Right Ladder For Exterior Painting

Q: I'm considering painting my house. Probably not until spring but I like to plan ahead. So I'm wondering about the best type of ladder to get.

What looks most stable to me are the ladders whose feet spread out rather than the straight up and down ones. What do you think?

My house is about 20 feet high. Is there an easy way to more accurately judge the height of the house without being able to get up there? I'll need to know what height ladder to get.

Also, I presume the best way to clean my aluminum siding in preparation for painting is to power wash it but isn't that dangerous, handling pressure at the top of a ladder? Is there a better way?

A: You shouldn't need to be that accurate with the height. 10' per story should take you to the gutters. If the house is 20' you will need a 24' ladder or more. The wider the feet the more stability. You can rent a good ladder rather than buying something flimsy!!

Scaffolding is great if there is a lot of work in spots, however if it is just to paint around windows you will spend 90% of your time putting up and taking down the scaffolding.

I would not use a power washer while standing on a ladder. A decent power washer should hit a 20' height from the ground - otherwise use the scaffolding.

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Best Season To Paint

Q: My friend says that the best time to paint outside is in the spring or autumn when the paint or deck stain has more time to soak in because these are cooler months. Also the surface won't dry first like in the summer.

I always paint before the sun comes around but of course it heats up the surfaces when it hits. I think it's better to paint when it will get hot so the paint will get less dirt on it and the dries fast. Can you settle this disagreement. Does it matter which season you paint outside in?

A: Fall is the best time to paint, followed by Spring. The reason is not heat as much as it is humidity. Wood becomes saturated with moisture in the summer and when you paint you trap the moisture in the wood, this has the potential of causing rot.

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