by Americaﾒs Master Handyman, Glenn Haege

Whether getting the family cat out of a tree, cleaning the eaves troughs, changing a hallway light bulb or painting the dining room, ladders are an indispensable part of most households. They can also be a fast ticket to the hospital.

Ladders are definitely not one size fits all. You or your house may have outgrown the ladder. A conventional home requires a 6 foot high stepladder. If you have a newer home with cathedral ceilings, youﾒll also need a 12 footer.

If you do outside work, you may need an extension ladder. The average ranch type home is 11 feet from ground to roof line, 17 feet from ground to peak, and requires a 20 foot extension ladder. The average two story home is 19 feet to the roof line, 25 feet to the peak, and requires a 28 footer.

There are a lot of choices. Leno Corradi, owner of the areaﾒs leading ladder supplier, National Ladder & Scaffold Co. (800-535-5944 or 248-399-0984 in Detroit). The company lists 70 different sizes and styles of wood, aluminum or fiberglass extension ladders and 89 different sizes and styles of stepladders in their catalog and maintains a complete inventory at their Madison Heights, Canton and Grand Rapids locations.

In addition to step and extension ladders, there are many special purpose ladders, including trestle ladders (a combination of a two sided stepladder and an extension ladder); tripod ladders (a three legged step ladder that is very good for use in corners and uneven ground); platform ladders; shelf ladders; stocking ladders, and attic ladders.

Ladders come in wood, aluminum, and fiberglass. Wood is often the least expensive and does not conduct electricity when it is clean and dry. But wood ladders can crack and warp and are the most perishable.

Aluminum ladders are strong, rugged, and light. Unfortunately, they conduct electricity and should never be used where they can come in contact with electrical cables. This makes them a no-no for inhome use.

Fiberglass is very strong and non-conductive, but is not as rugged as aluminum. Treated with care, a fiberglass ladder can last practically forever, and is my favorite for in home use.

Ladders are rated by grade, type and duty rating. There are four different grades: household, commercial, industrial, and extra heavy industrial. Each grade has a type number. Both grade and type number indicate a duty rating which is the maximum weight of the person plus clothing, tools and materials, that can be safely carried by the ladder.

Confused yet? Donﾒt try to remember this. Clip the article and save it for when you need to buy.

Wood and Aluminum ladders come in all four grades. Fiberglass ladders are premium and just come in the top three grades.

Household grade (type III) ladders have a duty rating of 200 pounds. No one heavier than an ant should buy this grade ladder.

Commercial grade (type II) has a duty rating of 225 pounds. This is still not heavy duty enough to give the safety edge you need.

Industrial grade (type I) has a duty rating of 250 pounds, the minimum acceptable for most homes. Remember most Americans are over weight. Many men are carrying 30, 50, 75 or more extra pounds. Few of us are getting lighter.

A good ladder can easily last 20 years. The ladder you buy today should be the highest grade you will ever need, not the minimum you require.

Extra heavy industrial grade (type IA) has a duty rating of 300 pounds. This is the best quality ladder that you can buy and is the minimum acceptable if any person using it would even think of shopping at a big & tall menﾒs store.

I buy extra heavy industrial grade (IA) fiberglass ladders. Although they are the most expensive you can buy, they meet or exceed every requirement my family will ever need. It costs a couple of extra bucks to get the best but it is well worth the money.

Ask yourself this before you buy: Why do you need a ladder? Why do you need to store a 23-foot extension ladder in the garage 50 weeks out of the year? If you decide to buy an extension ladder, also get a stand off/stabilizer by Werner. It attaches to the top of the ladder and makes the ladder a great deal more stable and safe to use.

Most equipment rental stores specialize in short term ladder rental. Specialist stores like National Ladder & Scaffold, deal in long term rentals.

If you are going to paint the outside of a two story house, consider renting scaffolding. National Ladder will rent a 20 foot high, 10 foot long, 5 foot wide, scaffold, including safety bracing and guard rails, for only $110 a month. And you can fit the whole thing in the back of your buddyﾒs pick up truck. This amount of scaffolding will let you work safely up to a 26 foot height. You donﾒt have to worry about stretching, tipping, or moving a heavy ladder every couple of feet.

Whatever you choose. whichever equipment you rent or buy, make safety your first concern. Donﾒt over stretch. Donﾒt take chances. Donﾒt pinch pennies. Your body is not made for bouncing. Besides, good readers are hard to find.