What extension ladder to buy?

[SC Maintenance]

I need to buy an extension ladder. I had one years ago - a fiberglass one - I sold it when I moved. I don't want that heavy of one this time - too hard to move around.

The need right now is to get some faux shutters off to paint. The highest one is under one of the peaks under the eaves, and best I can figure its about 24 feet off the ground at its highest. So probably would want to get the ladder to about 23 feet beside it maybe?

Will a 28 foot ladder get me there, or do I need a 32? I would prefer 28 because the 32 foot are 5 lbs heavier. Doesn't sound like a lot until you put it on the end of a 28 foot extension! Trigonometry tells me if the wall height is 23 feet and the ladder 28, the base will be about 15 feet away from the house and the angle will be about 35 degrees from straight up. Does that sound reasonable to climb?

What ladder rating do I need - can I get away with type 1 - again due to weight.. I weigh about 180. I am not going to be carrying much of anything up or down this ladder - too old for that. The faux shutters are plastic so I assume they weigh under 10 lbs. Other than that I might use it for cleaning or painting or whatever.

Also, if it matters, I plan to just store this thing outside.

 

[Malo83]

Going that high I would get a stabilizer bar for stability.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Werner-AC-Stabilizer-for-Use-with-Ladders-or/3048127

 

[Rand]

is your ground flat or do you need an adjustable leg.
also 15ft away from house is not right.

if you are going up about 24ft you should be about 6ft out at the base.
ladder angle should be around 75degrees.

also keep in mind the stupidity of ladder rating.
they are rated in "reach height" not actual length

for example a warner type 1 "28ft" ladder is actually 27ft reach height and real length of 25ft
based on all that you should measure the height
that ladder would touch the house aprox 24ft up.

 

[PimTac]

Do you ever have to get on the roof or clean out gutters? You might need a bigger ladder.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Do you ever have to get on the roof or clean out gutters? You might need a bigger ladder.

Gutters are at about 20 feet. I have had the house wash people clean them. They only thing in them really ever is grit from the shingles themselves. The one shutter that is the highest is on the end - right below the peak - hence its about 4 feet higher than the gutters.

 

[SC Maintenance]

is your ground flat or do you need an adjustable leg.
also 15ft away from house is not right.

if you are going up about 24ft you should be about 6ft out at the base.
ladder angle should be around 75degrees.

also keep in mind the stupidity of ladder rating.
they are rated in "reach height" not actual length

for example a warner type 1 "28ft" ladder is actually 27ft reach height and real length of 25ft
based on all that you should measure the height
that ladder would touch the house aprox 24ft up.

So this one would have a real length of 25 feet?

Werner 28 ft. Aluminum Extension Ladder with 250 lbs. Load Capacity Type I Duty Rating D1328-2 - The Home Depot

The Werner 28 ft. Aluminum Extension Ladder has an ANSI Type I ladder rating and a load rating of up to 250 lbs. Constructed with sturdy and weather-resistant aluminum, it features heavy-duty, spring-loaded

www.homedepot.com

 

[bullwinkle]

I need to buy an extension ladder. I had one years ago - a fiberglass one - I sold it when I moved. I don't want that heavy of one this time - too hard to move around.

The need right now is to get some faux shutters off to paint. The highest one is under one of the peaks under the eaves, and best I can figure its about 24 feet off the ground at its highest. So probably would want to get the ladder to about 23 feet beside it maybe?

Will a 28 foot ladder get me there, or do I need a 32? I would prefer 28 because the 32 foot are 5 lbs heavier. Doesn't sound like a lot until you put it on the end of a 28 foot extension! Trigonometry tells me if the wall height is 23 feet and the ladder 28, the base will be about 15 feet away from the house and the angle will be about 35 degrees from straight up. Does that sound reasonable to climb?

What ladder rating do I need - can I get away with type 1 - again due to weight.. I weigh about 180. I am not going to be carrying much of anything up or down this ladder - too old for that. The faux shutters are plastic so I assume they weigh under 10 lbs. Other than that I might use it for cleaning or painting or whatever.

Also, if it matters, I plan to just store this thing outside.

Remember, a 32 foot is only ~16 collapsed, and you raise it by standing it up & pulling on the rope, so you’re only raising half the weight. Longer is always better than shorter (there’s a joke in there somewhere!).

 

[demarpaint]

I'd go with a Warner type 1A aluminum ladder. 28' 'should' get you to 24' with ease, operative word is 'should'. Some people angle their ladders far away from the house because of obstacles etc. Others don't like getting anywhere near the top two rungs of an extension ladder. Here is something to consider, lets forget about weight for a moment. The longer you extend the ladder the more it flexes and bounces, not a problem if you're not afraid of height, major problem if you are. So for a few $$ more and another 5 lbs. [going from your weight figure] you can buy a 32' ladder, not extend it as far and have a much better feeling, more stable, less bouncy ladder.

 

[Rand]

24ft is super high for me. I crap myself anything over 15ft or so unless its working on the actual roof and its not too steep.
yes that werner type 1 is 25ft it says it in the specs somewhere. Which will touch the house around 24ft.
are you sure of the actual height might be worth measuring. I would probably suggest the "32ft" if you need to be close to 24 ft up. its hard to work right where the ladder is touching house imo.

I would also consider hiring out the work.. a fall could be deadly.

 

[IndyIan]

Having been on a couple longer flexy extension ladders, I vote for more overlap and heavier. Moving and setting up is all done on the ground so 5lbs isn't going to matter much IMO.

 

[Greasymechtech]

I like my folding Gorilla/Werner ladders. Multiuse works for me. They make one in 26ft too.

 

[55hambone]

Too steep an angle and the ladder will want to go over backwards, too shallow an angle increases the possibility of the feet sliding out from under the ladder. When you set up the ladder, use the 1 to 4 rule. Set the ladder feet 1' back from the building for every 4' of height up the building. If the top of the ladder touches the building 20' from the ground, have the feet 5' out from the building. That will give you the correct angle.

 

[DuckRyder]

Little Giant HyperLite.

 

[DejaVue]

What ladder rating do I need - can I get away with type 1 - again due to weight.. I weigh about 180. I am not going to be carrying much of anything up or down this ladder -

Yes, and I wouldn't go any lower on the rating. And the weight limit is with your clothes and presumably heavy boots you are going to wear. In reality, ladders are tested at 4x their rating. But I can certainly tell the difference between the ratings when using them.

Fiberglass is good for around electricity but bad for most everything else, including storing the ladder outside like you said you are going to to do. Aluminum will last outside. Fiberglass doesn't even like sunlight. Which by the way is why most people shouldn't buy used fiberglass ladders unless they're good at analyzing its condition.

I consider a stabilizer bar a wise investment even for use at 10 feet.

 

[DejaVue]

Multi-ladders are great in A-frame mode and ok in extension mode. An actual extension ladder is better than multi-ladders for extension mode.

I like my multi-ladders a lot, but I use a fire department extension ladder for extension use. It's rated for 750 pounds. It's ridiculously big and heavy, and I love it.

 

[Warstud]

A aluminum ladder will be the lightest. Home Depot has them on sale now

 

[SC Maintenance]

Thanks for the feedback. I do have someone coming to quote the job but I may still want to do it myself and I likely should have a ladder. Before I will climb 24 feet off the ground I will get also a fall protection harness and string a good rope over the roof.

 

[Donald]

I was just on two different 24' ladders yesterday. The lighter one was easier to carry but had more bounce going up the ladder. The heavier one is difficult for me to carry and setup but feels much more sturdy going up it.

As you extend them to full length the bouncy only gets worse.

Carrying and storing ladders is a PIA.