Ladders: the not so obvious

When there's a ladder leaning on a building and you walk up to it to move it, always look carefully at the top in case anyone has left any tools hanging on the rungs. When pulling a ladder away from the building to move it put your foot on the ground behind the ladder leg to act as a fulcrum. When lowering an extending ladder put it at a steeper angle to reduce the strength need to unhook the upper section from the lower one. When extending a triple extend the top section fully then extend the middle section as much as necessary. To carry a ladder first find the point of balance. Carry the ladder with it as upright as possible to reduce the weight on your shoulder. Never hold a ladder horizontally to carry it, unless there's no headroom. When carrying a ladder keep a lookout for overhead cables. If you have to lift a double or a triple onto a higher level while the ladder is extended tie the sections together. If you feel the need to have someone footing the ladder it is fundamentally unsafe. Secure it properly. A welding clamp can be used to secure a ladder to a strong gutter. If the ground is frosty put an excessive amount of salt down around the foot of the ladder to prevent re-freezing. Frost can form on the stiles of a ladder while you are on the roof and make it skate across the edge of the gutter it is leaning against. If a dog follows you up the ladder onto a flat roof you will most likely have to carry it down. Dogs just can't do going down a ladder. Monkeys are OK though. If a child follows you onto the roof leave it up there. If a 4 metre double or triple becomes worn and wobbly you can cut it down and make a perfectly good 2 metre ladder.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright
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Have you had *many* cases of dogs following you up your ladder? Maybe you should stop carrying around all those doggy treats in your pockets :-)

Reply to
NY

You have a lot of dogs following you do you then Bill? When I used to climb ladders it was usually cats. Some dogs can come down ladders OK the come down backwards as we do, but the small ones are not able to do it very well. My old Lab could, but not when he got older and somewhat fat.

As for the rest, well, people just don't actually do this stuff do they? Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

never hold the rungs when climbing a ladder....always check a rung hasn't been sawn through ........

Reply to
New OAP ...

Why? Depending on its length it may be difficult to balance if a large part of it extends above you.

Reply to
Mark

Hang on who would saw through a rung? One of the most unsafe ladders i had was wooden and was supposedly held together by metal rods below the wooden rungs, so even if the rungs did break the ladder should not unzip as it were. Sadly the rods were not up to it and bent and broke. Luckily I was only three up at the time.

I'm always a little wary when I need to go into the loft, as that ladder is one of those concertina ones so it does not take up a lot of space. It always feels decidedly wobbly though due to all the hinges in it. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Yes I inherited such a ladder with this house, quite old, very heavy, I was wary of the rungs, eventually one did break and I chopped the thing up with a circular-saw.

Reply to
Andy Burns

Only twice in 50 years. Found one on a roof once though.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

Some debate about that. If the rungs are deffo secure you can get a firmer grip than on the stiles. Firemen hold the rungs.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

I agree that a heavy ladder longer than approx 4m should probably be carried horizontally by two men. The make manoeuvring easier they should both be a little way from the ends.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

plenty of scumbags......had a job where I had to do repairs to a chimneyhead because the owners wouldn't so scumbag owner who knew a big bill was coming his way sawed almost through a wooden ladder three storeys up.......just as well climber held onto the sides and not the rung.....world is full of scumbags you know......

Reply to
New OAP ...

my cat always used to follow me up a ladder when working at home stuped old girl all she ever wanted to do my sit on my lap.

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Reply to
Mark

I want to know about the monkeys. :)

Reply to
pamela

So what's the "correct" way to erect a 2 section ladder against a rendered wall? Extending first makes it very hard to erect. Bouncing the ladder to slide the top section up works against brick but not roughcast render (and is a bit risky)

Reply to
mailbin

You have to extend it first, really. That isn't usually a problem but a triple up against a three floor block of flats is very difficult. Better if you have a second man. A roped ladder might be helpful.

Years ago I some some bolt-on wheels to overcome this.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

Thanks, that spurred me to look around. I hadn't realised that add-on wheels were available (there are lots), but I think I might now have an excuse to buy a new ladder with wheels and rope operation.

Reply to
mailbin

ISTR someone here, maybe Peter Parry, had a case where a couple of cats got up on the roof, and he ended up zipping them into his coat to get them down again.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

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