Aluminium ladder recommendations and advice? (UK)

robodelfy · 17 Jun 2020

I have to do my soil stack, clean and paint my house, and in the future it would be useful for cleaning windows etc.

I was going to rent a ladder, about £30 a week. But then I thought it would make sense to own one, and I'd have to store it outside although may be able to make a cover for it

My gutters start at 6m, measured straight up the house, so I guess around 6m would be ok, although maybe a bit longer as the ladder will be angled when leaning against the house,

I am on a pretty tight budget, so really looking for the cheapest thing for very occasional use that is still relatively safe! If thats possible

Any brand recommendations? Single, double triple extension etc.

footprints · 17 Jun 2020

You will need a ladder of 7m at least to get a safe angle and a little above.
Go for a Light Trade ladder not a DIY one and three piece much easier to store.
A DIY ladder will "whip" when fully extended really frightening to use, a light trade is heavier and more rigid in use, a proper trade ladder is very heavy and may need ropes to erect it not a one man job.
I have a 3 section Titan closes to 3m extends to 7.1m reaches normal two story house gutters with ease.
also worth looking at ladder standoffs too.
https://www.diy.com/departments/b-q-ladder-stand-off-h-640mm/30364_BQ.prd

freddiemercurystwin · 17 Jun 2020

I bought a Lyte trade ladder a while back, there are cheaper ones of course but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing to skimp on to me, you're probably only ever gonna buy one in your lifetime as a DIYer, a tripple can be more versatile but also more cumbersome depending on the situation, I found eBay were cheapest for the standoffs.

robodelfy · 17 Jun 2020

footprints said:
You will need a ladder of 7m at least to get a safe angle and a little above.
Go for a Light Trade ladder not a DIY one and three piece much easier to store.
A DIY ladder will "whip" when fully extended really frightening to use, a light trade is heavier and more rigid in use, a proper trade ladder is very heavy and may need ropes to erect it not a one man job.
I have a 3 section Titan closes to 3m extends to 7.1m reaches normal two story house gutters with ease.
also worth looking at ladder standoffs too.
https://www.diy.com/departments/b-q-ladder-stand-off-h-640mm/30364_BQ.prd

Good info, I didn't think I'd need 7m to get that high.

Can you link me to the one you have? I'd like to see, how much did you pay? I was hoping to get something fro £100 to £150, is that optimistic?

I considered this : https://www.laddersandscaffoldtowers.co.uk/acatalog/2-Section-Extension-Ladders.html

freddiemercurystwin · 17 Jun 2020

I paid £109 for mine back in 2014, looks like prices have gone up a lot since then. That one goes up to 6.85m

lostinthelight · 17 Jun 2020

robodelfy said:
Good info, I didn't think I'd need 7m to get that high.

Can you link me to the one you have? I'd like to see, how much did you pay? I was hoping to get something fro £100 to £150, is that optimistic?

I considered this : https://www.laddersandscaffoldtowers.co.uk/acatalog/2-Section-Extension-Ladders.html

The ladder linked to has square rungs which look uncomfortable...I would definitely go for large “D” section
As freddiemercurystwin, I can highly recommend Lyte ladders with the yellow end caps

footprints · 17 Jun 2020

Bought mine 20+ years ago so price a bit out of date I'm afraid.

I would have thought 150 - 250 range now but that's only a guess. Remember it will last a lifetime if well looked after, so worth avoiding cheap ones. They might last a lifetime too if you fall off!

robodelfy · 17 Jun 2020

I just found one on gumtree for £50, from the site I was looking on anyway : https://www.laddersandscaffoldtowers.co.uk/acatalog/3-Section-Extension-Ladders.html

He doesn't know what height it is fully extended, but its 3m 10 closed, and 3 sections, so I think it will be around 7m

martin hill · 18 Jun 2020

robodelfy said:
I have to do my soil stack, clean and paint my house, and in the future it would be useful for cleaning windows etc.

I was going to rent a ladder, about £30 a week. But then I thought it would make sense to own one, and I'd have to store it outside although may be able to make a cover for it

My gutters start at 6m, measured straight up the house, so I guess around 6m would be ok, although maybe a bit longer as the ladder will be angled when leaning against the house,

I am on a pretty tight budget, so really looking for the cheapest thing for very occasional use that is still relatively safe! If thats possible

Any brand recommendations? Single, double triple extension etc.

Hi There. Have a look round the sites for deals on an Alu ladder with D rungs. I have 6m gutters and my 2 section one is spot on. Will measure when the rain stops. Take into account your height and weight when buying. Dont go over the top with price but don't skimp either. Saving 30 40 quid compared to falling 6m doesn't add up.

Like many have and will say Lyte do some cracking ladders.

lostinthelight · 18 Jun 2020

The disadvantage of two section if its the only one owned is one section is often too long to fit under windows etc. I have both types but its the three section which gets most used,

robodelfy · 18 Jun 2020

lostinthelight said:
The disadvantage of two section if its the only one owned is one section is often too long to fit under windows etc. I have both types but its the three section which gets most used,

Thanks, the one I just got for £50 on gumtree is three sections. The guy seriously underpriced it. He said he had about 10 calls this morning.

So I got lucky!

lostinthelight · 18 Jun 2020

You certainly did get lucky, didn't it have yellow caps ..light trade?

robodelfy · 18 Jun 2020

lostinthelight said:
You certainly did get lucky, didn't it have yellow caps ..light trade?

Wow I just realised on getting it home it's the trade version from this BPS company. Like this but the 7.5m version which is out of stock :

https://www.laddersandscaffoldtowers.co.uk/acatalog/Triple-Industrial-Extension-Ladders.html

So it's actually nearly £300 including vat! So I'm very happy with £50

It's got the very wide bottom foot, red caps

Diver Fred · 18 Jun 2020

robodelfy said:
Thanks, the one I just got for £50 on gumtree is three sections. The guy seriously underpriced it. He said he had about 10 calls this morning.

So I got lucky!

Well done. Now get yourself a 'Stand Off' - you will never regret buying that ladder accessory. Makes it much safer and easier to work at height. I modded mine to make a plywood tray to stand tools and paint pots on. Adds little in the way of extra weight.

I'll post a picture later.

lostinthelight · 18 Jun 2020

wgt52 said:
Well done. Now get yourself a 'Stand Off' - you

I cover the standoff contact area with 22mm pipe lagging, its much kinder on fresh paint when second coating and grips better than the factory rubber strip on, shouldn't say this but unavoidable sometimes, glass.

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Aluminium ladder recommendations and advice? (UK)

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