Ladder advice?

[<me9]

I'm about to embark on replacing my fascias and soffits. I have a domestic double extension ladder that has served me well, but having used better quality ladders at work I would like a better quality one to supplement it.

I'm looking at the old class 2, now 'trade' or BS EN131.

Several makes I've looked at with a wide range of prices. Any gotchas?

Titan?

Youngman? -- more expensive -- worth the extra?

Lewis? Cheaper, any downside?

Ramsay? -- very expensive, heavy, -- Rolls Royce of ladders. Used them at work, but can't really justify that price.

Any others?

[george [dicegeorge]]

Or hire a ladder or scaffolding.

The cost of falling off a ladder is huge, the probability small...

[g]

[David WE Roberts]

I have had a set of Clima laddders since the 1970s and they have done me remarkably well. They are a trade rather than domestic version, and have very strong 'D' rungs. Every tradesman who sees them says "Blimey, thats a solid set of ladders." or similar. ;-)

No guarantee that Clima are still good, or even made by the same people.

Cheers

Dave R

[js.b1]

What are you going to stand the ladder against if you have bays, or even not, because fascias & soffits require a lot of leaning out & manipulation on a ladder?

So you would be duplicating that which you have, if they are "serviceable". A good ladder is about =A390-140 depending on height, nearer the end of that range for height & quality combined.

=A370 a week will get a light to assemble alloy tower with 4 outriggers from Hire Station, a bit less from Jewsons (=A345 at a guess if you apply for a trade card). Recession is still hurting.

So you might actually save =A350-70 and do it quicker and more safely. That =A350-70 would buy a decent set of GRP platform stepladders for in the house, plenty of offers on Ebay on certain step heights every now and then (5, 6, 8 usually). Alternatively a set of eaves protectors or new DPC to slip under the tile felt and into the gutters if the felt is ripping.

[John Rumm]

I like the Lyte ones I have bought from SF in the past - substantial and good lateral stability.

(however much depends on the nature of your facia and soffits - last time I did some I needed to borrow a tower for some bits)

[<me9]

No bays, I've a 24" ladder standoff that will give me some clearance for te rest.

I'm expecting to spend near th top end of that range, am looking around £120. My current ladder is 'domestic' quality (Youngman Mercury) and flexes rather more than I like. Having used class 1 ladders at work I am impressed by their stiffness, and would like to update anyway.

The weeks may drag on, depending on what I find. I intend to remedy any problems I find, that's why I DIY, i've watched the "professionals" /do/ all my neighbours and I haven't been impressed.

Got more than enough stepladders. Access is difficult at the side for a tower, ladders will get up from neighbour's side. Above the single storey extension I've got wooden staging stored in the garage/shed from when I repaired the roof. Anything else other than conventional scaffolding wouldn't fit there, even a cherry picker wouldn't get there.

Eaves protectors on order, Breathable felt may be needed amongst other things (tile laths etc). I'll wait and see.

[John Sabine]

Just acquired a Lewis trade extension (painting the exterior) and was very happy with price, quality and service. The ladder itself is good (to be fair, I've got little to compare it to, but it feels very solid), and the price included delivery.

There was a c*ck-up during delivery but it was sorted almost before I knew about it - the day it was due to arrive, I got an answerphone message telling me the courier had managed to damage it, apologising profusely, saying they'd arranged a next-day replacement, and hoping this would be acceptable. It was ...

John

[tony sayer]

Umm ... having had a very bad fall last year, month in neuro intensive care ;!,I'm a bit more wary of ladders then ever before but I'd spend more on a decent heavier duty one and some stand off brackets. Make sure its tied to something somewhere so it doesn't slide sideways and is on decent ground..

The tower idea is a good one but you still need to get up there. And as you say in later posts there may be other things form time to time that need attention...

[Andrew Gabriel]

Recently did a similar job on my place. I got scaffolding erected along the front of the house, which cost something like £350, which included a throw over a bay (without resting on it), a lift (working platform) about 2' below the gutter line, and lift about a foot below the upstairs window sills for painting the upstairs windows. This was for 4 weeks in theory. I lost the first 2 weeks to bad weather and probably had the scaffolding for nearer 6 weeks without any extra charge.

It's _so_ much easier (and safer) working from proper scaffolding, that I simply wouldn't consider doing something like this again without it. 5 years ago, I did the same along the back of the house.

[JTM]

My 3x 2.5m ladder is great. 'A' shap,e about .5m wide base and you can lean over to either side without fear. the 2 bottom stages open out as a stepladder, with or without the top section to go higher.