Platforms for ladder

[Matty F]

There are a couple of houses that need painting every few years, and a place in each house where a ladder won't quite reach. I have a very solid 3.5 metre aluminium stepladder that almost reaches. New longer ladders are extremely expensive.

I was think that if I made a couple of platforms I could put the ladder on top to get the extra height of 600 to 900 mm. Basically the platforms would be like a couple of big boxes that I would make out of 100x50 or 150x50 mm timber, since I have a lot of that lying around. I'd like to use plywood but I'd have to go and buy it.

I'd have outriggers of 100x50 under the boxes to stop them tipping over. I'd have a harness on when up the ladder, attached over the roof. Any thoughts, derision etc? :)

[The Medway Handyman]

If anyone else had posted that question I'd have said they were mad!

I take ladder safety very seriously, more accidents caused by falling off them than you would believe.

You box idea seems much safer than over reaching.

Dave TMH

[Nutkey]

Not sure what your harness setup is, but:

You need to make sure that:

a) You can still get down if you fall off. b) You don't run the risk of knocking yourself out and then dangling unconcious in a harness for a long period (suspension trauma) c) Ensure that rope stretch doesn't mean you'll hit the ground anyway if you fall off.

I've been seriously tempted in the past to fix a couple of belay points just below the guttering...

[Matty F]

As an alternative I could make some kind of platform 3.5 metres high and use the existing ladder to get on it. Around the back of my house I have this 6 metre ladder but it's too heavy to move!:

[The Natural Philosopher]

Scaffolding tower.

[chris French]

Indeed. friend of mine broke her arm at the weekend falling off whilst stripping wallpaper. Haven't go clear details of it but I think was probably up a step ladder but facing away from it towards the wall and it probably tipped sideways

In principle it could be ok, as long as strong enough and constructed so as can't tip. Ground would need to be flat though.

Or hire a longer ladder?

[Another John]

Do you have a trailer? Properly chocked, that'd be a good mobile platform.

There are some fantastic ideas here:

's a joke, Matty!). [That site used to be fantastic - it has 00s of horror-photos in its archives but for some bizarre reason they are all now in Powerpoint format, and therefore tedious, if not impossible, to look at.]

John

[Matty F]

There will certainly be someone on the ground watching the ladder operator. The people going up the ladder, in their spare time like to abseil down 100 metre waterfalls and other high places. I've been down behind this waterfall:

[Ron Lowe]

I've rigged ladders *from* a scaffolding tower, but it takes some care to ensure several things:

1) that the ladder can't slip from the platform. I rigged the ladder from a lower level on the tower, and secured it with webbing straps at a couple of different levels above. 2) that the outward force created by the ladder can't topple the tower backwards. Use the tower's outriggers carefully, and tie the top of the tower to the building if possible. Tie the top of the ladder to whatever is available.

Apply an engineer's eye to your set-up. If it doesn't look right, it's not right.

[Phil L]

Derision I'm afraid.

Having spent much of my working life up ladders of one kind or another, and falling off several times, I can only say that this is a serious accident waiting to happen. You use the ladders, what, bi-annually? - that wooden crate will probably have rotted away or be covered in slimy algy by year 2.

I have been up ladders that have been placed on a lot of things; a transit van, a brick wall, packs of bricks etc, but always something solid, and always with something at right angles to prevent the ladder sliding backwards.

The best thing for putting ladders on is soft ground and stamp the ladder feet into the ground, that way they cannot go backwards, forwards or sideways.

Wood is by far, the wort thing you could think of to put ladders on.

hire a long set every few years or borrow some from someone

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Another John saying something like:

I see what you mean. Utterly counter-productive and time-wasting.

[Nigel Pargetter]

You don't need a ladder - just climb onto the roof.

It's perfectly safe :-)

[Matty F]

Change of plan. Instead of a couple of boxes I'll just extend the legs of the ladder like this:

'll run a couple of braces between the two extensions as well.

Everyone should know by now that when people tell me something is impossible I usually make it happen! :)

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Matty F saying something like:

[Tabby]

I'd just make a ladder that's long enough, its simple quick easy & cheap. I dont see the point in encasing your present ladder within a bunch of extra woodwork, it would only take longer, cost more and be heavier, and 2 ladders are more use than one.

NT

[Man at B&Q]

So not just you? Are they being paid? Does their insurance cover jury rigging like this?

MBQ

[Another John]

[Matty F]

No there's just three friends who help each other. One is a bit old to go up ladders and one of the houses is his and the other house is mine. He will buy the paint and watch the two of us go up ladders. The two of us ran an abseiling business for years and have abseiling gear for up to 100 metre drops. In my country there are no special regulations for ladders up to 4 metres high. I am basically making a shorter ladder into a 4 metre one. I just like to use a safety rope even though I am not required to use one. I've never had an accident. I use common sense, unlike the tradesmen I see working on the houses next door.