What size ladder do you need to clear guttering and paint windows etc on a standard 2 story house?

On looking this up:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=BuyGuide/ChsUseLdr.html

from Lowes, but by searching for "reach", meaning climbing on the ladder to be able to clear as wide a length of guttering or paint as large an area of wall as possible.

Another problem is that length of ladder is given in size of each extension: you lose about 40cm for a two-section extension ladder.

Figure it this way. A typical newer house has 8 ft. ceilings (N. America), with perhaps 1 ft or 30cm loft space between floors. Then observe the terrain adjacent the house, and the space to the first floor. Give yourself plenty of room for error here.

To that estimated height, add about 10% for the angle that the ladder leans against the house (i.e., cosine of the angle from the house); maybe 15% if you wish to be conservative.

Now, figure how much additional ladder you want above the eave of the roof. If you expect to climb onto the roof (for cleaning or at a later date), you probably want a substantial height above the roof, such as perhaps 1/2 meter or 1 1/2 ft.

In figuring this, consider that you can always use less ladder height, down to the collapsed size. Now decide if you will be near electrical power wiring, in which case you want fiberglass, but if not, choose aluminum because it is lighter in weight.