Let's talk Ladders

I think people take ladders for granted.

There I said it.

What impressive pieces of equipment that can both assist us and put us in peril if not respected.



I have a natural stone slate roof on my home which shouldn't be stepped on so maintenance has to be done off ladders. I'm still assembling my assortment of ladders and have been fortunate enough to be able to borrow my grandfathers, whom also has a slate roof. There are hooks on the end of some of these ladders to hang on the roofline as well as padding to try and not get scratched up during work.

What kind of ladders do you use? Do you have a ladder-related story to share?

Hi Timothy,

I can hardly imagine having a roof that I can’t occasionally walk on—how would I do Christmas lights!

But in seriousness, the next ladder I buy I will gladly pay top dollar and call it a bargain.  Having climbed up on cheap, flimsy ladders and then trying to do any sort of physical work gave me a healthy respect for gravity and solid surfaces.

I agree, a quality ladder though expensive up front is a real long-term bargain.

Eric

When I spent time with the fire department, I was really into the specialty of ice water rescue.

One of the techniques in order to spread out weight as well as create a reaching tool was the use of straight ladders. If someone went into the water through the ice, you know it is not stable. Ladders, in a non traditional way, can help that!

I stumbled on this photo online and the memory popped up.