Keeping ladders outside - is it a bad idea?

[DIYNotIan]

Hi all

I keep having to borrow the neighbour's ladder so I'm hoping to buy a two or three section aluminum ladder soon, but I'm most likely going to have to store it outside (behind the shed). Does anyone else do this and is it a good or bad idea? Is it likely to ruin the ladder quite quickly?

Cheers

Max

 

[HERTS P&D]

Bad idea, unless it is chained up to something.

Andy

 

[JohnD]

the aluminium will probably corrode a bit, but any steel fittings (unless stainless) will rust and weaken the construction.

Best to put it under cover, even a flap of polytarp fixed to the wall over the ladder hangers will help

yes, you do need to chain and padlock both ends with good locks.

 

[foxhole]

No problem as long as it's secure, have mine on ladder locking wall brackets and use alarm padlocks, so slightest movement will sound alarm.
Aluminium does not corrode under normal conditions, [forms a self protective layer.]

 

[DIYNotIan]

Thanks for the replies guys.....

Tbh, (and I don't want to talk anything up here. but....) we live in a very rural area where I'm not sure I've ever known of any crime happening. The type of place where when you go out walking you don't always bother locking the back door. That being said, I would still look to have the ladder stored behind the shed in the back garden. So unless anyone went looking for it it would not be obvious it was there.

I'll definitely try to raise it off the ground and perhaps wrap or cover it with a tarp to keep the worse weather/wet off. Would that be sufficient do you think?

I don't mind if the steel sections rust a bit, so long as they don't get so bad that they compromise the safety of the ladder...

Cheers

 

[DIYNotIan]

Hi again

Just wondered what kind of makes would you suggest I look out for? I'm going to get a secondhand one. Just seen an Abru Starmaster; any good? Other makes which seem popular are Youngmans and Lyte. Are these all pretty much as good as each other? Any others to look out for?

Many thanks

 

[HERTS P&D]

Don't buy a ladder second hand, get one from Wickes their cheap enough.

Andy

 

[mattylad]

I once had a nice set of ladders on a bracket chained up really well.

Lasted a few weeks.

So I got some free wooden ones, they were brill and damn heavy - they walked too.

Now (different house) I have some on a wall bracket with a scaffolding board against them held by a chain that bolt croppers would really struggle with. holes in top/bottom of the board to enable it to be chained flat.
The board is so no one can climb up them to get into an upstairs window etc.

Even though I'm on a good area now I still expect to want to use them one day and discover the tinkers have been off with them.

 

[Robbie uk]

All my aluminium ladders are chained outside, have been for 12 years. No problems with them at all. No corrosion or anything !!