Keeping your roof well-maintained can be a tricky one. Unlike the front lawn or the backyard, it’s not something that’s easily in your line of sight. That’s why problems often don’t get noticed as immediately as you typically would. By the time you do find out about an issue, it’s already so big that it would cost so much money to address.
Checking up on your roof doesn’t have to be complicated, though. All you need is a good ladder that will give you easy access to heights and support. So how do you know what kind of ladder to get? Here are some helpful tips.
Ladder Types
Ladders come in all different shapes and sizes, and even accessories. Finding the right one is a matter of knowing what you need. Let’s take a closer look at the different ladder types.
A-Frame Ladders
A-Frame ladders are otherwise known as stepladders. They can come in shorter heights with only three steps, or they can go higher than that. They’re versatile in functionality, too, because you can use them both indoors and outdoors.
Extension Ladder
As its name suggests, an extension ladder can be reconfigured to double its height, allowing you to use it to reach higher locations. The good thing about it is that it’s easy to move around and transport, so you can use it in various settings.
The important feature of this type of ladder is the locking mechanism, which keeps it safely locked in its extended form. Make sure to keep this part locked so you’ll be safe and stable going up the ladder.
Roofing Ladder
The roofing ladder is specifically designed to be used on the roof’s sloped surface. This is what you see professional roofers bringing up on the roof along with them.
It has a pair of roof hooks on the very end of it, so you can secure it over the top of the roof, with the help of rolling wheels attached to the ladder’s body. Do note that roofing ladders typically allow only up to 75 degrees of slanted surface to work.
Ladder Lengths
Ladders can reach as high as 40 feet, but just because they can doesn’t mean you should go all the way to the very last rung. Unless it’s resting against a surface, the top few tiers of a ladder tend to become very unstable. That’s why it’s ideal to stop about three feet from the end of the ladder.
With these helpful tips, you should be able to safely conduct an inspection of your roof. However, the safest way is still to hire a professional roofer to do the job for you. They know exactly what to look for and how to solve the issues, saving you the trouble of second-guessing what kind of repairs you’ll need to do on your roof.