# New construction and ladder placement



## NeighborMike

Fyi I'm new too painting so sorry for the basic questions 

What are some things you guys do to keep the ground level while using a ladder around a new construction?

Short of just leveling the dirt yourself?


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## mattpaints82

NeighborMike said:


> Fyi I'm new too painting so sorry for the basic questions
> 
> What are some things you guys do to keep the ground level while using a ladder around a new construction?
> 
> Short of just leveling the dirt yourself?


One of these are awfully handy. https://www.amazon.com/ProVisionToo...=1468800288&sr=8-2&keywords=pivit+ladder+tool


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## PRC

The Pivit is a good tool to have and has multiple uses. 

I'd also recommend these 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...1_3?colid=2X4X2L3XKQA6H&coliid=I1CV3HS56A7N99


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## NeighborMike

Very nice thank you gentleman


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## The Cutting Edge

I'm always on hilly terrain. I pack a hammer with me and just dig out the high side. Just enough to fit the ladder foot into. I know a lot of guys that go try to hunt down 2x6s or something. Its just too easy to dig a little hole and you're done. 10 seconds maybe.


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## Wildbill7145

I keep a bundle of 2X12, and 1X12 scraps in the van, as well as some 1/2" scraps of plywood. I've had it fail as an idea over the last 13 yrs, but I've seen everything else fail as well, so it continues as a decent idea. I'm still alive.

If you don't think it's safe, come down and reset.


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## NeighborMike

cool. Thank you all again


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## kmp

I keep some 2x4 scraps as well. I also have some 2' concrete form stakes to use to tie ladder feet to as well. I had a job last year where every placement was build dunnage and dig holes. I have a bunch of 2' 4x4 pieces I use as well.


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## RH

I have the ladder levelers that PRC linked. They work great for dealing with uneven ground.


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## Jmayspaint

Yeah, the auto-levelers are indispensable if you work in the mountains or the hills or anywhere that your dealing with uneven ground. 
Not just for the convince, but time saved as well. No looking around for something to prop up one leg or digging. Just bump the ladder up and it levels itself. 

Best $100 you can spend on a ladder. I can't imagine not having them. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RH

Jmayspaint said:


> Yeah, the auto-levelers are indispensable if you work in the mountains or the hills or anywhere that your dealing with uneven ground.
> Not just for the convince, but time saved as well. No looking around for something to prop up one leg or digging. Just bump the ladder up and it levels itself.
> 
> Best $100 you can spend on a ladder. I can't imagine not having them.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Bought my set of these years ago, mounted them on both ladders thinking they would be perfect for using on interior stairs - wrong! With the extra width they added to the base of the ladder it made it so the extended leg would rest either right on the very lip of the lower tread or would miss it altogether. And the extender isn't long enough to be able to skip two treads. So, never did get to use them until I did the exterior of my own home (which is built on a slight hill) last summer. And as I said, they were great for leveling then.


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## Gough

All of our extension ladders have these, as do most of our trestles (Triggers®), and a bunch of our stepladders.

https://www.amazon.com/LADDER-ACCES...1468851489&sr=8-1&keywords=ladder+leg+leveler

Around here, level building sites are almost non-existent. Between theses levelers and some steel form stakes, we can deal with most situations.


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## MurphysPaint

The Pivit tool is a handy thing to have, feels safer to me than scrap lumber but that might just be a placebo effect... I still (usually) want to have someone hold the ladder.


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## Epoxy Pro

The Pivot will be your best friend. We have 4 and use them almost every day. They have so many uses.


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## DeanV

We use the pivot for leveling as well. Just saw this on Amazon, much cheaper, do not know if it is as good. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJIH1C8?psc=1


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## MurphysPaint

DeanV said:


> We use the pivot for leveling as well. Just saw this on Amazon, much cheaper, do not know if it is as good. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJIH1C8?psc=1




Doesn't look like it would work on stairs...


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## journeymanPainter

MurphysPaint said:


> Doesn't look like it would work on stairs...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I have 2 and I'll never use them for stairs. Tried twice and it never worked.


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## Epoxy Pro

DeanV said:


> We use the pivot for leveling as well. Just saw this on Amazon, much cheaper, do not know if it is as good. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJIH1C8?psc=1





journeymanPainter said:


> I have 2 and I'll never use them for stairs. Tried twice and it never worked.


To me looking at this one the Pivot is much better. I guess outside on the grass this would be fine. Placing on stairs it doesn't look like it will work that good.


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## Workaholic

Yes, I know I am responding to a old thread and to top it off the OP has not made a post in eight months, but hey I have not been around much, so chalk it up to catching up, or maybe it is the five ladders that I replaced this year that has this topic at hand on my mind. 

I have been a long time user of ladder levelers on my extension ladders. I do of course have a pivit, but I don't use it as often as some may. 



Jmayspaint said:


> Best $100 you can spend on a ladder. I can't imagine not having them.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I couldn't agree with this statement more. $100-$150 is a small price to pay for safety and convenience imo. 



