Small work platform - feet 1.5-2m above groumd

[David]

Every time I get to do something like washing the roof of the car or caravan I yearn for something more stable than step ladders.

I've just measured the caravan and the roof is roughly 2.5 metres above the ground. I am assuming that I could manage with a 1.5 metre platform (I am roughly

1.8 metres tall) but might be better off with a 2 metre foot level. Just in case we switch to something taller.

"Proper" scaffold towers are a chunk of money, but a search shows up some reasonable looking work platforms at around £140.

One example, there are several slightly different ones at the same price point.

Does anyone have any experience of these? Worth the money or waste of time?

Cheers

Dave R

[David]

Noting that the one linked is less platform height of less than a metre.

Uh, duh!

Cheers

Dave R

[Dave Plowman (News]

I'd say anything large enough to make this job easy would be a PITA to move and store?

For the car, a simple hop-up would do?

[Roger Mills]

I've got a folding platform ladder which I bought from Maplins a few years ago for about £45. Sadly, Maplins are no longer with us, but Lidl/Aldi have similar ones from time to time.

Mine is a straight ladder with 3 folds - so it can full length straight, half length step ladder, or half length platform, quarter length high - with checker plates to stand on.

The platform is only 1 metre high - if that - but I found that totally adequate for washing the caravan which I used to own, and reaching across the roof. I would question whether you really need one which is as high as you have specified - it would have to have a very wide side to side splay of its feet in order to be stable.

One thing which would be useful - which mine doesn't have - would be for the ladder-type supports either end to extend well above platform height

- like some of those shown on the Amazon website - so that there's something to hang on to when climbing aboard.

[John Rumm]

It will partly depend on how heavy you are - I tend to find some of the more flimsy stuff just a little to wafty feeling.

Tripod ladders can be better than traditional steps for some "working from" applications:

If you need something sturdy, then an Ali trade rated tower in its shortest form might do what you need:

However double the money of the entry level DIY rated stuff.

[charles]

I have a friend who was on the EU committee for ladders specifications. The Germans couldn't understand why the UK wanted wobbly ladders.

[newshound]

I have something very like this,

although I think mine was only about £50 from a shed. It has the merit of being light and fairly compact to store although it's a bit wobbly. It's not *quite* high enough to pressure wash the roof of my high roof Renault Master properly. I occasionally use it in step ladder or extending ladder mode too.

I'm sure the Von Haus is a bit more solid and stable, but of course it's not quite as flexible.

[Fredxx]

If you want to be mobile, how about something like this?

[Fredxx]

Yes they do...

[Fredxx]

And for extra mobility:

[Colin Bignell]

...

I wonder how long it takes to learn how to use any of those.

[John Rumm]

I have often fancied having a go with those - but most I looked at had inadequate maximum weight limits! The fact that they "copy" your foot angle to their foot angle probably helps enormously, since your normal balance reflexes front to back should still work, and you should still "feel" any front to back change in floor angle.

(that and the last time I plastered a ceiling was well over a decade ago)

[newshound]

Sorry, I went to test it and hit send by mistake. But I figured it would not be too difficult to find.

[Jeff Gaines]

Yes, that exact one from eBay:

£109 when I got it a few weeks ago. I am 74, just bought a new (to me) house and am wobbly at heights. This is highly recommended as I could hold the rail while working. It is heavy so carry the metal "shelves" separately, folds easily to go in garage. Used it to decorate 3 rooms, brilliant for ceiling and tops of walls and easy to move around. Do use the brake but don't undo it with you foot while wearing slippers, it's sharp!

[David]

Thanks, but as I posted later (after reading the details properly) the platform height isn't high enough for my specific requirement.

I've double checked with step ladders and 1 metre height (for my feet) just allows me to peer over the top of the caravan but wouldn't be high enough for me to get my shoulders above roof height to enable me to use a brush or power washer.

The details say that this platform is just over 0.8 metres high.

Great for decorating indoors, though.

Cheers

Dave R

[David]

There are a number of similar ladders which support a platform.

Not all give the maximum platform height, though, which need to be at least 1.5 metres.

I am now wondering if you can buy just a platform which will fit between two "proper" ladders.

I have a seriously robust set of Climba ladders from the '70s.

Cheers

Dave R

[David]

<snip>

<snip>

I've tried standing on the top platform of a step ladder which is 1 metre high. My eyes are about level with the roof. This is absolutely not high enough to safely was the roof.

I wonder how old your caravan was, how high it was, and if it had a flat or peaked roof.

Cheers

Dave R

[David]

I think that last time I went down this rabbit hole I discounted the tripod ladders as they seem more suited to cutting hedges than getting up close and personal with a caravan.

I could, of course, be mistaken in this view.

The scaffold tower you linked to illustrates my quandary - it looks ideal but is £370 which is a lot of money to lash out for perhaps twice a year use.

However on looking again at hire towers I found

This looks ideal for the use that I have in mind, and at £50 for the weekend should cost in for very limited use. Only, I was sure that it had a decent maximum working height but now all I can find is that the maximum platform height is 1,000 mm which is not quite high enough.

Looking for a slightly taller one but not (as usual) doing well in my searches.

Cheers

Dave R

[John Rumm]

You can get "staging" (basically a ladder like device with a ply platform fitted to one side of it). Or the more traditional scaffold boards which are significantly cheaper.

You could try the traditional "ladder cripple" - a device you hang on an extending ladder and it makes a projecting platform to place staging or boards on. To be close to pleasing the more H&S it would also need handrails etc.

(I have a couple of ladder steps[1] that will support a couple scaffold boards if needs must)

[1] like:

[David]

<snip>

I've just got the TALL steps out.

Top platform (where there isn't anything to grab hold of for stability) is

1.5 metres above ground and is high enough (but a bit dodgy to work from).

One step from top (which allows me to grasp the safety rail and also put stuff on the top platform) is 1.25 metres above ground and is barely high enough.

As far as I know you should never work from the top platform of these kinds of steps because of the risk of falling or tipping the steps over.

I suppose I might get away with even taller steps, of by rigging a soft pad on a proper ladder, but this does prove (to me at least) that my height requirements are accurate.

Cheers

Dave R