly-wobbly and its feet are too small and I really don’t want it to be the thing that cripples or kills me. So every time I use it I waste amazing amounts of time fiddling with its placement and support and going up and down it like a 90-year-old president when I ought to be briskly working. And I always wish I’d gone to the effort of using my (Landlady’s, really, but I’m the only one who ever uses it) real ladder which is a much better tool but unfortunately weighs a ton.
Speaking of not falling and dying…
…I gotta get another roll of this great traction tape a Generous Reader sent me years ago. Used up the last of it this morning replacing the two most worn pieces on my porch stairs.
See if you can procure a ‘ladder stabilizer’, or even buy one- usually less than $40. Set up is a pain, but much greater stability- I’ve got a Cl2 ladder like the one pictured, & when fully extended (22’) it gets pretty wonky w/o the stabilizer; much more peace of mind when on high.
Hey Joel, you could get a ladder stabilizer which would solve this issue.
https://www.amazon.com/Ladder-Stabilizer-Standoff-Aluminum-Accessory/dp/B0CP1PH9HM/ref=sr_1_54
Or, nail a board piece on the roof edge on each side of the ladder. Now the ladder is stabilized from sliding sideways and dumping you. Done with roof work? Remove ladder, leaving braces for next time you climb onto that roof.
Not that any of us are made of money, well, at least I’m not, but I’ve long been a believer in having high quality gear and tools. An ounce of prevention is far cheaper than a pound of cure…. And falls are always dangerous – and even more so as we get, um, wiser…
I added a stabilizer like Mike’s offering, and it really helps.
Kentucky
Tree Mike
SOP, run your ladder at least 3 ft above the roof ( I see you only have about 1 ft above), so that you have a hand hold and there is no wonky transitional acrobatics or marginal balance shit getting on and off the ladder.
How To Run Your Life, by Tree Mike, a geezer with well over 50 years of ladder experience. The 3 ft rule is official, yet, a surprisingly good bit of advice.
Other, above mentioned safety hacks are also good ideas. Careful out there in the middle of nowhere.
Is chicken wire or hardware cloth easier to acquire than traction tape if you run out? A local nature preserve used it for boardwalks, so I tried it myself and liked the results. It’s been a few years and no signs of wear for mine.