Besides the squeegee, ladders are among the window cleaner’s most useful tools. As a professional, you need to be able to access all the windows of every building you work on. There’s nothing worse than starting a job and realising you have the wrong ladders.
That’s why we want to help you choose the right ladders and step ladders for window cleaning …
Folding step ladders
While very handy to have for a variety of jobs, step ladders are usually used by window cleaners for storefronts and in inside houses. Having both a six and ten-foot step ladder should cover most tasks nicely.
Material wise, choose aluminium because it’s much lighter to carry around. While wooden step ladders are strong, they are too heavy to carry around all the time.
Extension ladders
Exterior residential windows above the 1st floor are usually done with an extension ladder, made from either fiberglass or aluminium. They should also have swivelling feet and a rope and a pulley system.
Fibreglass ladders are safer around power lines because they do not conduct electricity. While slightly more expensive than aluminium, it is essential for work around electricity.
You should pick a long enough extension ladder for most of your jobs without going over the top. 20-foot extension ladders will generally be tall enough to reach second floor windows, but if you want to go higher, you’ll need a 30-foot ladder for window cleaning. There’s no need for a 40-foot ladder – it’s huge and if you are going that high you may as well just use rope access.
A newbie window cleaner should be ok with a 24 foot ladder and can rent a larger ladder if needed.
Sectional ladders
Sectional ladders are probably your best bet if you are a professional window cleaner, since they are specifically designed for window cleaning. You can tell because of the triangular end which is designed to fit in hard to position places.
Obviously, the reason they are called sectional ladder is because they come in sections, which can lock together to make a complete ladder. It’s probably best to get one in 4 to 5 sections. Most cleaners only use 4 sections for safety reasons.
