Everyone home needs a ladder. Or sometimes two or three. Ladders are especially important to have on hand when you do many do it yourself projects. Until you start working on your home, you’ll never realize how frequently you need to reach the ceiling or the roof. Many older homes don’t even have stairs to access the attic, so a ladder can be a necessity for your home even if you don’t plan on doing much work on the house yourself.
There are a lot of ladders for sale on the market today, so it’s important to consider your needs when purchasing a ladder. Do you need a straight ladder, a folding ladder one that supports extra weight or even a 5-way ladder that you can use with scaffolding?
The most common ladder found in the home is a basic folding ladder. These ladders are great because they fold in half so that you can store them without taking up much space. They’re also fairly portable and the fold allows for a locking mechanism that makes them undeniably sturdy.
Climbing on a ladder can be a dangerous task, no matter how sturdy the ladder you’re using. Every year around 300 people die of ladder related injuries and ladder incidents cause up to 200,000 emergency room visits. So, it can’t be overstated how important it is to be safe and feel comfortable using your ladder.
Any home ladder you’re considering purchasing should be clearly stamped with the maximum weight it’s designed to hold. Before buying your ladder, you should be able to test it. You’ll want to lock it into position and then slowly climb the ladder. Start on the bottom rung, one foot at a time and see if the ladder holds your weight and feels comfortable to you. If the bottom rung of the ladder seems strong, continue in this manner toward the top. Of course, you’ll never want to stand on the top rung of a ladder. If the ladder seems sturdy and you’re comfortable with it, then you’ve found your home’s ladder!