RH said:


> Bought my set of these years ago, mounted them on both ladders thinking they would be perfect for using on interior stairs - wrong! With the extra width they added to the base of the ladder it made it so the extended leg would rest either right on the very lip of the lower tread or would miss it altogether. And the extender isn't long enough to be able to skip two treads. So, never did get to use them until I did the exterior of my own home (which is built on a slight hill) last summer. And as I said, they were great for leveling then.


Not sure about the LeveLok for stairs as I am new to the brand but with the other type I was using stairs were still a crap shoot as it depends on the tread. Sometimes they fit great and other times it is like you say they catch the edge and not quite workable and the pivit comes out. More often than not though they did fit. 



Gough said:


> All of our extension ladders have these, as do most of our trestles (Triggers®), and a bunch of our stepladders.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/LADDER-ACCES...1468851489&sr=8-1&keywords=ladder+leg+leveler
> 
> Around here, level building sites are almost non-existent. Between theses levelers and some steel form stakes, we can deal with most situations.


Really it was your post that made me reply Gough. I too have used those type of ladder levelers for many years and with replacing some extension ladders this year I have been torn when it comes to my ladder leveling needs. 

I have found the 600 Xtend-Leg to be mostly reliable and to last a long time. But the main downside I am having in regard to them is the lack of versatility with them. By that I mean I have used them on extension ladders outside for years over and over, but lately I have been concerned about them not being able to dig in and the overall safety aspect of the pads for exterior use. 
They make the 700 which is a cleat, but clearly those are not something to be used inside or even on concrete. Making them not worth outfitting a ladder with for me. 

I think if this company made their replacement pads and cleats a quick release for an easy swap I would continue with them but I am giving the LeveLok brand a go on the new extension ladders because of the shoe.


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## ridesarize

Workaholic said:


> Yes, I know I am responding to a old thread and to top it off the OP has not made a post in eight months, but hey I have not been around much, so chalk it up to catching up, or maybe it is the five ladders that I replaced this year that has this topic at hand on my mind.
> 
> I have been a long time user of ladder levelers on my extension ladders. I do of course have a pivit, but I don't use it as often as some may.
> 
> 
> 
> I couldn't agree with this statement more. $100-$150 is a small price to pay for safety and convenience imo.
> 
> Not sure about the LeveLok for stairs as I am new to the brand but with the other type I was using stairs were still a crap shoot as it depends on the tread. Sometimes they fit great and other times it is like you say they catch the edge and not quite workable and the pivit comes out. More often than not though they did fit.
> 
> 
> Really it was your post that made me reply Gough. I too have used those type of ladder levelers for many years and with replacing some extension ladders this year I have been torn when it comes to my ladder leveling needs.
> 
> I have found the 600 Xtend-Leg to be mostly reliable and to last a long time. But the main downside I am having in regard to them is the lack of versatility with them. By that I mean I have used them on extension ladders outside for years over and over, but lately I have been concerned about them not being able to dig in and the overall safety aspect of the pads for exterior use.
> They make the 700 which is a cleat, but clearly those are not something to be used inside or even on concrete. Making them not worth outfitting a ladder with for me.
> 
> I think if this company made their replacement pads and cleats a quick release for an easy swap I would continue with them but I am giving the LeveLok brand a go on the new extension ladders because of the shoe.


I do like the werner automatic levelers, and the type with the round pad feet, each style has its pluses and minuses. 

A few companies that I've worked for have used the Werner Ever-Level ladders. At first I teased my boss for them having an actual bubble level on the bottom rung, but these ladders have some good qualities to them. Don't need a bubble level to tell you when an extension ladder is plumb...but oh well.

They have regular ladder feet on them. There are some cons like having to manually adjust the height but with experience it becomes easy. Watching new guys try to adjust them is comical and sad how hard they make it look.
The legs can be raised to make the ladder 6" or 10" taller or shorter to go over a window for example, which the automatic levelers won't do. Easy to match ladder heights this way for planks also as an example (instead of up or down a whole rung height).

They don't quite fit on every stair system but I have my solution for that. 
You get used to visually checking that the pins are in before ascending, and checking others' ladder sets. Not unusual for me to check ladder sets anyways..

Second edit, I went to the web site to find these pics, and the ladders are much cheaper in town. They are not too much more than the standard Werners.


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## Workaholic

ridesarize said:


> I do like the werner automatic levelers, and the type with the round pad feet, each style has its pluses and minuses.
> 
> A few companies that I've worked for have used the Werner Ever-Level ladders. At first I teased my boss for them having an actual bubble level on the bottom rung, but these ladders have some good qualities to them. Don't need a bubble level to tell you when an extension ladder is plumb...but oh well.
> 
> They have regular ladder feet on them. There are some cons like having to manually adjust the height but with experience it becomes easy. Watching new guys try to adjust them is comical and sad how hard they make it look.
> The legs can be raised to make the ladder 6" or 10" taller or shorter to go over a window for example, which the automatic levelers won't do. Easy to match ladder heights this way for planks also as an example (instead of up or down a whole rung height).
> 
> They don't quite fit on every stair system but I have my solution for that.
> You get used to visually checking that the pins are in before ascending, and checking others' ladder sets. Not unusual for me to check ladder sets anyways..
> 
> Second edit, I went to the web site to find these pics, and the ladders are much cheaper in town. They are not too much more than the standard Werners.


