A ladder is one of the essential equipment a homeowner can use for home improvement. Every home requires a ladder for reaching high areas for cleaning, storage, painting or maintenance, or outdoor repairs.
Each ladder has a load-rating capacity that specifies how much weight it can support. There are five different types of a ladder; among them, Type3 and Type 2 ladders are the best choices for a home as they both can carry loads up to 200 pounds to 225 pounds respectively, which is ideal for light-duty and medium-duty chores.
Ladders are made of aluminium, wood, or fiberglass. Generally, a wooden or an aluminium step ladder for home is adequate as it is lightweight and costs less than the fiberglass ones.
Applications of a ladder at home
Following are some basic applications of a ladder and its contribution to home improvement.
- Painting your house- whether you are applying fresh paint or repainting your home, a ladder is a must-have tool. A ladder helps you to paint the difficult-to-reach walls or places and is a lot safer than the rigged scaffolding.
- Cleaning the roof of your home- a ladder is also used while cleaning the roof of your house. As you have to carry your cleaning equipment to remove the leaves and other garbage from the roof, the ladder should be the type that can handle the weight of more than one person and has extra safety measures. Twin-steps ladders and multipurpose ladders are perfect for cleaning the roof.
- Removing dirt- cobwebs, mildews, and dust can form at any place in your house, especially in hard-to-reach places. A ladder is the best tool to remove these efficiently from your house is by using a ladder.
- Cleaning your home- cleaning your ceiling fans, chandelier, cleaning the top of your cabinets or the closets require the use of ladders. Nowadays, many multipurpose sticks come with a long handle that doesn’t require the use of a ladder, but it involves a lot more risk than climbing the ladder.
- Fixing or Replacing the bulb or tube light- the proper and safe way to fix or replace a bulb or tube light without falling is with the help of a ladder.
- For decoration- if you like decorating your home like hanging a newly purchased painting, adjusting the frames that are fixed on the walls, decorating your Christmas tree, etc., then a ladder is the best safe support you can have while climbing up and down.
- Fixing hanging plants indoors- hanging plants add a sense of aesthetics to your home. Always use a ladder while placing the hanging plants in your home for your safety.
- To store extra stuff- every house has a top shelf of your cupboards where you store your extra stuff. Use a ladder to help you climb up with the extra valuable stuff safely and efficiently.
- As a Newspaper Holder- with a painted ladder propped against the wall, you can drape newspapers over the rungs creating a look of the wooden racks.
- As a towel rack- instead of using a metal rack to hold your towels, try a ladder made of wood to do the job.
- As Accessory Display- you can display your beautiful printed scarves, beads, rugs, and many other small items on a ladder to introduce color and pattern into your room.
Tips for using a ladder for home improvement tasks
While using a ladder, you should always be careful. Following are some tips you should follow for using a ladder to ensure maximum safety and smooth working.
Tips to use a ladder at your home
- Before climbing, inspect the ladder- check the ladder’s rungs and make sure it is free of dirt and debris. Also, check the stiles, feet, rivets, screws, and welds properly before climbing up on the ladder.
- Place the ladder securely on a stable surface- install the ladder on dry and level ground.Place both the ladder’s rails, making firm contact with the wall and the ground, respectively.
- Avoid any slippery surface- never place the ladder on a slippery surface like the bathroom floor. Before installing the ladder, wipe the surface to avoid injury. Also, if you wear shoes, make sure they have a non-slippery sole.
- Tie the ladder (if possible)- if it is possible to tie the ladder to something fixed and stable like a pillar, do it. This minimizes the risks of slipping and falling.
- Use the right ladder for your work- while handling power tools or any work related to electricity, always go for a non-conductive insulated ladder. Using metal or wet wood ladders while handling electrical tasks may lead to severe injury.
- Assign a helper before climbing on the ladder- ask someone to watch out for you as you are using the ladder. The helper should be on the ground to hold the ladder from the bottom and take necessary safety measures.
- Keep your body within the vertical rails- overstretching or attempting to reach for things that are away from the ladder may result in a fall and severe injury.
- Be extra cautious on the ladder- unless the ladder is designed for holding the weight of more than two people at a time, no two people should be on it together. Putting more weight than the ladder capacity will cause imbalance, resulting in a fall.
- Climb the ladder with a focused mind- always keep your hands on the rungs while climbing up or coming down the ladder. Climb the ladder while facing forward.
- Never shift the ladder while standing on it- do not walk or shift the ladder when standing on it. If you have difficulties in reaching, climb down and move the ladder.
Ladders are among the most useful, essential, and sensible tools for a household or any commercial purpose. Though there are not many risks while using a ladder at home, it is always suggested to inspect it before use and ensure maximum safety. Ladders provide you with a few extra feet for your chores around the house and are super handy. They are straightforward to store and maintain and are pretty inexpensive. Ladder serves many household applications, and with the right way to use a ladder, you can make the work easier.
