Some home improvement jobs come with their ups and downs…

Now that we are in June and school is out and summer starts and reading the old honey-do list can have chores that start with the word ‘paint’ or contain the word ‘gutters’ or ‘trim’ or heaven forbid use all 3 words in the same chore, I thought we could take a second and look at life’s forgotten helper:

Your ladder.

I know you have a ladder and it's been a good ladder for the past 15 years – it really has. It helped out when the Frisbee got stuck on the roof and when you had to spray the aerosol poison into the wasp nest just under where the roof comes together. It was even there the day you sawed the dead limb off the big oak tree – the limb that was 12 foot off the ground – now that was a day…

But ladders can get old. Wooden ladders can – gasp – rot. Maybe your ladder was purchased when you lived in that ranch starter home, 2 moves ago. It was great for that house, but now? Maybe not so much.

I’m not saying you need to throw it away. Maybe give it a special place in your crawlspace next to the kids old bikes and the wood chipper you bought on sale in 2010 because, well, because it was on sale.

(Don’t laugh at me. Who hasn’t bought something they don’t need just because it was on sale. Hmmm? Really? You haven’t? What is that bread maker doing in your basement?)

Okie dokie – so a new ladder it is. Here is a quick primer on what’s out there and what you need to look for.

There are two basic kinds of ladders: step ladders and extension ladders. For me, a chore that requires a step ladder over an extension ladder was always easier so let's start with those.

step ladder has an A-frame design and has a bar crossing the ladder on each side that locks the ladder into the correct position. A regular step ladder will have steps on one side and a little fold-down tray near the top to set things on before you knock the important ones off into the grass.

To work safely and efficiently you should not travel up past two steps from the top of the ladder. This isn’t something I am just telling you. Step ladders are manufactured with this in mind.

The step ladder is particularly useful if your project isn’t near a point that can support an extension ladder, such as indoor painting or installing a ceiling fan.

A quick point for what size a step ladder you may need. If you are 5 foot 6 inches tall and can reach about 18 inches or so above the top of your head, you will be able to reach 4 feet taller than the size step ladder you are safely on. In effect on a 6 foot ladder you will be able to reach up to 10 feet.

So measure and plan accordingly.

Extension ladders do not fold, and are made up of a base and one or two other sections that allow you to reach places that are higher up. Extension ladders sections are made to slide up and down and will lock into place at the desired height.

Extension ladder will require a wall or a roof line for support, do not think you can hold your wife up on the extension ladder while she quickly finishes or touches up a paint spot. If you try that, if you think, if, just don’t do it.

Extension ladders will come in longer lengths than step ladders. Like any ladder you need to put them on a solid base, and the higher you go the better idea it is to have a spotter.

Here are a few extra safety tips for an extension ladder:

- Your extension ladder always needs to be 3 to 4 foot higher than the project you are going to use it for.

- You should not climb closer to the top of the ladder than 4 rungs.

- For every 4 foot rise your ladder should be 1 foot away from the surface you are resting it against.

- Always maintain 3 points of contact with the ladder while working.

Ladders now come mostly in aluminum or fiberglass. Aluminum ladders are strong and lightweight and corrosive resistant, but they conduct electricity very well. Fiberglass ladders are also strong and lightweight and when clean and dry won’t conduct electricity. Knowing possible usages for your ladder will make you a smarter consumer.

One more quick note on the ladder. Ladders are rated by the amount of weight that they can safely hold. This is not just your weight, but the weight of the materials which you will be dragging up and down the ladder.

Here is their rating scale (provided by the American National Standards Institute)

Type IAA – load capacity of 375 pounds

Type IA – load capacity of 300 pounds

Type I – load capacity of 250 pounds

Type II – load capacity of 225 pounds

Type III – load capacity of 200 pounds

So it’s time. Nothing says Happy Father’s Day like a new ladder, a bucket of paint, and a honey-do list…

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