Ladders

Gambler

Had quotes for a few jobs recently:

Painting windows & soffits
Cleaning out guttering & soffits etc

Prices are ridiculous so deceided I'd rather have a go myself. Just trying to order some ladders but the choice

We have a modern 3 bed detached house and need to ladder to do the above. May be tempted to have a go at the barge boards on the apex but the above are the priority.

I'm thinking aluminium extension ladders but what size would I need and what are the benefits of a triple to a double.

Storage would be in the garage and ideally by hooks in the wall.


Thanks

ChasingButterflies

Hi there,

re benefits to a triple/double - I think this comes into play with regards to storing. i.e the max hight you need them to expand to to reach gutters etc and how small they need to be to fit along garage wall when they are being stored.

Then again I could be wrong!!

I didn't think about this and was very lucky that our set (when they arrived) fitted in the garage :rotfl:

We had to guesstimate the size we needed - measuring tape out to guage points on the front of house then multiplied as required and added a bit on for the angle required for ladder to be safe to use - lol not the most technical method!!!

greyteam1959

You would be better off buying a triple set cos if you buy a double set then find you need to get up higher you wont be able just to add one more stage cos of the fittings on the ladders.
Buy so brackets to hang them on in your garage is the best way to store them. I have a chain and a padlock on mine just in case !!!!

HugoSP

The triples are designed to fit into storage spaces that the doubles can't

BUT avoid them at all costs!

I use doubles. Yes they are longer and a pain to srore but they don't flex nearly as much when you're using them. Triples will flex twice as much as you've got 2 joins as opposed to 1.

If storage really is an issue then measure your storage space and when you have a look at them measure their length when fully closed and then ask what their full height is so that you kno they'll be long enough.

greyteam1959

The longest set of triples you can buy will obviously reach further than the longest set of doubles.
Or am I missing something here ???

Gambler

Thanks all, I'll measure the garage for stroage length tonight and then try and estaimate the height required.

Very interesting point about the double and the flex.

I've been having a good look online, do I need to be concerned about BS numbers and the tread type seeing as I am a domestic user?

Also, would it be worth getting a ladder stay for cleaning the guttering?

greyteam1959

You should buy ladders with the appropriate BS standard etc
I would say that a good wide ribbed tread would be more comfortable to use but unless you go for the real cheapo ones they will all be pretty much the same.
A ladder 'stand off ' was one of the most useful things that I ever bought to be honest. I put a piece of pipe lagging on it so it did not mark the walls and also fastened a bit of wood on it so I could stand a tin of paint on it !!

scbk

I like the youngman ladders, very well made and come in a massive range of sizes.
They do 2 main ranges - "DIY 100" and "Trade 200". The trade ones go up to bigger sizes, have wider treads, are more rigid and cost a good bit more. Climbing up an entended diy ladder can get a bit bouncy, it's all perfectly safe but not good if you don't really like heights


As said, people only go for triple sections if you're tight on space or want to get it on a roofrack

HugoSP

mervyn11 wrote: »

The longest set of triples you can buy will obviously reach further than the longest set of doubles.
Or am I missing something here ???

Quite probably, though I won't use triples for the reasons stated above.

Don't forget though that if a double ladder with say 4 metre closed length will go to 7 metres with 1 metre overlap, you will need a triple ladder 3 metres long to achieve the same maximum height, assuming that the triple ladders overlap by the same amount ie each overlap is 1 metre.

You need to sacrefice 2x overlap in the whole ladder to exten i o its maximum height, whereas a double will only require 1x overlap.

So, is there that much to be gained by going for the triple?

ChasingButterflies

We have a set of doubles - which I had to get from B&Q - no excuse other than it was an emergency and they could deliver that day... If I had more time would have got some trade ones as there is not that much difference in price if you trawl enough sites!

They do flex when extended i.e. to replace bulbs in security light - I will not go up neither will hubby - need to wait until dad is up for a visit - if that particular bulb goes!!!

However for cleaning the gutters when they are nowhere near full stretch and even with heights "concerning" me I can clean our gutters!! (tool of choice is an Asda smart price slotted spoon - 29p bargain and just the right size for our gutters!)

They are stored in our garage and I will do my best to explain how...

The roof to our garage is pitched so there are beams going accross the garage into these there are 2x rectangluar shaped frames made from off cuts of wood the right distance apart to allow us to put the ladder up there when not in use. The frames support each end of the ladder - not sure if I am explaining well enough!! I could try adding a pic if you are short of wall space - we have none!

jennifernil

If you have at least 75 cm of flattish access space all round the house you could consider an aluminium scaffold tower. More expensive but much safer in use and much more comfortable to stand on. We got ours from a place called BPS (I think!), I just Googled it. OH uses it on our balcony to get up to the apex of the fascia boards, it is a long way up!