Just had a close call cleaning my gutters out – wooden ladder started to crack whilst I was up it. I knew it need replacing, so all my own fault. It’s now chopped into pieces waiting for a run to the tip.

What should I look for in a replacement? Main use will be clearing the gutters (2 storey house) and pruning the roses.

Is it possible to safely use such a ladder on my own?

Get something EN131 certified and you should be right.

There is a tougher Class 1 standard but unless your a very big chap EN131 will be ok.

Of course you can use on your own just be careful (see the WCA thread)

🙂

Just make sure you follow the H&S instruction

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd_FMM8FPAU[/video]

I’ll give that a miss thanks!

How do you prune roses with a ladder? 😉

lucky thats youtube bruneep – half expected to see a link to my home made scaffolding for operating a step ladder on the stairs 😉

thar ye go

Get one with semi circular rungs/rounds instead of square if you plan on spending much time standing on it. Much comfier on your feet…

Many years ago my grandad managed to ‘fall’ down a 25ft ladder when the tread he was standing on snapped. And every step after that. He was left stood at the bottom holding the two vertical bits with just the couple of ‘spare’ rungs at the top holding them together and with a lot of blisters on his hands.

He got one with the failsafe bits of wire under the wooden rungs after that.

Does anyone have an experience of this sort of ladder? Looks like I’d be able to use it for hedges as well as roses 😉

Are you talking about the ladder in the middle?

I’ve used ladders for the last 20 years at least and you wouldn’t get me working at that height off that ladder.