Extension ladder safety/stabilization questions

[Blue Event Horizon]

I have a rural house on a slope. Front side of garage and back side of breezeway and backside of upslope section of house have level surfaces (driveway or deck); the rest is lawn or mulched area. The house has three main sections from the outside with the vaulted section in the middle and lower sections on each side--all have long overhanging arches. The vaulted section and downslope section are grass in back and mulched area in front. Non vault areas at eaves are about 9-10 feet from ground (which is none too even) and vaulted area is about same in front because of porch but about 13-14 feet from ground in back grass area.

Seeking advice on keeping ladder from moving out of place when cleaning/repairing gutters or spraying moss killer from a hose end sprayer onto roof. Using a 17' Cosco Multi-Purpose ladder as the extension ladder. Thinking of placing a 2X4 with water filled cat litter pails backing it against the ground legs of ladder or maybe four 40 pound bags of water conditioner salt against the ladder legs; perhaps sacks of something else heavy if the salt bags don't seem durable and nonslippery enough. Do these seem practical ideas? Anyone have better suggestions to prevent "kickout"?

To help prevent side to side motion at top I've not thought of anything better than putting clamps on side of fascia which doesn't sound much help if top of ladder is against fascia and doesn't sound any help if I put some wood in the gutters and lean the ladder against them for greater height. Don't want to try putting eyebolts in fascia for top tie offs because of difficulty putting them in originally, unsureness of whether this would affect weather proofing in rainy, humid Western Washington and becauxe of appearance (also would need to buy some tools I'd like to put off spending the money on now and clearing out garage space to store properly in order to put in eyebolts safely and quickly). Advice?

Suggestions regarding questions I didn't think to ask?

Maybe I'm far overconcerned about ladder slippage. No experience with houses that had steep roofs or didn't have level surfaces around them. Rarely used extension ladders. No recent experience at all, as I've been an apartment renter for decades.

Simple, inexpensive but effective suggestions preferred but I'll do what's necessary. Just regained my health this year and want to stay alive and uninjured to enjoy the experience. Household maintenance isn't my idea of fun but it does need doing and I'm in a catchup position and the weather is good for outdoor work right now.

All helpful or well-intended advice welcome.

BEH

[John Grabowski]

I have a Little Giant ladder which I bought for use over stairs. In the extension mode it can be 23' long. However it is heavy and cumbersome to use it like that and requires 2 or 3 people to get it up that high. For tall outdoor jobs I mostly use a 24' fiberglass extension ladder which I can handle by myself. An aluminum extension ladder is lighter, but I am an electrician. If slippage on the ground is a concern I usually dig two small holes for the legs to sit down in. I put the grass divots back in place when I am done.

If you are concerned about slippage at the top, you can buy braces that clamp onto the ladder that have a wider spread. Look around online for them.

[Al Bundy]

Blue Event Horizon wrote in news: [e-mail]:

As John Grabowski mentioned, two small holes for the legs to sit down in. would be ok - for a single position. That might encourage stretching or leaning since moving the ladder a few inches requires another hole.

I've driven (well into the ground) two stakes x feet apart and laid down a 4x4 or 2x4 on the narrow side. Can move ladder anywhere the lumber length.

No! I used ladders for 20-30 yrs without an incident. One day a 12' ladder to roof in the asphalt driveway. Go up ladder. put one foot on roof, ladder slips out. One leg hits ground perfectly vertical flatfooted. Drives ankle joint up leg bone like a wood splitter. "8 clearly visible fractures plus spidering" as the ER called it. Earned me

9 screws and a plate.

Hindsight: Mowed grass the day before. Clippings on ground. Morning dew on ground. Grass clippings end up on ladder feet. Rest you can figure.

"overconcerned"...Whadda ya think?

[Blue Event Horizon]

Perhaps I could put some long nails through a 2x4 to stick in grassy or mulch areas and combine this with "sandbagging" the legs also. This ground is so rocky I think driving stakes into the ground would be a real problem--deep enough might even be a way to discover where something buried underground is but isn't as deep as it's supposed to be. For various reasons I'd rather not dig holes anyway.

I am going to have to go up on the two nonvaulted ends of the roof to their peaks to spray the vaulted section with moss killer from those spots because the spray won't reach far enough from the eaves to get the upper parts of vaulted section. (Unless I don't feel safe doing this.) Can get on one section from the deck side in back (about 7-8 feet from deck to eave here) and the other section from the front mulch side next to the porch (less slippage risk than from the grass side). I can put some 4x4s in the rain gutters so they'll be solid support for the ladder.

The roof slope is 5/12 which I think is steeper than the roofs I've been on before. I don't remember the roofs I've been on in Southern California being steep enough once I was on them that I had too much concern about slipping while working or walking on them or stepping on or off them. I look at these and ask myself, "Why won't I slip-slide down and off trying to step onto the roof or walk up and down if I do get up on the roof OK. I keep reading to have the ladder go three feet past the top contact point and it's safe to step onto the roof but I keep thinking that sounds fine for stepping onto a flat surface but I'm gonna be stepping onto an inclined surface; how's that gonna be safe?

Advice for getting on and off the roof plus going up and down between eaves end and peak safely? And for keeping a calm attitude while doing all this?

I think my concerns are reasonable.

BEH

[Al Bundy]

Blue Event Horizon wrote in news: [e-mail]:

You seem to be VERY concerned here. And rightfully so since, in fact, fatal injuries are possible. You said

For the tasks you need done and the terrain you have to deal with you might just want to eat the cost of having it done. Peace of mind, zero personal risk, no equipment investment and it'll be done in an hour or two. Consider it.

[Blue Event Horizon]

[snip]

Just a late followup message. I considered this, made a few phone calls and ended up doing it myself but without going onto the roof. Took a lot of time &care in placing, testing stability and bracing the ladder each time I set it up against the fascia to be sure it was stable before going up above the first rung. Took a *lot* of time and adjustment to get it set up for each new location but managed to get the job(s) done without any damage to self or structure. Fortunately I'd underestimated how much moss killing spray I'd need and found a brand with an adjustable nozzle that allowed me to spray a stream that went far enough to reach the top of the vaulted ceiling from the ladder so I was able to cover every part of the roof from the ladder

Once I had the ladder in a stabile position with the feet dug in a little I pushed a 2x4 against them and placed a 40 pound bag of salt on the board. This helped hold it better than I'd expected. I also followed the advice about hauling tools up with a rope after reaching your work position instead of carrying them and think this really helped prevent me from going offbalance.

When it comes time the rain gutters need replacement I will eat the cost of having someone else do it though. On this property I think scaffolding may be a necessity for that

Thanks for your help.

BEH