Luckily, I have a one story house. I can put up holiday lights and clean the gutters with only a little internal screaming. The garage, however, is a story and a half, and putting the lights at the peak freak me out.
I have discovered that I am more comfortable on a ladder either barefooted or wearing Vibrams, so I can kind of curl my feet around the rungs.
I have never actually been on the roof. That I cannot do.
I worked in the derrick of drilling rigs for years and had no problems - precarious footing, hanging out into space by a rope tied to a belt, just not a very comfortable place and definitely high enough to kill ya dead (I got my drilling rig job after another derrickman fell from the derrick - he didn’t die from it, but it made such a mess that about half the hands on all crews quit. I ended up working at the same company as the guy decades later in totally unrelated fields - he has since died.)
But I hate climbing extension ladders and going up onto roofs, both. I even roofed houses growing up and during high school, didn’t bother me then. Observation decks in tall buildings also turn me into a wimp now.
ETA: Hi Missy!
I have a collection of ladders that would make Hank Hill jealous. And since I have a roof-top swamp cooler, I used them just about once a week, minimum. In fact, the twelve-footer just live in the front of the house during the summer.
I get plenty of use of them in December while trying to have my Christmas lights visible from space.
Ladders. Love 'em.
As a younger person I was a laddering fool! I did lighting and sets in theatre and I was the go-to guy for high wire work. It didn’t bother me, I rather enjoyed it.
Now, however, with weaker legs, poorer eyesight, and aging inner ear balance, I don’t really like ladders at all.
It’s not fear of heights, it’s fear of falling.
Strike that, it’s not fear of falling, it’s fear of the landing!
We recently had to have roof repair, and the guy took his cellphone up there and took several pictures of the damage he saw. Earlier gutter cleaners and pigeon control contractors had damaged many tiles, and the original builder had done a crummy job of flashing at the joints in the roof. All was clearly visible in the phone photos he promptly emailed to me. No climbing on a ladder for me!
Does your roof ladder have a roof attachment for the top that has rubber-footed outriggers? Highly recommended.
I do not like ladders. I do not like heights. But I’m fine with stairs.
When I’m rich and can build my perfect home, roof access will be via stairs.
I was so scared of getting back on the ladder to climb down that I had someone throw me a rope, gloves, carabiner and diaper-sling so that I could tie off to the chimney and rappel down. Worked really well until I ended up in the living room. That window was darn expensive to replace.
I’m scared to death of ladders, so I completely sympathize with the OP.
Porch roofs I am on about once a year or so; main roof about once every 10 years. Our house is a sort of barn front and the main roof is not for amateurs.
As for ladders, I am fine with them. I use them and I fall off now and then. But my background riding motorcycles on dirt tracks has my body well trained to take the odd fall here and there. The only one that ever hurt was at my Dad’s house. In his backyard was a set of concrete steps leading into a pit into the door to go directly into the basement; what we called the “mud entrance”. I was cleaning out the gutters and the ladder slipped sideways with me at the top. You guessed it; instead of the expected 12 foot fall to grass I made a 20 foot fall into a cinder block and concrete box. I didn’t break anything but some of the road-rash took many months to go away.
I used to be a painter. I was always on a ladder. But that’s been 12 years now and I’m 12 years older. I don’t know that I’d enjoy it nearly as much.
First I was down low. Now I am up high.
UNNATURAL
Your dad called and said don’t climb too close to the sun.
No, you may not post “I’m Lucky” below a post by teela brown. You risk causing the universe to implode.
I don’t bounce as good as I used to. Don’t climb higher than you’re willing to fall.
As an aside, this is one reason roofers and tree trimmers are expensive. They are bonded and insured. When someone hires “a guy” or a sketchy outfits at a price that is really good, it’s a safe bet they have no insurance. If they get hurt on the job they will go after your homeowners policy.
I’ve got no problem with ladders. I spent lots of time up on a ladder working at a retail art supply store, usually hanging artwork on walls 10-15 feet up.
Nowadays I maintain my fourplex, but there’s only a few spots where I need one, exterior lights mostly. However, now I have to rent an extention ladder to paint the siding on one sheer, 2+ story wall. It’s higher up than in used to and a task I’m not used to. I’m not looking forward to it, but I’ll manage.
The roofer we hired to patch a leak installed an anchor loop for me. I’ve utilized it a couple times already, including cleaning the gutters. That was a pain in the ass but not because of the height. The roof has a fairly shallow slope and I don’t mind being up there at all.
I used to think I had a slight fear of heights. I definitely do not. I have good balance, long limbs, and a methodically careful nature. My wife teases me for wearing a frown while I’m up, but that’s what happens when you’re heavily concentrating on not dying.
My husband recently gave away our longest ladder, to a workman who came to the house who didn’t have one. He doesn’t mind climbing up one a few feet, but he always hated climbing onto the roof and I finally convinced him to just hire someone for any jobs that require it. Anything more than a step stool, and I’m out.
Ladders scare the shit out of me. As a young boy, I used to climb right to the treetops and swing about; now, I have the fear any time I’m more than my own body length above ground.
I live in a three storey house which is partly overhung by a great oak tree - my gutters get clogged with rotting leaves every year and I have to get the ladder out, get up there and clear them.
It’s a good strong ladder and I always use it properly, but I still find myself hugging it and sliding up and down with my body trying to go for seventeen points of contact, instead of the normal three.
I’ve never fallen off it or even come close, but it still scares me. I did have an accident with a similar ladder once where I thought I could move it sideways a little while it was fully extended - the top of the ladder went over and I quickly lost control of it - all I could do was to try to steer its fall away from the neighbours car (it missed the car and smashed their waste bin flat)
What do the experts say?
If you don’t feel safe on a ladder, let the professionals do the job. Even professionals need good insurance.
I have no problem with a step ladder–changing light bulbs or stringing Christmas lights on my porch. Climbing around on the roof? I’m a renter! Not my job.