I'm about to embark on replacing my fascias and soffits. I have a domestic
double extension ladder that has served me well, but having used better
quality ladders at work I would like a better quality one to supplement it.

I'm looking at the old class 2, now 'trade' or BS EN131.

Several makes I've looked at with a wide range of prices. Any gotchas?

Titan?

Youngman? -- more expensive -- worth the extra?

Lewis? Cheaper, any downside?

Ramsay? -- very expensive, heavy, -- Rolls Royce of ladders. Used them at
work, but can't really justify that price.

Any others?

--
B Thumbs
Change lycos to yahoo to reply

On 18/07/10 11:59, wrote:
I'm about to embark on replacing my fascias and soffits. I have a domestic
double extension ladder that has served me well, but having used better
quality ladders at work I would like a better quality one to supplement it.

I'm looking at the old class 2, now 'trade' or BS EN131.

Several makes I've looked at with a wide range of prices. Any gotchas?

Titan?

Youngman? -- more expensive -- worth the extra?

Lewis? Cheaper, any downside?

Ramsay? -- very expensive, heavy, -- Rolls Royce of ladders. Used them at
work, but can't really justify that price.

Any others?


Or hire a ladder or scaffolding.

The cost of falling off a ladder is huge, the probability small...

[g]

wrote in message ...
I'm about to embark on replacing my fascias and soffits. I have a domestic
double extension ladder that has served me well, but having used better
quality ladders at work I would like a better quality one to supplement
it.

I'm looking at the old class 2, now 'trade' or BS EN131.

Several makes I've looked at with a wide range of prices. Any gotchas?

Titan?

Youngman? -- more expensive -- worth the extra?

Lewis? Cheaper, any downside?

Ramsay? -- very expensive, heavy, -- Rolls Royce of ladders. Used them at
work, but can't really justify that price.

Any others?


I have had a set of Clima laddders since the 1970s and they have done me
remarkably well.
They are a trade rather than domestic version, and have very strong 'D'
rungs.
Every tradesman who sees them says "Blimey, thats a solid set of ladders."
or similar. ;-)

No guarantee that Clima are still good, or even made by the same people.

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

On Jul 18, 11:59*am, wrote:
I'm about to embark on replacing my fascias and soffits.

What are you going to stand the ladder against if you have bays, or
even not, because fascias & soffits require a lot of leaning out &
manipulation on a ladder?


I have a domestic double extension ladder that has served me well

So you would be duplicating that which you have, if they are
"serviceable". A good ladder is about £90-140 depending on height,
nearer the end of that range for height & quality combined.

£70 a week will get a light to assemble alloy tower with 4 outriggers
from Hire Station, a bit less from Jewsons (£45 at a guess if you
apply for a trade card). Recession is still hurting.

So you might actually save £50-70 and do it quicker and more safely.
That £50-70 would buy a decent set of GRP platform stepladders for in
the house, plenty of offers on Ebay on certain step heights every now
and then (5, 6, 8 usually). Alternatively a set of eaves protectors or
new DPC to slip under the tile felt and into the gutters if the felt
is ripping.

On 18 Jul,
"js.b1" wrote:

On Jul 18, 11:59*am, wrote:
I'm about to embark on replacing my fascias and soffits.

What are you going to stand the ladder against if you have bays, or
even not, because fascias & soffits require a lot of leaning out &
manipulation on a ladder?

No bays, I've a 24" ladder standoff that will give me some clearance for te
rest.



I have a domestic double extension ladder that has served me well

So you would be duplicating that which you have, if they are
"serviceable". A good ladder is about £90-140 depending on height,
nearer the end of that range for height & quality combined.

I'm expecting to spend near th top end of that range, am looking around £120.
My current ladder is 'domestic' quality (Youngman Mercury) and flexes rather
more than I like. Having used class 1 ladders at work I am impressed by their
stiffness, and would like to update anyway.


£70 a week will get a light to assemble alloy tower with 4 outriggers
from Hire Station, a bit less from Jewsons (£45 at a guess if you
apply for a trade card). Recession is still hurting.

The weeks may drag on, depending on what I find. I intend to remedy any
problems I find, that's why I DIY, i've watched the "professionals" /do/ all
my neighbours and I haven't been impressed.



