Ladder Levelers

Ladder Levelers as used here describe a type of equipment, even though some equipment manufacturers may have named there own particular product "Ladder Levelers", there are several companies producing there own line of this type of equipment regardless of product name. We are not focusing any particular brand of equipment here.

Ladder levelers are a very handy tool on almost any job a ladder is required. They eliminate the need for shimming under a ladder with boards or shingles to stabilize a ladder into a plumb position.

Using ladder levelers is considerably more stable and easier than using blocks or shims, thus increasing safety and saving time.

The biggest disadvantage to using ladder levelers is the extra weight that they add to a ladder. You'll notice the few extra pounds every time you move your ladder.

A ladder with ladder levelers can sometimes be set up on stairs as in the illustration below, however this type of setup will only work if the stair treads are wide enough. Two treads width must accommodate the ladders base span.

Ladder levelers are generally bought as an accessory to be installed onto a standard ladder. They usually are available at ladder & staging dealers and some paint stores.

When setting up on stairs, it may be helpful to remove the high side leveler if the stairs are not wide enough to accommodate the span of the ladder.

Choosing Ladder Levelers

Manual or Auto: Most ladder levelers are manually adjusted, that is each time you move your ladder to a different slope setting, you will need to reposition the lever legs to fit that slope (but this is usually quite easy to do). Some ladder levelers are auto adjusting, they are designed to automatically adjust themselves to fit the ground slope each time the ladder is moved from place to place, they are of course more complex in design, function, and heavier than the manual type.

Ladder Requirements: When selecting a pair of ladder levelers, note the ladder requirements pertaining to them, such as: some ladder levelers may be designed to use only on ladders that are rated " Type 2 " or stronger.

Shoe Type: Most designs have a pivot mounted shoe (shown above) as most ladders do, but some have a swivel joint which is often better for side hills as the shoe can adjust to lateral slopes.