Lots of VERY successful and PROFESSIONAL window cleaning companies use extension ladders. I think you work for one, right? I don’t think you should be calling them unprofessional ladders, even though some of us think real window cleaners use sectionals. ha ha
I use extention ladders. I also do gutter cleaning which makes them great for that too. I have never used a sectional but I could see them coming in handy for doing windows. Out of curiosity, can you use a sectional for gutters and can you install levelers on them? I also use ladder stabilizers on my ext. ladders to keep from bending gutters up. Can you use a stabilizer on a sectional as well?
Steve
I never charge extra for a first floor window because they do not require any special time consuming methods, if you have a sectional. Just lean the top section against the house at any CRAZY ANGLE necessary, jump up and clean the window.
Sometimes I’ll even flip it upside down so I only have one point of contact with the uneven or sloping ground. This way I don’t have to work on a wobbly ladder. I hate that, don’t you? You should see some of the QUICK and EASY ladder set ups you can do on the first floor with a sectional.
QUICK and EASY!
The Sectional ! Light weight, versatile, designed for what we do. We rarely use extention ladders, but on rare, specific occasions.
What do you guys use more for the tops of your extension ladders, a 44" quickclick ladder stabalizer or regular ladder covers?
A Louisville Ladder Wall Guard
It swivels, has a textured, rubber boot cover, won’t mark walls, adds stability and working space, can be jammed up under a sill on a breezy day, and sets up great on the cross section of frames to do multiple windows in one climb. Plus, they’re pretty cheap and last forever.
Are sectionals good for gutter cleaning? Most of us do gutters and I was wondering if they were?
Steve
Werner QuickClick™ or 97P - Adjustable True Grip®.
Your picture reminds me of something I saw on a couple of trucks in downtown Boston. A big highrise window cleaning company bolted 4x8 pieces of wood to the tops of all their ladders. Kinda like your picture but bolted directly to the ladder rails. The reason I am mentioning it here is that they cut out a V groove in the wood; like a sectional ladder would have. They also glued a piece of commercial carpet onto the wood to protect the building as well. This way they could use their extension ladders on commercial buildings that have glass walls with nothing but mullions between the glass to lean the ladders against. As a side note they had sectionals inside their vans as well. They had 8 foot top pieces.
They were doing a big building that day with half a dozen guys in chairs. It was fun watching them.
What I see is missing the fact that sectionals are wobbly! I have 7’top two 6’ middles 3’ foot piece and 6’ bottom. I will be buying a 32’ extension ladder this year for stability on cleaning gutters and high windows.
Stability is safety.
Granted I use them all the time, I have a set 35yrs old. Maybe thats my problem, I need a newer lighter set.
I have an little giant, a good 12ft step ladder thats all i use it for to bulky and heavy other wise.
Hey Severn,
Are they the old wooden ones?
Some of the old timers actually prefer the wooden sectionals even though they are heavier.
I rarely go over 24 feet so the sectionals suite me fine.
lol no, they aluminum.
Severn,
Do yourself a favor and buy the WERNER “green Tip” commercial series ladders instead of the heavy “blue tip” series. Much lighter and heavy enough for commercial use. You will most likely have to order them through someone like Sherwinn Williams Paint.
We opened an account with Sherwinn Williams and whenever we need a ladder, I get it from them at a huge discount over what Lowes or Home Depot charges for a similar ladder. They even make a 40’ ladder that has a green tip. Its still heavy but no where near a fiber glass or a commercial grade blue tip weighs.
The Sherwin Williams here is the opposite their prices are like twice as much as Lowes or HD.
Same here.
BTW, Lowe’s in-store Commercial folks will match/beat prices, with free shipping to a store included for special order Werner ladders. They did, however, botch an expedited 40’ order for me last December (though I got it at the same low price with free delivery in one day from another supplier thanks to a construction company project manager buddy of mine.)
I’ve seen current B a b c o c k wooden sectional models advertised at about thew same weight as same-size aluminum counterparts.
WOW Larry,
Have you ever seen those wooden sectional ladders.
They are advertised as light or even slightly lighter than metallic ones and the top is super narrow, which makes them super cool. I thought you had to live in England to get that style ladder. They cost less than the metallic sectionals as well. What a find, Larry. In the cold weather the wooden sectionals would be warmer to work with and they don’t conduct electricity around power lines. WOW.
I have never seen them, but remember posting that on NWCD a while back (they were also on Industrial Ladder’s eBay store then.) I found the hyperlink in my post via a Google search.)
Chris has a wooden sectional ladder in his shop
