I just bought a new Werner 24 foot extension ladder (fiberglass). I wanted to clean the gutters on my house and check out my roof for the first time. I set up the ladder on my gutters and started climbing the ladder. I noticed that it was rocking back and forth a very small amount. When I got to the top of the ladder, I noticed that the paint from my gutters had been scratched off by the ladder. Now, this was on my home, so it isn’t a big deal. However, I want to have a gutter cleaning add on business and don’t want to be scratching other people’s gutters. Did I do something wrong? I imagine every time you set a ladder on a gutter and climb it, it would scratch the paint on the gutter. You guys must be doing something else.
Use a ladder stand-off/stabilizer without resting on the gutters.
Not only will you avoid scratching the paint, you will not bend or loosen gutters. It will also be safer for you by providing a more stable position.
Agree, it’s an essential piece of equipment.
+1 and use your use of stand offs as a selling point.
I prefer the other style of stand off/stabilizer to what is pictured above. Check out the wcr shop
I may be wrong here but it looks like your climbing angle would change quite a bit. On some roofs are you basically laying down as you are getting to the gutters?
You can get different kinds
My Werner 97P allows for two standoff distances when the arms are flipped. For gutter cleaning on the ladder, I can place either on the roof above or under the eaves and still be at an ergonomic distance.
Nice! Thanks.
I always wanted the one that Larry showed there, but I have the other Werner one, the quick-click or quick-connect, something like that and I use ut for everything, is a must have tool.
I cannot believe it, but we receive compliments from our customers sometimes for using it, after that comes their horror stories with other contractors.
I use my 97P arms with my QuickClick.
Where do can you purchase the 97p?
Where do can you purchase the 97p?
I have the standoff the allows you to vary the distance by flipping the arms, but find that it makes my ladder very top heavy and hard to manage…is it just me? 
ive only used it twice.
It’s real fun atop a 40-footer with river rocks as the base!
The standoff is on the wrong side of the ladder. It should be between the ladder and the gutter. As it installed now the weight and stress is primarily born by the U-bolts, instead of the standoff itself. The U-bolts are meant to hold the standoff in place. By placing the standoff on the bottom side of the ladder not only will the ladder have greater clearance but the user will be safer as well.
I never use standoffs when servicing gutters I gain access to the roof using a ladder and walk the roof while cleaning the gutters. It save a lot of time. I rinse and flush gutters and downs spouts with hose if needed as well.
