Ladders: Have You Seen What They Can Do?

By Emily Sandberg

I never thought I”d spend more than $400 for a ladder? Ha! But then again, I never thought I”d want anything more than the hand me down wooden step ladder my grandpa gave me. Now, I see what ladders are turning into, and I think I just might want one of those newfangled, fancy, extending, bending, multi-use, worthy- of-an-hour-long-informercial ladders!

First of all, I”ll admit, I”m impressed with a simple, run of the mill extension ladder. With a flick of the wrist, or the pull of a cord, you can take an innocent looking 12 foot ladder to 16 feet, or more! Call me naive, but I”m impressed.

Now, you show me a step ladder made for a stair well and I”m agog! I love those! I remember the first time my parents painted their stairwell with a more traditional ladder–it involved a veritable scaffolding of 2×4s bracing and balancing the ladder so my dad could reach the ceiling 12 to 16 feet above him. My mother warned, fretted, and paced the whole time he was up there. Even I, at 13 years old knew my dad was in a precarious position; if I had it to do over, I”d get him one of those stairway ladders.

How about those ladders that look simple enough at first–just a typical A-frame from 4-6 feet tall? But then you notice both sides extend, so it can become a stair way ladder (with sides extended unevenly). Or just a really tall A-frame (with sides extended evenly), or even taller as an extension ladder (unfold the A-frame and extend both ends. I”ve even seen ladders that are A-frame extension ladders that can be pulled apart, so you have two ladders! It blows my mind.

The newest type of ladder I”ve discovered is called a telescoping ladder. Sometimes people refer to extension ladders as telescoping ladders, and rightly so, but these are different! These telescoping ladders telescope rung by rung so you can not only choose your desired height, but also telescope this baby down to less than 3 feet tall!

It’’s a ladder revolution for anyone who wants to transport a ladder but doesn”t have a truck, or who needs to store a ladder, but doesn”t have a big garage. Now your ladder can fit in the trunk of your car or at the bottom of your closet!

Now, you don”t have to spend over $400 on a ladder. You might just need a 6-foot aluminum stepladder and that will be just fine. But with the ladder options that are out there today, take the time to ask around, do some shopping, and really think about how you will need to use a ladder now and in the future.

$400 or more may seem like a lot to spend on a ladder today, but if it saves you from having to buy another one a few years down the road, or if it saves you from the 2×4 scaffolding-over-the-stairs scenario, it just might be worth it. With the quality of today’’s best ladders, you could be looking at a true investment, even an heirloom for future generations!

About The Author

Emily helps people find out everything they need to know about selecting the right ladder. You can read more of her work at http://laddercitypro.com.