Was wrangling the 28′ extension ladder into place this afternoon to clean the high gutter. I had the ladder vertical and was extending it. Got it up about high enough but figured I’d raise it one more rung. As I pulled on the rope it broke.
Luckily the fly had been raised only an inch or two above the step where it had last rested and so the locks caught it right away. If it had been raised another 1-2 inches the locks would have flipped their toggles and the fly would have come all the way down, and in the situation where I was I probably would have lost control of it. (At least it’s kind of hard to get your hands in the way of the fly in this situation.)
So check those ladder ropes every 20 years or so!
Replies
youre braver than me to go up that high in the first place
Well, this particular gutter is only maybe 18-20 feet up. I should get a shorter/lighter ladder.
I can see it now, your foot is on the bottom rung, you look down in pain as the ladder goes crashing through a large picture window, smashing a giant fish tank which then buckles the inlaid hardwood floor, leaks into the home theater electronics on the floor below and you are a day late paying your liability insurance.....LOL....make that COL.
It's also a good idea to keep the ladder tracts clean so that you don't need a lot of heavy pulling on the rope to raise the ladder.
Also makes it a lot easier to lower the ladder.
I cleaned my ladder recently and what a change!
I can see it now......
Snap!
Pop pop pop pop pop....
Lookit Danny Run!!!!!!
.glad yer OK.
Another Gutter-Ladder-Fiasco
Dan, last fall I set up a 20' ladder on my deck, fully extended, as I've done countless times before. As I'm climbing up, my wife peeks out a second story window and tells me to be careful. I laughed. Just as I reached the top, the base slipped and down I went. I ended up in the kitchen window, clamped onto the left rail. The exterior pane shattered, but the interior held. DW had to vacuum the glass from my hair, but incredibly, no cuts. The ladder, as can be seen in the photo, didn't fair as well.
I've known more than a few people that have had ladder fiascos, and they (ladders) need to be treated with respect. In my case, I believe the new composite decking might have contributed to the base slipping, so now I block the feet, regardless of where I am.
comp. decking should have a warning label........
Nick,
I too slid-but this was an unopened 8 ft step ladder.............leaned not very much, against the side wall. I was up about 2/3rds and surprised the shit outta me-paint can, brush and all. VERY luckily no drop was spilled-no blood either. But it did get the heart to pounding.
Pretty good gription for shoes, not so for a wood ladder.
Yeah, this climb, which I need to make once or twice a year, always gives me the willies. I have to set up in the side yard, with about 13 feet from house to fence, and a bit more than "slight" downslope to the soil. I generally spend several minutes mucking with plywood under the feet, but once I get it set up I usually find I need to move it a couple of feet one direction or the other, and the plywood never gets set up as well the second time.
The 28-footer is just about as much as I can handle (I never attempt it if there's much wind) and the wife is not much help, so I've quit asking her.
Like I said, I should maybe get a shorter, lighter ladder. This is a heavy-duty Werner aluminum one, so quite heavy. A 20-footer would be too short, I think, but maybe I can find a 24' in fiberglass.
Glad you're ok Dan. Ladder accidents are a leading cause of injuries or worse. At home and on the job site.
Doug
A friend of mine makes his living maintaining ladders for the phone co.
They have a schedule for replacing the ropes regularly.
Curious--what kind of rope was it? Polyester? or what?
Curious--what kind of rope was it? Polyester? or what?
Rotten.
(Actually, I don't know. Synthetic of some sort but it had a fairly good "hand", so not your cheap nylon. Twisted, not braided.)