Ladder Tips

Matt Fox shares tips for staying safe when using ladders.

Filed under: Safety, Maintenance

Figure A

A 12-foot A-frame ladder made out of fiberglass is immensely useful for projects like changing light fixtures in two-story foyers or painting cathedral ceilings. Ladders like this come in a variety of heights from as low as two feet up to 20 feet tall.

A tall ladder poses a few challenges, including how to transport them and where to store them. For transportation, make sure to tie a warning flag to the end of the ladder that is sticking out the back of a truck or van. For storage, use brackets to get the ladder off the floor and onto the wall where it can be held secure.

Figure B

An articulated ladder is made up of four four-foot sections joined together with joints that can rotate nearly 360 degrees, which allows the four sections to be bent and locked in about 18 different positions. It can go from a simple straight ladder that reaches up 16 feet to a twin stepladder. When the two middle sections are parallel to the floor, it becomes a work platform and it can also be a standoff ladder, extending out from the wall when you need to reach center ceiling fixtures in a room. If you have high ceilings and lots of high wall space, you may want to consider one of these.