If you’re a painter, or anyone who is always using a ladder on the job, I bet you’re aware of just how difficult it can be to keep your ladders level on uneven ground. There are lots of ladder leveling systems out there, but Werner does it the best - I’ve been using the PK-80 model from them for over twenty years. Now they’ve come out with the LevelSafe Pro ladder levelers, which are easier to install and have a new feature that makes leveling ladders even easier. 

With the PK-80 model, the part that always stressed me out the most was that to install the leveler, you had to cut the feet off of your ladder. Doing that was very nerve-wracking - if I messed up at all, the ladder would just be totally ruined. Well, with the LevelSafe Pro levelers, one of the key selling points to me is that you don’t have to cut the feet off of your ladder. All that is required is drilling a few holes in the rails. This is not going to degrade the rating of the ladder at all. Because of this, if the ladder becomes damaged and unusable, you’re able to remove the leveler and swap it to another ladder. 

The LevelSafe Pro levelers are able to self-level up to 8 ½” high. So, even if you’re trying to get up on stairs, level out on hills, needing to climb up on a deck - you’ll be set to be perfectly level. The new feature on this model of ladder level is the micro-adjusters at the top of the leveler system. Pulling up this yellow lever allows you to shift your ladder from side-to-side without needing to constantly lift it up and set it down to get the right balance. The less times you have to lift up your ladder, the less toll work is going to take on your body. Use the micro-adjust and the bubble level that comes with this system to get your ladder perfectly level with less effort. 

With the micro-adjusters, it’s key to make sure that they are locked by snapping shut the yellow lever before climbing up the ladder. Warning labels come in the leveler packaging to make sure that you are being safe while using this leveler system. 

Before you start installing the LevelSafe Pro ladder levelers, make sure you read the directions thoroughly. When drilling & cutting into a ladder, it’s important to understand the process before beginning. Reading through the instructions also gives you a chance to gather all the tools you’ll need. To watch me install these ladder levelers, watch here. 

These are all the tools I used during this process. 

• Hacksaw
• Rasp/File
• 7/16” Box Wrench
• Socket Wrench
• 5/16”
• 10mm
• 7/16” 
• ¼”, ⅛” drill bits
• Tape measure
• Drill
• Sharpie

So, if, as a painter, you don’t have self-leveling feet on at least one of your ladders, it’s definitely something you should look into for safety reasons. Ladder safety definitely isn’t something to disregard, especially if it’s something you are climbing up and down every day!