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Ladder spikes, safety feet ?

slippy

Active member
Messages
840
Location
Bournemouth
Took off the safety feet and put on spikes. The guy from the shop who sold them said they were the best thing on grass, but window cleaners used them on concrete and they weren't good on that/dangerous even. I felt the safety feet would slip on grass so went for this option as am on grass a lot. Best decision? He did say the safety feet were better on concrete as they had more surface area to stick.

Are the spikes in the right position. They would line up with pre-drilled holes. Do people swivel them around when moving to concrete?View attachment 7798 There's a lot of spike under the bottom to stick in concrete, so I don't know how people can do that.

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i have my spikes on all year round,permanently fixed. they DO grip on concrete and very well too,catching in the tiniest crevice . i can tell you spikes also grip well on ice and snow View attachment 7799

mine are fitted only just past the feet

 
i have my spikes on all year round,permanently fixed. they DO grip on concrete and very well too,catching in the tiniest crevice . i can tell you spikes also grip well on ice and snow View attachment 11060
mine are fitted only just past the feet
You need to wash that van .......... just sayin

 
i have my spikes on all year round,permanently fixed. they DO grip on concrete and very well too,catching in the tiniest crevice . i can tell you spikes also grip well on ice and snow View attachment 11060
mine are fitted only just past the feet
It would seem mine are facing the other way to yours. I mean the flat side of the spike. The side of the ladder your spikes are on is it the side closest to the floor(when in use)? Just want to check I put mine on right side.

I followed the leaflet's advice I think. Also, the company told me to have them sticking 3 inches out the bottom. Is it worth having them like yours and much closer to the bottom?

 
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It would seem mine are facing the other way to yours. I mean the flat side of the spike. The side of the ladder your spikes are on is it the side closest to the floor(when in use)? Just want to check I put mine on right side.
I followed the leaflet's advice I think. Also, the company told me to have them sticking 3 inches out the bottom. Is it worth having them like yours and much closer to the bottom?
i fitted mine after reading various posts/seeing diffrent images posted by more experienced windies. the benefit of having them set near to the feet is they dig in only a little way. on tarmac you dont want them digging in deep on a hot day.

mine are fitted so theyre on the side that faces the wall.

 
spikes are the best way

Great on concrete

As said they can ruin Tarmac tho so keep a rubber mat in van for hot days

Adjustable feet are good for levelling on hills

Hope you Don't slip slippy

Only time my spikes ever went was when they were proper worn down after years so they had rounded off ( lost the spike )

 
i have my spikes on all year round,permanently fixed. they DO grip on concrete and very well too,catching in the tiniest crevice . i can tell you spikes also grip well on ice and snow View attachment 11060
mine are fitted only just past the feet
ok will move them back, just have half an inch sticking out. shall I turn them round like yours as well? If you look at my top photo you can see they are the opposite way round.

 
ok will move them back, just have half an inch sticking out. shall I turn them round like yours as well? If you look at my top photo you can see they are the opposite way round.
personally i think id just cut the tips down a bit leaving an inch or so sticking out and file it to a slightly blunt point .you want a good edge but not razor sharp else itll mark

then you wont be needing to drill any more holes. i also would bolt them on using Both the holes .AND GLUE THE BOLTS SO THEY NEVER WORK LOOSE

you will find in use the spikes wont mark the ground much if at all.the grip is improved over the original feet many times over

if i ever come across a surface that might get marked such as carpet inside someones home well i just lay down a folded rag below the spike.

i really like spikes i cant tell u the amount of times theyve proved useful. back in 2010 it was a bad winter and i worked on snowey days the spikes dug in thru the ice . they also catch well in the grooves on wooden decking

 
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personally i think id just cut the tips down a bit leaving an inch or so sticking out and file it to a slightly blunt point .you want a good edge but not razor sharp else itll markthen you wont be needing to drill any more holes. i also would bolt them on using Both the holes .AND GLUE THE BOLTS SO THEY NEVER WORK LOOSE

you will find in use the spikes wont mark the ground much if at all.the grip is improved over the original feet many times over

if i ever come across a surface that might get marked such as carpet inside someones home well i just lay down a folded rag below the spike.

i really like spikes i cant tell u the amount of times theyve proved useful. back in 2010 it was a bad winter and i worked on snowey days the spikes dug in thru the ice . they also catch well in the grooves on wooden decking
what angle grind off two inches and cut a new point with a hack saw? Be easier to just drill in 2 inches further up the ladder wouldn't it?

