Which Ladder Do I Need? The Ultimate Guide for Businesses

Ladders come in all shapes and sizes, which can often make it challenging to choose the right option. If you’re struggling to find the perfect solution for your business, read this guide from our experts at TopTower. Here, we’ll explain how to easily choose the perfect access equipment for your needs.

The Importance of Choosing The Right Ladder

Choosing the right ladder is a critical aspect of workplace safety and productivity. Below, you can discover why it’s essential to choose a ladder that perfectly suits your project needs.

Stability

If you pick the wrong ladder for the job, you may find that it isn’t safely stable. Uneven surfaces, for example, will require very specific ladders to create a stable surface.  For greater stability, you may benefit from a ladder that has wide feet or a stabiliser bar. 

Avoids Overreaching

When a person reaches too far out from a ladder, their centre of gravity is shifted away from the ladder’s base. This makes it far easier for that person to therefore lose their balance and fall from the ladder. To prevent this scenario from happening, it’s best to address the need for overreaching in the first place.

Overreaching typically happens when the ladder isn’t the appropriate size or cannot be easily moved. When choosing your ladder, you will need to find one that allows your staff to safely reach any tricky areas. 

Ensuring Productivity

The right ladder for a business is usually the one that allows work to begin and progress most efficiently. When a staff member feels safe using a ladder, they can work with focus and without fear. As a result, this can help to increase productivity with ease.

The Types of Ladders

To help you find the right ladder for your next project, it can be helpful to know more about the range of choices that are available to you. Ladders come in many different forms, with few limits in shapes and sizes, so finding one that works for you and your business need not be difficult. 

Hop-Ups

Lightweight and foldable, these handy ladders are great for allowing staff to easily reach higher surfaces. Hop-ups provide a platform that is low to the floor, allowing staff members to step up and use the platform as a steady surface to stand or kneel on as they work. Hop-ups are great for use in painting and decorating tasks, as well as changing light bulbs and cleaning. 

Telescopic Ladders

Telescopic ladders are a unique option. These ladders can extend upwards, with sections either extended or retracted as needed. As the sections are retractable, telescopic ladders can become incredibly compact and easy to carry to a work site. Common uses for telescopic ladders can include window cleaning and construction. 

The key features of telescopic ladders include:

• Compact storage
• Lightweight
• Secure locking mechanisms 

Roof Ladders

Purposefully designed for roofs, a roof ladder is essential if you want to carry out safe operations on top of a building. These ladders typically have roof hooks, which secure the ladder to the roof ridge and therefore add greater stability. Many of these ladders have adjustable lengths, helping them to seamlessly fit onto any type of roof. Generally, roof ladders are best suited for roof repairs, inspections, and cleanings, thanks to their unique shape and design. 

Conservatory Ladders

Similar to roof ladders, conservatory ladders are designed to fit over the shape of the conservatory itself. As an added feature designed for extra security and stability, conservatory ladders typically have glazing suction pads which secure the ladder to the conservatory, preventing it from easily falling over while in use. If your business is responsible for carrying out repairs or cleaning conservatories, a conservatory ladder might just be perfect for you. 

Combination Ladders

As described in their name, combination ladders can be used in a myriad of ways, making them perfect for a wide variety of applications. Commonly, you can find combination ladders used as leaning ladders, free-standing ladders, and more. Many combination ladders are even perfect for use on stairways, which can make painting tough spots in a stairwell a breeze. 

Knowing Which is Right for You

The key features of a ladder are vital to consider as you choose a form of access equipment. Typically, you will need a specific set of features in a ladder to truly fit your business’s needs. Below, discover the different specifications you need to consider when purchasing a ladder for your company.

Height

As different businesses specialise in different areas, it’s unlikely that every single one will have the same height requirements for a ladder. The maximum height of a ladder should be chosen carefully, as you’ll want to make sure you can always reach the areas needed. Make sure to sensibly consider the heights you frequently work from, as a starting point for finding the right ladder height. 

Platform Size

When choosing a ladder, you will likely need to determine which size of ladder platform you need.  Often, the platform will have a strict weight capacity, which you need to adhere to, so make sure any ladder you choose can carry the weight of your staff and any tools they have. The ladder platform should also be large enough to support movement as they work. 

Material

One of the most important things to decide before purchasing a ladder is the material it should be made of. Different worksites will have different demands for ladders, so it’s key to consider whether a particular material will be suitable. If you need to move your ladder routinely, for example, opt for one made of a lightweight material such as aluminium.

Portability

While it is unnecessary to keep moving a ladder on some worksites, others demand a ladder to be portable. Some ladders are specifically designed to be portable, with handy wheels attached. If you’re looking for a solution that is particularly easy to transport, make sure to consider which features of a ladder will make movement easier.

Alternative Options

If you are finding it difficult to choose an option that works for you, you might find that the ladders themselves aren’t right for your next project. It may be that you’re best off opting for a type of alternative solution.

Instead of a ladder, why not opt for a small scaffold tower? These solutions offer a constant yet temporary solution that allows your staff to access the areas they need. At TopTower, we offer a range of scaffolding towers for you to choose from. 

Additional Considerations

Once you have found the right type of ladder for your business, it’s worth asking yourself a few final questions to make sure that everything is perfect. Find our recommendations for additional considerations below. 

Maintenance

It’s important to consider whether your ladder will be easy to look after, particularly if you’re getting a lot of use out of it. Maintaining your ladder properly will help it last for years to come, helping you get the most out of your investment. If you’re unsure of the maintenance requirements of a specific type of ladder, it’s worth speaking to the supplier or manufacturer directly to learn how to keep it in great condition for years to come.

Storage

Some ladders are harder to store than others, so it’s vital to consider the amount of storage you have available to you. Generally, compact solutions such as telescopic ladders are easier to store than alternate solutions, as they take up far less room. 

Brand Reputation

Once you know the right type of ladder you would like, you will need to find a ladder supplier. As you search for a potential supplier, it’s worth considering their reputation as a brand. Read their past reviews, for example, to discover what past customers have thought of their products and services. 

Budget

Before purchasing a ladder, it’s important to know your budget. Investing in a high-quality ladder can often prevent you from needing to routinely pay for expensive replacements, which can help you save money in the long run. If you’re unsure of which products might suit your budget, it is often worth seeking the advice of professional ladder suppliers. 

Ladder Accessories

When you’re choosing your ladder, it’s worth considering whether you could benefit from any additional accessories. Ladder accessories are designed to make a ladder more functional for a specific project, so make sure to explore the options available to you.

Our Products at TopTower

If you’re searching for height-access equipment, look no further than our range of products at TopTower. We have a wide variety of items for sale, including ladders and steps that are suited to professional use. We also offer a range of scaffold towers, plus plenty of handy ladder accessories, making it easy to find the right access equipment for you and your business. 

Visit our website at TopTower Limited to shop our products and learn more about us. Alternatively, if you need further assistance, please get in touch with our team for our expert advice and support.

For more information on Which Ladder Do I Need? The Ultimate Guide for Businesses talk to Toptower Ltd