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Best foldable ladder

ShropsWindowCleaner

Active member
Messages
152
Location
midlands
Hi Chaps and Chapesses. I’ve gone from a Ford Transit Connect to Renault Trafic LWB. I only get my ladders off 4 or 5 times a month to get on the odd flat roof. I don’t want to be getting my ladders off the LWB Trafic. What recommendations do you have for a foldable ladder i can keep in the van???

Thanks in advance. 

 
Hi Chaps and Chapesses. I’ve gone from a Ford Transit Connect to Renault Trafic LWB. I only get my ladders off 4 or 5 times a month to get on the odd flat roof. I don’t want to be getting my ladders off the LWB Trafic. What recommendations do you have for a foldable ladder i can keep in the van???

Thanks in advance. 
When you say folding ladder do you mean those ridiculous 3 piece multi function death traps that fold into a 4 foot lump ?

Anything that folds in my opinion isn't upto the job or it's domestic rated.

 
We use a short two section extending Werner Adbru ladder a few times most days. Mostly we use it for getting on extension and garage roofs for access to awkward windows and lantern roofs plus to get a line of sight working position for roof windows on single storey extensions. We also use it leaning against conservatory sides to get a better view and working height. It is 1.9 metres collapsed, 2.5m extended, 15 stone weight rate. It's rated for domestic use rather than trade but I've had mine since I started six and a half years ago and we still use it with total confidence. It might not be legally ok for an employee being domestic rated but that's not an issue for us as a family partnership business. It stows on edge at chest height on a lipped shelf (plastic fascia offcut) inside our Mercedes Vito van. It's simply a matter of unclipping a bungee hook and sliding the ladder out to deploy. We also have a very good quality tele ladder that opens to 3.5m. It's very good on the rare occasion when it's needed but substantially heavier and slower to use than the Adbru.

I'll try and post some photos but I haven't been successful with that in a long time. No luck with posting photos this time either, sorry. But the info on what we use is in this post, if it's any help.

 
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We use a short two section extending Werner Adbru ladder a few times most days. Mostly we use it for getting on extension and garage roofs for access to awkward windows and lantern roofs plus to get a line of sight working position for roof windows on single storey extensions. It is 1.9 metres collapsed, 2.5m extended, 15 stone weight rate. It's rated for domestic use rather than trade but I've had mine since I started six and a half years ago and we still use it with total confidence. It might not be legally ok for an employee being domestic rated but that's not an issue for us as a family partnership business. It stows on edge at chest height on a lipped shelf (plastic fascia offcut) inside our Mercedes Vito van. It's simply a matter of unclipping a bungee hook and sliding the ladder out to deploy. We also have a very good quality tele ladder that opens to 3.5m. It's very good on the rare occasion when it's needed but substantially heavier and slower to use than the Adbru.

I'll try and post some photos but I haven't been successful with that in a long time. No luck with posting photos this time either, sorry. But the info on what we use is in this post, if it's any help.
That’s a really helpful response, thanks mate ???? Will look into that ladder ??

 
That’s a really helpful response, thanks mate ???? Will look into that ladder ??
Welcome, I wouldn't be without it in my kit. I don't think there's ever a day it's not used at least once. I keep trying to find one for you to see via a link but no luck so far. I actually bought mine in b&q but I've looked periodically and I haven't seen these there for ages. I'll keep looking online. Even my wife is searching.

 
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Welcome, I wouldn't be without it in my kit. I don't think there's ever a day it's not used at least once. I keep trying to find one for you to see via a link but no luck so far. I actually bought mine in b&q but I've looked periodically and I haven't seen these there for ages. I'll keep looking online. Even my wife is searching.
You and wife are legends, thanks mate ??

 
Hi @ShropsWindowCleaner wife and I have done some more research and come up with three that appear very similar to mine. Listed in order of what would be my choice.

Screwfix, Mac Allister 2 section 3 way. 2.6m 150kg trade rated £64.99

Lansford Access, DBT, 2 section 3 Way 2.57m 150kg £64.80

Wickes 2 section 3 way model 710318 , 2.42m £60

The top one listed is the longest. The bottom one is the shortest. If you go this route I would go with the longest one provided it will fit in your van. All of these are pretty similar to mine but not the same. Mine is splayed out at the bottom for stability instead of having a stabilising bar but it looks like they no longer supply them like that. I deliberately avoided having a standing platform for better safety. When we need it for conservatory roofs we simply extend against the gutters. climb it and lean against it for stability. We use ladder gloves on the top of the ladder and also a 2ft piece of scaffold pole protective foam sleeve on the gutter.

As I said before ours is simply slid in and stowed on edge on a lipped shelf (offcut of pvc fascia mounted on shelf brackets) and held in place with a single bungee hook.

Hope this is some help to you.

 
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Hi @ShropsWindowCleaner wife and I have done some more research and come up with three that appear very similar to mine. Listed in order of what would be my choice.

Screwfix, Mac Allister 2 section 3 way. 2.6m 150kg trade rated £64.99

Lansford Access, DBT, 2 section 3 Way 2.57m 150kg £64.80

Wickes 2 section 3 way model 710318 , 2.42m £60

The top one listed is the longest. The bottom one is the shortest. If you go this route I would go with the longest one provided it will fit in your van. All of these are pretty similar to mine but not the same. Mine is splayed out at the bottom for stability instead of having a stabilising bar but it looks like they no longer supply them like that. I deliberately avoided having a standing platform for better safety. When we need it for conservatory roofs we simply extend against the gutters. climb it and lean against it for stability. We use ladder gloves on the top of the ladder and also a 2ft piece of scaffold pole protective foam sleeve on the gutter.

As I said before ours is simply slid in and stowed on a lipped shelf (offcut of pvc fascia mounted on shelf brackets) and held in place with a single bungee hook.

Hope this is some help to you.
Thank you both so much @Davy Gfor your help mate ?????? I will look into those and most likely buy one ????

 
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I wouldn't use this type unless it was all that would fit in the vehicle. Too heavy. Too many unnecessary joints. Too fiddly. Too much risk of catching a finger. Too much faffing about.

I'd keep it simple, light and quick. A two section extender, slide in on a shelf. As quick to deploy and stow as a pole.
It looks far more professional when doing a conservatory roof working a couple of steps up on an A frame ladder. Leaning a ladder against conservatory guttering is a big no no in my book. Customers don’t like things leaning on there expensive conservatory’s. Dosent matter how good your scaffold pole is it doesn’t look good. 

 
We do a conservatory soapwash about once in a week and a half on average . Never had an issue with carefully leaning a well padded ladder against a gutter. We get lots of repeat work and recommendations.

Standing on a freestanding A-frame ladder while pushing a pole forward, backwards and sideways is not for us. It might be alright but in the past I've had a free standing step ladder push sideways and topple over while I was on it. On one occasion I fell awkwardly while cutting some rebar with a hacksaw. The saw jammed and I pushed the ladder sideways, fell onto concrete and broke my wrist. Too unstable for my liking and too slow because it's unstable. I tried using the A-frame free standing a few times in the early days in the trade and very quickly realised it was not for me. It's far safer to lean the ladder as we do and the sideways stability is greatly improved by the friction of the padding. We can also be nearer to the work and with care we can get a full arc of movement with the pole. Leaning against a gutter might not be as good an idea for some of the heavier guys. I can't say.

 
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