3 Tips For Buying The Right Extension Ladder

Ladders are both seriously simple and seriously important, much like airplane wings and Beatles songs. Modern ladders are well-made and increasingly safe, which probably contributes to the sense that you don't need to use a lot of energy choosing one ... but extension ladders? That can get a little tricky. 

With a little attention to choosing a ladder of the correct length, material, and weight limit, you can definitely choose the right one for the job. But what if there's more than one job? Pros get around this by buying a lot of different extension ladders to cover the various height and capacity needs of the work they do (see: those painters' vans that trundle down surface streets with ladders balanced atop them like a circus unicyclist with pies in each hand). However, the average homeowner is going to need to make do with only a few ladders, and probably only one extension ladder, so the decision becomes a little more delicate. After all, nobody wants to be standing 16 feet in the air when they realize they made a mistake.

There are various considerations to keep in mind. There are safety features, an unbelievable number of accessories, and even other types of ladders that act like extension ladders in the right configuration. To get you started, though, we're mostly going to focus on the more rigid, traditional extension ladders.

You need a ladder of the right height. This probably sounds like one of those super-obvious statements you'd get from a life coach, that causes you to roll your eyes and ask for a refund. But the truth is, extension ladders have a range of heights at which you can use them safely, including upper and lower limits. Ladder decisions are driven by safety, and that mostly has to do with height. Achieving the proper ladder angle means leaning it against a support at a 75- or 75.5-degree angle, roughly corresponding to the 4-in-1 rule: For every four feet you extend your ladder's height, it should be 1 foot from the wall (that's more like a 75.96-degree angle, but you get the idea). 

So, a ladder leaning against the top of a 12-foot wall will be three feet from the wall. For this, we need an extension ladder that's 12 feet 4.4 inches long. The American Ladder Institute says your ladder shouldn't extend more than 3 feet beyond the highest point of support, but Werner insists it should extend 7-10 feet higher. So, let's go with 7 feet. For this 12-foot-high wall, you need a ladder that can be extended to 19-20 feet.

Determine the likely range of heights you'll need. For homeowner purposes, the minimum length is probably around the height of your home's exterior walls (that way, you can clean gutters and downspouts). And if you plan to bring it to other houses, plan for that as well; transporting even a single extension ladder can be tricky (hence the overcrowded painter's van discussed previously). 

Okay, so height is the tricky part of choosing an extension ladder. From there, the next thing to consider is what the ladder is made of. When it comes to extension ladders, that's a choice between fiberglass and aluminum. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes that's a matter of degree. Both handle extreme temperatures well, both are durable, and both are reasonably resistant to weather (as long as you store your ladders indoors). Fiberglass is generally the most weather-resistant, but for most homeowners and DIYers who hopefully can store their ladder inside most of the time, either option should be sufficient.

There are two other considerations that might be deciding factors for you, when it comes to material. The first is weight. Fiberglass extension ladders are notably heavier than their aluminum counterparts. For example, a 20-foot Werner fiberglass ladder rated for 250 lbs. weighs 39 lbs., while their 225-lb.-capacity Aluminum ladder weighs a mere 27 lbs.

But there's one factor that trumps any other considerations, including the huge weight savings: conductivity. If you're going to be operating an extension ladder in the immediate presence of electricity (hanging Christmas lights, for example), an aluminum ladder is the wrong choice. Aluminum is highly conductive and will carry any stray current directly to the ground, possibly through you. So if you're messing with electricity, use a fiberglass ladder.

Ladders have a duty rating that describes how much weight they can handle. This number is made up of all the things that contribute to the working load you're going to task you ladder with — your weight, any clothing and protective equipment you might be outfitted with, any tools and other supplies (including raw materials like shingles or boards) you will climb the ladder with, and any tools or supplies stored on or attached to the ladder (paint buckets, perhaps). There are generally five classifications, with maximum loads ranging from 200 lbs. for light-duty household ladders, to the sturdier 375-lb. "special duty" ladders for heavy-duty commercial and industrial activities, whatever those might be.

These duty ratings are now often represented by color-coded end caps, to make weight limits immediately obvious to anyone familiar with the color system: red for 200 lbs., green for 225 lbs., blue for 250 lbs., orange for 300 lbs., and yellow for 375 lbs. The 300-lb. category is often coded as black for aluminum ladders, especially older models.

With all these factors in mind, choosing the right extension ladder won't seem like such a mystery. Just calculate the necessary height, consider both material options, and get a duty rating suiting the tasks you want to perform. Once that's all done, you'll be well on your way to climbing up the side of your house with no regrets.