Ladders: What You Need To Stay Safe.

By William T. Cox Jr.

    Good as your type 1a stepladder may be for interior work, it will run you ragged outdoors. Besides being built for light jobs, a typical 6' stepladder adds a maximum of about 3' to your reach, and you will spend more time moving the ladder than working. For painting or repairing the exterior of, say, a two-storey Victorian house, you'll want a variety of exterior ladders and accessories.

    Start your collection by buying a single well-built extension ladder rated Type 1A (300 pounds capacity) or Type 1 (250 pounds). Not only are these types better built than other ladders (see Next Ladder, Best Ladder Sept./Oct. '99), they're required by OSHA regulations if you plan to add accessories for a quick scaffold. Aluminum is the most popular exterior ladder material. Fiberglass is more expensive, but light, strong, and nonconductive if you will be around electricity. Buy a ladder long enough to extend 4' beyond the eave line of the house, not so much for climbing onto the roof, but to provide a hand-hold when climbing down. You may believe you'll never have to get up on that slate or ceramic tile roof (they last forever), but what about inspecting gutters and flashing, or repointing the chimney years from now?