So you might actually save £50-70 and do it quicker and more safely.
That £50-70 would buy a decent set of GRP platform stepladders for in
the house, plenty of offers on Ebay on certain step heights every now
and then (5, 6, 8 usually).

Got more than enough stepladders. Access is difficult at the side for a
tower, ladders will get up from neighbour's side. Above the single storey
extension I've got wooden staging stored in the garage/shed from when I
repaired the roof. Anything else other than conventional scaffolding wouldn't
fit there, even a cherry picker wouldn't get there.

Alternatively a set of eaves protectors or new DPC to slip under the tile
felt and into the gutters if the felt is ripping.

Eaves protectors on order, Breathable felt may be needed amongst other things
(tile laths etc). I'll wait and see.

--
B Thumbs
Change lycos to yahoo to reply

On 18 July, 14:13, wrote:
On 18 Jul, *
* * *"js.b1" wrote:

On Jul 18, 11:59*am, wrote:

I have a domestic double extension ladder that has served me well

So you would be duplicating that which you have, if they are
"serviceable". A good ladder is about £90-140 depending on height,
nearer the end of that range for height & quality combined.

I'm expecting to spend near th top end of that range, am looking around £120.
My current ladder is 'domestic' quality (Youngman Mercury) and flexes rather
more than I like. Having used class 1 ladders at work I am impressed by their
stiffness, and would like to update anyway.

Just acquired a Lewis trade extension (painting the exterior) and was
very happy with price, quality and service. The ladder itself is good
(to
be fair, I've got little to compare it to, but it feels very solid),
and the
price included delivery.

There was a cock-up during delivery but it was sorted almost before I
knew about it - the day it was due to arrive, I got an answerphone
message telling me the courier had managed to damage it, apologising
profusely, saying they'd arranged a next-day replacement, and hoping
this would be acceptable. It was ...

John

In article , george [dicegeorge]
scribeth thus
On 18/07/10 11:59, wrote:
I'm about to embark on replacing my fascias and soffits. I have a domestic
double extension ladder that has served me well, but having used better
quality ladders at work I would like a better quality one to supplement it.

I'm looking at the old class 2, now 'trade' or BS EN131.

Several makes I've looked at with a wide range of prices. Any gotchas?

Titan?

Youngman? -- more expensive -- worth the extra?

Lewis? Cheaper, any downside?

Ramsay? -- very expensive, heavy, -- Rolls Royce of ladders. Used them at
work, but can't really justify that price.

Any others?


Or hire a ladder or scaffolding.

The cost of falling off a ladder is huge, the probability small...

[g]



Umm ... having had a very bad fall last year, month in neuro intensive
care ;!,I'm a bit more wary of ladders then ever before but I'd spend
more on a decent heavier duty one and some stand off brackets. Make sure
its tied to something somewhere so it doesn't slide sideways and is on
decent ground..

The tower idea is a good one but you still need to get up there. And as
you say in later posts there may be other things form time to time that
need attention...



--
Tony Sayer

In article ,
writes:
The weeks may drag on, depending on what I find. I intend to remedy any
problems I find, that's why I DIY, i've watched the "professionals" /do/ all
my neighbours and I haven't been impressed.
Eaves protectors on order, Breathable felt may be needed amongst other things
(tile laths etc). I'll wait and see.

Recently did a similar job on my place. I got scaffolding erected
along the front of the house, which cost something like £350,
which included a throw over a bay (without resting on it), a lift
(working platform) about 2' below the gutter line, and lift about
a foot below the upstairs window sills for painting the upstairs
windows. This was for 4 weeks in theory. I lost the first 2 weeks
to bad weather and probably had the scaffolding for nearer 6 weeks
without any extra charge.

It's _so_ much easier (and safer) working from proper scaffolding,
that I simply wouldn't consider doing something like this again
without it. 5 years ago, I did the same along the back of the
house.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

In article ,
wrote:
I'm about to embark on replacing my fascias and
soffits.
My 3x 2.5m ladder is great. 'A' shap,e about .5m wide base
and you can lean over to either side without fear. the 2
bottom stages open out as a stepladder, with or without the
top section to go higher.

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

The good we stand on is our truth and honesty.