Ladders for cleaning the roof

[Graham of Madrid]

Hello again,

I'e been thinking about step ladders to get up to clean the roof but I'm concerned about stability and safety.

I've been looking at the 7-step variety and it doesn't seem you can easily/safely stand on the top platform. I'm not getting scaffolding so does anyone have any better ideas. I'm not really sure what I need.

I've come across telescopic ladders like these but I'm not sure how I'd lean them against the vehicle and they might be more than I really need. I've heard of platform ladders but they seem heavy and take a lot of storage space

Amazon product ASIN B074SKS1CS
Thanks in advance

 

[Stealaway]

Are you contemplating carrying a set of ladders just to clean your roof occasionally?
When I clean mine - about once a year - I simply lean a borrowed ladder against the side of the van aluminium roof trim.

 

[Korgrocker]

I can't think of any way that's reasonably priced to get up to clean the roof. Some of it I can get to from inside through a roof light with a pair of steps, but access really needs to be from the outside. The conclusion I've come to is that you need a level place with plenty of room around the 'van, and an assistant to hand up mops, buckets etc. and of course a reasonably high set of steps, something like this:-

 

[Graham of Madrid]

Hi Stealaway - I'll leave the ladders in the basement, I'll not be carrying them in the van - it's just some of the ones I've seen look like they'll take up a lot of space - maybe I'm wrong

Korgrocker - I've plenty of space to work round the van just need an idea of what I should get. The Abbey brand looks good but I'm not sure if I'd be better with leaning an ordinary pair of ladders against the van wall. I was looking at the Abbey 5 way platform ladder but the platform is only 1m

 

[Tanya_and_Mick]

Hello again,

I'e been thinking about step ladders to get up to clean the roof but I'm concerned about stability and safety.

I've been looking at the 7-step variety and it doesn't seem you can easily/safely stand on the top platform. I'm not getting scaffolding so does anyone have any better ideas. I'm not really sure what I need.

I've come across telescopic ladders like these but I'm not sure how I'd lean them against the vehicle and they might be more than I really need. I've heard of platform ladders but they seem heavy and take a lot of storage space

Amazon product ASIN B074SKS1CS
Thanks in advance

we have one of these which works well for us - and is easy to store in the shed at home when not required...

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[The Dotties]

Hello again,

I'e been thinking about step ladders to get up to clean the roof but I'm concerned about stability and safety.

I've been looking at the 7-step variety and it doesn't seem you can easily/safely stand on the top platform. I'm not getting scaffolding so does anyone have any better ideas. I'm not really sure what I need.

I've come across telescopic ladders like these but I'm not sure how I'd lean them against the vehicle and they might be more than I really need. I've heard of platform ladders but they seem heavy and take a lot of storage space

Amazon product ASIN B074SKS1CS
Thanks in advance

That’s what I use, very take up little space in the garage of the house. I certainly don’t take them with me. Annual roof clean. I use pipe lagging foam on the top tread to keep it away from the edge of the roof

 

[namwaldog]

We use an aluminium ladder with foam lagging like this.....

Take a plastic bucket with warm soapy water, tea towel to stand it on to protect roof and take it up on the roof.

We have a couple of sets of these....

We tie a tea towel round the brush head in a couple of knots. Dip this in the warm water and clean away. On our 7.5m long van I can to get reach it all with about four ladder positions each side of the van. Leave the bucket up there in a position you can reach it from the next move. Use the hosepipe at as low a pressure as you can manage to rinse it off.( slight slope helps when rinsing.)

Barry

 

[The Wino]

We are lucky the storage place has a cleaning bay with a platform on wheels but are moving soon so will have to sort something out. I thought about trying to find a car park with a wall to higher land on one side and going there after hours

 

[Graham of Madrid]

OK, that looks more stable than a step ladder and the pipe lagging looks a good idea. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[eddie]

don't look at the roof?

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[Graham of Madrid]

Good idea but we can see it from the bedroom window when it's parked outside

 

[eddie]

Good idea but we can see it from the bedroom window when it's parked outside

Close the blind!

 

[thebriars]

Good idea but we can see it from the bedroom window when it's parked outside

Lean out of the window with a long brush.

 

[pappajohn]

don't look at the roof?

Cos nobody else will see it either.

 

[pappajohn]

I used to wash the whole roof with the ladder in just one position.
I used the ladder TO GET ON THE ROOF.
It isn't made of egg shells.

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[eddie]

Get a member of staff to do it! That's what I do

 

[Rob and Val]

I use a long ladder with a towel over the top to protect the bodywork and have a long handled mop. For safety, I bought a Ladder Mat Anti Slip and Levelling Accessory from Amazon.

 

[Lorryman100]

Cos nobody else will see it either.

Just disapproving tuts from lorry drivers

 

[keithchesterfield2]

Everyone should have a device like this on the drive - and then the Wife can do it for you --

 

[nicholsong]

I simply bought a MH with a ladder fitted.

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[Graham of Madrid]

Thanks, some great ideas here.

|One of my jobs is to clean the upstairs bedroom windows so we can see the dirty roof better

 

[Southdowners]

We use a surveyor's telescopic ladder to get onto the roof and then just walk on the roof to clean it. Wear deck shoes to stop yourself slipping though.

 

[Mr Chrysalis]

Get a member of staff to do it! That's what I do

Thanks Eddie. Next time I visit you I will do the same. Which one? Ash?

 

[Mr Chrysalis]

I have a step ladder which I use inside the van to climb through the large skylight, and clean the roof on my hands and knees. I also have a platform ladder from Aldi like this

Unfortunately the platform can only be fixed at 1m above the ground, so I cannot reach the middle of the roof

We use an aluminium ladder with foam lagging like this.....

View attachment 302468

Take a plastic bucket with warm soapy water, tea towel to stand it on to protect roof and take it up on the roof.

We have a couple of sets of these....

View attachment 302481

We tie a tea towel round the brush head in a couple of knots. Dip this in the warm water and clean away. On our 7.5m long van I can to get reach it all with about four ladder positions each side of the van. Leave the bucket up there in a position you can reach it from the next move. Use the hosepipe at as low a pressure as you can manage to rinse it off.( slight slope helps when rinsing.)

Barry

the insulation foam is a great idea

 

[Rockcrawler]

Get a member of staff to do it! That's what I do

Thanks for the kind offer Eddie, we will be with you around lunchtime, I can supply the bucket

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[42208]

I have a step ladder which I use inside the van to climb through the large skylight, and clean the roof on my hands and knees. I also have a platform ladder from Aldi like this
View attachment 302617

Unfortunately the platform can only be fixed at 1m above the ground, so I cannot reach the middle of the roof

the insulation foam is a great idea

I use one of these, however, when on top rung the platform is much higher than 1m and no real problem cleaning the roof with a long handled brush

 

[The Dotties]

Cos nobody else will see it either.

Unless you go to a rally or meet, and some swine flies a drone over the site, then posts pics on here, and then people point at you and say things like “dirty boy!”.

 

[tonyidle]

I agree with the comments about not using step ladders. They're inherently unstable if you lean from them. I too use a very lightweight ladder with foam pads. I used to walk on the roof of previous vans but it is exceptionally easy when concentrating on the job in hand to step on solar panels, aerials, rooflights, or over the edge of the roof.

 

[treetops1]

I just used a large pair of steps for round the perimeter, then climb onto the roof to do down the middle by climbing through the skylight.lol

 

[The rehctub]

Using skylight is safest way to get on to roof and only needs a small set of steps inside van