Tips for using a ladder

Spring fever might have you itching to tackle a few outdoor chores and projects that call for a ladder—cleaning your gutters, repainting some siding, installing a new lighting fixture.

But before you haul out your stepladder or an extension or multiuse ladder, inspect it to make sure it’s in good working order.
• Whether it’s aluminum, fiberglass, or wood, check your ladder for: missing components; loose rungs, steps, or rivets; bent steps, feet, or rails; cracks and chips; sharp edges; and dents. Because they can cause the ladder to suddenly fail, any of these problems signals the need for a new ladder.
• Tighten reinforcing rods beneath steps, hinges, and other parts, such as bolts, but do not overtighten.
• Check the lanyard on an extension ladder for wear and fraying. If you need to replace it, follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Keep the ladder clean and dry. Wipe away water, oil, and other slippery substances from steps and rails before you climb.

If you’re in the market for a new ladder, read our September 2006 report. The article will not only help you find the right model but it could also keep you from becoming a statistic—the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports 180,000 ladder-related emergency-room visits each year in the U.S. “Tips for safer ladder” is filled with expert advice to keep you out of the ER.

As the video here shows, some ladders when used as per the manufacturer’s instructions are not safe. In fact, we found 13 models Not Acceptable because of the high risk of injury associated with using them.

Consumer Reports has tested ladders for years. In this photograph from a May 1973 report (shown above), testers judge the overall rigidity of ladders by making close side-by-side comparisons of ladders at their fullest extension.—Steven H. Saltzman

Comments

[Robert Jarvis]

When I do a google search for Vinyl Siding product comparisons, I get an advertisement for unbiased comparisons of Vinyl Siding on Consumer Reports. Yet I do not find any product comparisons on this site for Vinyl Siding. My guess is if I do a google search for any product comparison, I will get a similar advertisement for that product without regard to whether the comparison actually exists on this site. Very annoying...and dishonest.

[bryan kennedy]

Several of the links in this article are broken now.