Correctly choose a stepladder for home and garden

Many houseworks cannot be completed without the help of a stepladder. It is needed to hang curtains, wipe dust on cabinets, get something from a shelf, climb into the attic of a house or harvest from the upper branches of a tree, so it’s so important to make the right choice of a stepladder. Buying it, you get not just a tool, but a reliable and indispensable assistant that will be needed almost every day.

What to consider when choosing a stepladder?

The question of how to choose a stepladder is asked by many already in the hardware store. When choosing a stepladder, you need to look at:

• the material from which it is made;
• width of steps;
• distance between steps;
• the presence of fences and railings on the site;
• the presence of anti-slip devices;
• the presence of a deep relief on the steps.

Also, when choosing a home stepladder, you need to pay attention to make it easy to assemble, lightweight, compact and mobile. The most important thing is that the staircase is stable.

It is desirable that this was a stepladder with wide steps with rubber pads on the legs that would prevent it from sliding on the floor. Erasers should be on the steps and on the handles, for which you need to hold on while working. If you are worried about your safety, then choose a model only from step ladders made in accordance with GOST.

Ladder height

First of all, the stepladder for the house should be of optimal height specifically for your apartment. Choose a ladder so that you can reach the ceiling in the largest room from it. It makes no sense to take a ladder too high. It will cost more, but you will not have to use it completely. Also in the apartment you will need to find a place to store such a staircase.

If you live in your own home, then you will need a garden stepladder. There are no strict height restrictions. However, if you plan to collect, standing on it, cherries from the top of a tree or climb it to the attic, then you will need a ladder higher.

In the kitchen, a stepladder is simply irreplaceable. It simultaneously performs two functions: you can sit on it and you can climb on it and remove cans from the upper shelves of kitchen cabinets. If guests come, and there are not enough chairs, it can be used as a stool. The main advantage of this short flight of stairs is that it is very compact, therefore it is the ladder for the kitchen that can be low, and it is better to buy it as an addition to the first one.

Material Features

Today, ladders are made from a variety of materials. The most popular are:

• aluminum;
• tree;
• steel;
• duralumin;
• fiberglass.

The most popular option is an aluminum stepladder. Due to its light weight, it can be easily moved from place to place, folded and unfolded. Aluminum does not break, almost does not deform, does not rust. Such a staircase is best bought for an apartment.

Wooden stepladder is not as practical in everyday life as aluminum. It weighs much more and costs more. To transfer it, you need to make a lot of effort. A tree, even well-crafted, may dry out over time, and break from a strong blow. Wooden ladders are often used in the garden for harvesting.Unlike metal, a ladder made of wood is not afraid to winter in the open air. It is enough to regularly treat it with parasite and cover with oil paint.

It’s not worth buying steel stepladders because they are too heavy and need to be carried together by two or three. Such devices are used in workshops in industrial production.

A fiberglass ladder has a particular advantage over stairs made of other materials: it does not conduct electric current, therefore when working with power lines, bare wires, not a metal stepladder is used, but a fiberglass ladder. Also, it is not afraid of moisture, does not fade in the sun and does not burn. The stepladder for the home should be easy, convenient and safe, so a ladder made of this artificial material will be a good option.

Which design to choose?

All stepladders are divided into two large groups:

• professional;
• household.

The first type of stepladders is used in large enterprises, and the second is acquired by ordinary users for working at home and in the garden. They have a lower height and weight and are not designed for too large loads.

Transformer ladder is very popular among modern buyers. Thanks to the movable structure, it can take the form of the letters "L" and "P" depending on the task. When assembled, transformers take up very little space in a closet or closet.

Bilateral stepladder is also quite in demand. The main advantage: it does not need to be moved once again, but you can climb the stairs left and right. If the structure is reliable, two people can stand on it at the same time. This is especially valuable when you need to do some work very quickly: paint the wall, harvest from a tree, remove some heavy thing from the attic or mezzanine.

In everyday life, folding ladder is indispensable. When assembled, it takes up little space, and when disassembled, it is a very stable structure, on the site of which you can safely stand. The stepladder for a summer residence should be folding, because it is precisely it that will stand stably even on loose ground. To perform work on the outside of the house, you can use folding and attached garden stairs.

An irreplaceable thing in everyday life will be a telescopic stepladder, which also, like a fishing rod, can change its height depending on the nature of the work. When assembled, it takes up very little space, and if it is moved apart, it can reach a height of more than 4 meters. They are often used by workers who change banners on city streets. It is suitable for high-altitude work, so a telescopic stepladder for the home is not always a suitable option.

For long-term work at heights, a stepladder with a platform is also suitable. Painters use it while painting walls, craftsmen who close up seams on buildings. A container with paint or water can be put on the site, but it is too bulky, heavy and does not fit like a stepladder for the home.

What do you need to pay attention to?

If you need a metal stepladder, pay particular attention to the steps when choosing it. For any kind of work you need a step ladder with wide steps that is stable, compact and mobile. It is also important that there are embossed rubber bands on the steps - if available, using such a ladder becomes safer.

Look for wooden and metal double-sided ladders with restrictive straps. They securely fix the ladder and exclude the possibility of its possible folding during operation. The legs at these stairs are also different. A metal stepladder with pointed legs is suitable for working in the garden, and a stepladder with wheels on wheels (it will be easy to move) for repair.

Step-ladders come in many forms and are made from materials that have their own characteristics.They need to be studied before you go shopping. Before you pay, carefully check the ladder in the store: fold and unpack it several times, check all the joints of the parts. The stepladder is indispensable at home, so you need to think carefully about its purchase.