What makes a good ladder




















It's equipped with slip-resistant footing, steel hinges, and a shock-absorption construction to keep it from wobbling when two people are working. I would give it six stars if I could. Podium ladders allow homeowners to have a degree working area. This 8-foot fiberglass podium ladder is slip- and weather-resistant for indoor and outdoor use.

The Type 1A duty-rating holds you steady no matter what you're working on. One reviewer said, "I have foot ceilings and ladders make me so nervous.

I have to change the light bulbs and do some painting and wanted a ladder I felt safe using. This platform ladder makes me feel totally safe. It is really sturdy and doesn't wobble. Very happy with my purchase. Every home needs a step ladder to help you find items in hard-to-reach places.

This durable, three-step ladder holds up to pounds to support basic household projects. It's made with a steel frame and the steps have non-slip rubber grips. And it's foldable, making it easy to store. One reviewer wrote , "Love this step ladder! It's extremely sturdy but lightweight enough to move around. It's also easy to fold up and store. I like that the steps are wide, so my whole foot can stand on it, unlike a ladder where it gives you that wobbly feeling.

Fire escape ladders help loved ones safely exit your home in case of an emergency. This folded two-story fire escape ladder comes ready to use with a quick-release function. The flame-resistant metal holds up to 1, pounds, so several people can climb down the ladder at once.

Note: The fire escape ladder is designed for single use only—discard the ladder after its first use. This is now stored in our bedroom. Now we hope we never need to use it. A man carrying a Little Giant Ladder. Shop the best options reviewers love. By Lily Gray March 23, Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Related Content Little Giant Ladders.

Little Giant Ladders. Best for Painting. Best Extension Ladder. Best Lightweight. Best Telescoping Ladder. Best Attic Ladder. Best Twin Ladder. Best Podium Ladder. Best Fire Escape Ladder. The tray has a magnetic area for securing nails, screws, drill bits, and so forth , as well as places for extension cords, hand tools, and a can of paint. Last, the legs splay out at the bottom, giving the ladder a level of stability not found in other 6-foot stepladders. The Select Step has received a number of positive reviews from credible sources.

In I reviewed it for Tools of the Trade. Basically, everyone loves the thing and there are a lot of reasons why. At 26 pounds, the Select Step weighs about 8 pounds more than the traditional Werner stepladder, making it an awkward item to carry through a house.

Other than the weight, the main drawback to the Select Step is the cost. Given such a price, this is not the ladder for everyone. After closely comparing almost 20 extension ladders of varying lengths, we think the best extension ladder for most people is the Werner D 28 ft Type IA Fiberglass D-Rung Extension Ladder.

Its foot length is enough to safely get someone up to the roof of a typical two-story home, and its Type IA weight rating pounds is strong enough to support a person completely loaded up with tools and gear. All of these features are available on our runner-up pick, but the D has wider availability at major retailers, where it typically sells for less.

The D is sized for a typical two-story house. For safety, you should not use the top three rungs as steps; as a result, the D gives a maximum reach of about 27 to 28 feet depending on your height. For you to get on and off the top of the ladder and onto a roof, three rungs need to extend beyond the roofline, 4 so the D works with roofs about 21 feet high or less. If your house does not conform to those heights, Werner offers a chart that will help you decide on the correct ladder length.

The Werner D is also a safe ladder. This factor is especially important with long, difficult-to-maneuver extension ladders. But the advantages of fiberglass ladders go beyond electrical safety. Noise, sturdiness, even cleanliness. Once aluminum gets dust and junk on it, it finds its way to your hands and clothes and work.

And if you ever have to lug up a bundle of shingles 70 lbs. Even if you never get close to exceeding the weight limit, a Type IA rating promises the most stability in a residential ladder.

Because a ladder rated as such is designed to handle so much weight, it has less flex in the side rails. This feature becomes more important as you extend the D In addition, the pound weight rating means this ladder is strong enough to handle any emergencies or unforeseen situations.

Even if no one in your household comes close to pounds, you never know who may be assisting you with a project or asking to borrow your ladder. The feet of the D have nonslip textured rubber grips for use on hard, flat surfaces. When you set up the ladder on a lawn or other soft surface, you can pivot the feet so that the claw end faces downward, ready for you to dig it into the ground for a better grip.

We found that both setups are successful and very stable. Werner is a well-respected name in ladders, and the D has stellar customer feedback on the Home Depot site. This reception is not surprising, as the majority of the ladders I used in construction were Werner models. The Werner costs a serious chunk of change, but a ladder, even one that you use only a few times a year, is worth the investment. The Werner D has the length, build, and weight rating to handle any household task and perform in an emergency.