Not sure my explanation on which way round the spikes should go is clear, I will take a photo of them in use and show you to see if you think they look alright.

W

 
what angle grind off two inches and cut a new point with a hack saw? Be easier to just drill in 2 inches further up the ladder wouldn't it?
Not sure my explanation on which way round the spikes should go is clear, I will take a photo of them in use and show you to see if you think they look alright.

W
i understand what youre saying, i think your spikes are okay as they are[fitted onto the outside edge]

you wont need an angle grinder ,just hacksaw at an angle a bit further up. i wouldnt drill the ladder thats for certain

 
I found them. With these on concrete you're putting the whole weight on the spikes there's nothing else on anywhere else. Is that safe? The guy in the spike shop said they shouldn't be used like that!
i looked into spikes after a full drop fall where my ladder slid out on me. by the grace of god i survived that fall tho i was at home in pain for a good week afterwards. anyhow in that week off i looked online and read that old timer windies swear by permanently fitted spikes. that was good enough for me.

yes the full weight is on the spikes, helps for the spikes to catch. the guy who sold you them, unless hes a time served windie i wouldnt take his advice personally

 
i dont know if uve ever dragged a metal garden table around a patio-if u have you will know the metal legs catch and judder on every tiny ridge . but if you drag a plastic table about it skates along easily. this is why metal spikes are better over plastic or rubber for grip

 
i dont know if uve ever dragged a metal garden table around a patio-if u have you will know the metal legs catch and judder on every tiny ridge . but if you drag a plastic table about it skates along easily. this is why metal spikes are better over plastic or rubber for grip
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Are these spikes the correct way round? The wall would be the opposite side of the ladder to my shoes. I know they are probably sticking out too far. I might just use them on grass for now then turn them round when on concrete

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Are these spikes the correct way round? The wall would be the opposite side of the ladder to my shoes. I know they are probably sticking out too far. I might just use them on grass for now then turn them round when on concrete
i would have them the other way round myself. the reason most folk have the spikes only protuding an inch or less[below ladder] is the original ladder feet bottom out if surface is broken which then means the ladder then cannot tilt sideaways. i think having them set as yours are could be a risk that as you climb up the ladder one or other spike might suddenly slide into a small crack in the ground surface allowing ladder tilt.

note- you defo need the spikes bolted down using both bolts

you seem to have a doubt as to their safety on concrete /hard surfaces. im speaking as someone who has used spikes day in day out over 6 yrs ,with employees too[who sometimes have used crazy angles ,not once i spot them of course ]. i cant speak highly enuf about spikes reliability. iv used them in snow and ice too . im also someone who has had a full drop ladder fall [before i got spikes ] so im aware of the risks .

 
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i would have them the other way round myself. the reason most folk have the spikes only protuding an inch or less[below ladder] is the original ladder feet bottom out if surface is broken which then means the ladder then cannot tilt sideaways. i think having them set as yours are could be a risk that as you climb up the ladder one or other spike might suddenly slide into a small crack in the ground surface allowing ladder tilt.
note- you defo need the spikes bolted down using both bolts
So the flat side of spike is facing my trainers?

I will bolt them both down of course. I just used one bolt to take the photo. As they stick out too far for concrete I swivel them around when not on grass.

 
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off the topic of spikes. This is my ladder being used to paint the fascia and soffits. My friend put a piece of slate under one of the feet to level it off. Good idea? Also, is the ladder placed in the right position on the wall?

Would spikes work well on this kind of ladder work?
dont ever use slate a-it has no grip b- its brittle,jus like putting a wafer cracker down .

yes the flat edge of the spike towards shoe

 
as i said id personally cut the spikes down so only an inch sticks out. when you are using them on grass i always put my full weight on the lower rung so the ladder feet dig into ground a tad. then uv got the feet gripping ground AND the spikes which is a great combination

 
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