I am familiar with the Werner Ever-Level/Equalizer type. I had a 24' that I bought out of Lowes that came equipped with the Equalizer levelers. At the time I just never really took to them as I had the round levelers on another 24 and some square pads of similar type levelers on another 24. 
I ended up selling that ladder to a guy I know because I just didn't like the leveler system that much and truthfully I got that 24 for a certain job and didn't really have the need for a 3rd 24 after that job. 

Maybe I was spoiled with using my foot to make all my adjustments, or maybe bending over to pull the pin and adjust was just to challenging for me lol. Either way I just never really took to that type. 

Also another thing is I replaced certain ladders I deemed to be either under classed, or simply in need of replacement with Werner black tip 300lb type 1A aluminum ladders. 
The Equalizer comes in stock at the store on the 24 in 225lb type II and 250lb type 1. They say they can be equipped on other type ladders at the factory as well, but I can only imagine the wait time as ordering a 16', 20', and 24' aluminum type 1A has had a 30 day arrival time. 

On a side note everything on the Werner site is quite a bit higher than other vendor sites and local stores. I had a shoe break off of a Werner aluminum 1A 6' step and so I looked into ordering new shoes for it. They wanted $40 shipped and I could find the whole ladder for $85ish. So 1/2 the cost of the ladder for 4 shoes seemed unpractical. 
I ended up opting to just replace with a type 1A fiberglass and added a paint try to it. That is the only fiberglass ladder I own and while it is heavier it is really solid and has been so far a great ladder to use.
But if anyone has Werner part # 21-27 sitting around at a fair price hit me up  

Bottom line is you are correct that each type of leveler has its own pros and cons and that users needs and preferences will vary.


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## woodcoyote

Pretty cool setups. The most complicated we get is using the pivot ladder setup, digging dirt out, and using wood as platforms/shims. 

We actually try to avoid utilizing ladders as much as possible, they tend to slow things down. Some work, obviously you can't get away from, but when possible..minimize. 

Doing some searching for ladder platforms and different setups, I came across this video. Guy is a trip, at first I thought he was just messing around, but it seems that he actually is deaf. 





Off topic, I apologize, but I've never seen a deaf painter before, not sure if it's a good idea or bad one. lol


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## ParamountPaint

I use the Werner Everlevels. The 250lb ones.

I go a buck fifty-five and my brother about the same. We're not carting around any 200lb fiberglass jobs. I got rid of all 40' ladders a few years ago, but was forced to buy a 32' last summer for one gable in a back yard. I wouldn't mind to be rid of that, as well.

Lift, lift, lift. If you can't afford to pay someone to paint something so far up, you oughtn't have built it so high in the first place.

The Pivit tool is the best money you can spend. You could of course make your own, but it's a pretty well thought out tool. I have some clean ones for interior stairs and some dirty ones for outside.


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## ridesarize

ParamountPaint said:


> I use the Werner Everlevels. The 250lb ones.
> 
> I go a buck fifty-five and my brother about the same. We're not carting around any 200lb fiberglass jobs. I got rid of all 40' ladders a few years ago, but was forced to buy a 32' last summer for one gable in a back yard. I wouldn't mind to be rid of that, as well.
> 
> Lift, lift, lift. If you can't afford to pay someone to paint something so far up, you oughtn't have built it so high in the first place.
> 
> The Pivit tool is the best money you can spend. You could of course make your own, but it's a pretty well thought out tool. I have some clean ones for interior stairs and some dirty ones for outside.


Mine are much better for interior than the pivot. The whole leveler rests on the upper step instead of those little lips on the pivots. And they all nest together to save space....


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## lilpaintchic

http://www.ladderlevelersllc.com

Drive a couple concrete stakes through the last rung if ya need to. My concern is that if you don't know what to do, your safety on a ladder at higher lengths is questionable. Do some home work, watch some videos, buy (or make 1) a pot hook, use a rung to hold your brush (stuff it in the end--many weenie roller frames fit there too) and plan your strategy. This is a good site to start on but if you're worried about your gear or your footing you're distracted, and that can get very dangerous very quickly. Good luck.

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## vipulpatel

Firm and level base if the ground is uneven. attach a set of ladder levelers which can be obtained from the ladder manufacturer. Ladders should have to tie off and stake it to the ground. One more thing i would like to add is choosing proper quality aluminium ladder is also a big thing when it comes to ladder safety.


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