Roof ladder - what's the ideal length? And is two piece a no-no?

[DIYNotIan]

Hi

I need to get a roof ladder and I've not had one before so just wanted to check...

1. What's the ideal length? Is it best if the ladder stops just short of the last tile / before the gutter. Is having the ladder extend belong the gutter a bad thing (obviously not to use! ...just it being there)?

2. I've read in places that a roof ladder should always be a single piece ladder and never an extendable. But then I've seen extendable versions available and in use. And in my case I have different parts of the house with different length roofs, so an extendable would be handy in as much as it could be adjusted and used for all of them. But is it a no-no?

Many thanks

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Lots of threads if you search, 3 piece every time though, far more versatile eg https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/2-storey-house-gutter-clean.583143/#post-5119626

 

[DIYNotIan]

Thanks but it's a roof ladder I need, i.e. one with wheels and that hooks of the ridge...

 

[noseall]

Mine is long and unwieldy but will deal with most sized roofs. Always tie vertical and horizontal ladders together. It's better to go past the gutter than it is to be well short. Short is very dangerous.

 

[HERTS P&D]

My advice would be to hire a roofer!

It's a long way down!

Andy

 

[noseall]

My advice would be to hire a roofer!

It's a long way down!

Andy

We don't use ours much at all. We have towers erected these days.

 

[Keithmac]

They're called Cat Ladders iirc.

 

[catlad]

I have a pair of extendable catladders and I don't have a problem using them.

 

[Deleted member 292770]

dont see many roofers using extendable ones.
Or jumping on the roof off a tower and strolling about.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Many thanks for all the replies. When I search cat ladders it comes up with all kinds of weird and wonderful things, but nothing like what I'm after!

 

[Keithmac]

Are you on Google?.

 

[DIYNotIan]

I am indeed on Google!

Weird - when I type cat ladder into google I get:

 

[Keithmac]

That is a bit odd!. Do you own a cat? (maybe Google adapted due to previous searches?).

 

[DIYNotIan]

No, my dog wouldn't allow it!

 

[cdbe]

Mine were too short so I extended them:

My dad had a homemade one knocked up from roofing battens, didn't have any hooks just a length of 2x2 screwed across the bottom that he sat in his asbestos gutters to stop it sliding off the roof.