The ladder weighs 60 pounds, so most roof racks should be able to handle the weight. We recommend using a strong tie-down system, such as ratchet straps, to prohibit any movement of the ladder during transportation.

Like any foot extension ladder, the Werner D is heavy. Our recommendation is to educate yourself on the proper techniques for carrying and setting up an extension ladder. Storing a foot ladder can pose difficulties, as well.

The two ladders have the same weight rating, the same general build, and similar safety shoes. Where the Werner model edges out the Louisville model is in its availability in stores.

If you want delivery and need to purchase online, the Werner and Louisville ladders both cost more. You can find a number of add-on accessories that make an extension ladder easier and safer to use, including stabilizers, ladder mitts, and leveling legs. A stabilizer is a particularly useful accessory to have for an extension ladder.

This wide U-shaped bar attaches to the top of the fly ladder and braces the ladder off the house, preventing damage. Ladder mitts are nothing more than little rubbery end caps for the rails on the fly section. The Werner AC pair is well worth its typically minimal investment. If the ground around your house is uneven, levelers can be helpful. These accessories attach to the feet of the ladder and extend independently, so you can position the ladder properly.

The LeveLoks are the only levelers we found that offer a pivoting safety shoe, and they have fantastic customer feedback at Amazon. Since the legs can accommodate adjustments up to 10 inches, you could set the ladder perpendicular on a flight of stairs. Either option is better than the lazy fix—setting a ladder leg on a couple of bricks—which Wirecutter editor Harry Sawyers once used to ascend from a lower roof to an upper roof on a historic house he was restoring.

While human error may explain some of the roughly , emergency-room visits each year, so may faulty designs. So you need to be sure your ladder is up to the job. Home ladders typically carry a label that indicates how much weight they can support. Since you can't always predict who will be using your ladder, we recommend one with a maximum weight rating of pounds Type 1A.

We think the added safety margin is worth any extra cost and weight. Buy the Right Ladder for the Job Choose the right design and height for the work you do. And try before you buy. With stepladders, climb three steps and carefully shift your weight. The ladder shouldn't deform, tilt, or "walk. Follow the Directions Even a ladder that's rated to hold pounds can fail if you don't set it up and use it properly. Read the manufacturer's directions and safety information carefully and be sure you understand them before you start climbing.

For additional safety advice, see Steps to ladder safety. Safety Concerns The American Ladder Institute, the industry's major trade group, has attributed ladder injuries mostly to misuse and improper selection. But shoddy design and construction may add significantly to those injuries, judging by some of the testing we've done in our labs. For example, steps on some 6-foot stepladders—the most popular type—bent under a higher-weight version of the industry's step-strength test we used to account for the stresses of climbing and weight-shifting.

And we found that even the most stable stepladders twisted enough for their feet to "walk" slightly when we stood on them and simulated the weight shifting typical when painting or sanding. Some telescoping and multi-use ladders could also crush hands and fingers, and had feet that slid out easily.

Which type of ladder you choose should depend on the chores you do most often, inside or out. If you clean your own gutters, you'll need a taller ladder than you would if you are dusting a chandelier. Here are the types of ladders to consider. Stepladders These uncomplicated and relatively light A-shaped ladders are best for tasks relatively near the ground maximum standing height ranges from about 45 to 54 inches for 6-foot models.

A folding shelf typically holds tools or paint. But stepladders tend to be less rigid than multiuse ladders, and you can't use them on stairs. Some may have pinch points at the spreader bars. Multiuse Ladders These multi-folding ladders are designed to be versatile: They can act like a stepladder or an extension ladder and even a scaffold, and can be used on stairs.

Multiuse ladders typically reach 12 to 15 feet as straight ladders and tend to be more rigid than stepladders while requiring less storage space than an extension ladder. But they're relatively heavy and pricey, and harder to set up with their multiple locking points. Models that extend beyond 17 feet can also be extremely difficult for one person to safely lift, maneuver, and fully extend. Extension Ladders These are your first choice for projects more than 17 feet off the ground.

Extension ladders typically are light for their length and relatively easy to set up. And they're more rigid than multiuse models used as straight ladders. But they work only in a straight configuration and require ample storage space. What's more, some telescoping models can pose a crushing hazard to hands and fingers if you let them collapse too quickly.

After deciding on the type of ladder you need, consider the ladder features you'll want. Here are the major ones to consider.



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