There are many different types of ladders today, but which ones work best for painting? This article will examine some of the more common ladders and how they help you accomplish the task of painting.
Ladders are made from three primary materials; wood, aluminum, or fiberglass. The material used to manufacture the ladder is of little consequence when it comes to a painting project. However, the type of ladder does.
Extension Ladders
Extension ladders were primarily designed to be used outdoors. If you are painting the outside of your house, this is the ladder that will help you get to those high places on the exterior walls. The height of an extension ladder can be adjusted to whatever height you need depending on the extended reach of the extension ladder model you own.
But can you use an extension ladder indoors to paint a vaulted ceiling? Yes, you can to an extent. Extension ladders were designed to lean up against a wall, so depending on the overall size of your room, an extension ladder may not help you reach the vaulted ceilings within the center of the room. A better option of vaulted ceilings might be a very tall stepladder or freestanding scaffolding. You do not need to buy them; you can just rent ladders and scaffolding from companies like Sunset Ladder & Scaffolding.
Step Ladders
Stepladders are the usual self-supporting type of ladders you see in just about every home in America. Stepladders are very comfortable to stand on and are very stable. Two features you need to consider with a painting project, as you may be standing on the ladder for an extended period of time. You can buy stepladders that have worktops which hold tools and brushes. Some ladder accessories hold paint cans as well.
Platform Ladders
Platform ladders are probably an ideal ladder for a painting project. Platform ladders are used by many professional painters for a reason. The advantage to this type of ladder is that it has a large workspace that can hold the painter and all the tools needed to complete the task. And the large platform at the top of the A-frame gives great comfort when standing for long periods of time. Again, you could buy a platform ladder, but if you’re not planning on doing a lot of painting, you could just rent a platform ladder from places like Sunset Ladder & Scaffold.
Articulating Ladders
Articulating ladders are ladders that adjust into many different configurations. The most well-known and popular articulation ladder is the Little Giant Ladder System. I should note that I have found articulating ladders a little uncomfortable to stand on for long periods of time.
A-frame Configuration
The A-frame configuration of the Little Giant Ladder can be adjusted to a variety of heights. This is a unique feature that the standard Step Ladder cannot do. Their tallest, Little Giant SkyScraper can be adjusted to a height of 21 feet! Great for painting vaulted ceilings. You will save your shoulders a tremendous workout from using a painting extension pole, but you will need to be comfortable with heights. Again you can rent the Little Giant Skyscraper Ladder for a day or two from Sunset Ladder & Scaffold.
90 Degree Configuration
The 90 degree configuration is ideal for painting walls. It allows you to get the ladder very close to the wall, whereas the standard stepladder will keep you away from the wall by one half the spread of the ladder base.
Staircase Configuration
What can I say here? The staircase configuration is ideal for painting stairways. It allows your ladder to be on solid footing while the ladder feet are on separate steps of the stairway.
Extension Configuration
Using a single Little Giant Ladder, you can adjust the ladder into an extension configuration if you need or want to. There is a great Little Giant Ladder accessory known as the wall standoff that can be used with the extension ladder configuration that will keep the top of the ladder away from the wall while you are painting. You can read more about this ladder accessory below.
Two Scaffold Trestles Configuration
One of the greatest ladder configurations this articulating ladder does is adjust into two separate scaffold trestles. You can use a board or the Little Giant Adjustable Telescoping Plank accessory between them to create a temporary scaffold to stand on. And as a side note, you can achieve this same configuration by using a board and two standard stepladders.
Other Little Giant Ladder Accessories for Painting
Wall Standoff
The Little Giant Ladder Wall Standoff called WingSpan™ positions the ladder away from the working surface at the top of the extension configuration. This gives you something to hold onto at the top and allows for easier movement of painting as well.
Work Platform
One of the greatest ladder accessories that Little Giant Ladders offer is the work platform. It gives you a small platform to stand on while you’re painting. This accessory is best used while the ladder is in the A-frame configuration.
Project Tray
The project tray is perfect for painting jobs. It was designed to hook onto the Little Giant Ladder and hold virtually any size paint can or bucket. It also has integrated slots for holding tools and organizing power cords.
Fuel Tank
And finally, the fuel tank accessory. It features a convenient carrying handle and a stand-alone base that allows you to use the Fuel Tank as a regular paint bucket. There’s even a magnetic brush holder to keep your paintbrush exactly where you need it.
| About LadderDepot.com LadderDepot.com is the Internet Sales Division for Sunset Ladder Co. Inc. - specialized ladder and scaffold distributor since 1929 and proud to be one of the first if not the very first distributor of the Little Giant Ladder Systems. Call (800) 660-1311 to speak with our Little Giant Ladder specialists! |
Modern ladders typically come in aluminum and fiberglass and usually have rungs that are serrated for slip resistance. In addition to the advantage of being light, fiberglass ladders have non-conductive side rails for added safety when working around electricity. It is a very good ladder.
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