# A-Frame Extension Ladders



## Big John

They still sell them. Look for "trestle ladders." 

They can still beat a lift for getting up into a tight spot in a ceiling, but I gotta say I'm awfully glad I've never been on one 40' tall. :laughing:

-John


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## ptcrtn

I used a A fame extension ladder back in the 70's. It was a big heavy wooden one. It seemed sturdy enough but I did not like being on it.
:no:


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## captkirk

I dont have a problem with a 16 footer... I guess its all how your brought up in the trade.. You definatly need to guys to set it up in a home without destroying the place...


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## brian john

Big John said:


> They still sell them. Look for "trestle ladders."
> 
> They can still beat a lift for getting up into a tight spot in a ceiling, but I gotta say I'm awfully glad I've never been on one 40' tall. :laughing:
> 
> -John


 
The new ones are fiber glass lighter but also MAYBE less sturdy when swinging in the air?


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## brian john

ptcrtn said:


> I used a A fame extension ladder back in the 70's. It was a big heavy wooden one. It seemed sturdy enough but I did not like being on it.
> :no:


As a young man carrying it was no problem, though hard work. Setting it up could be a real chore working off the top,,,WELL


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## captkirk

Heights have never really been an issue for me... I remember working off a 100' lift down at the Sea Port in Port Elizabeth.... We would be up there in winter readjusting cameras, the people on the other end of the radios were in California. They were the security company that watches the cameras... Trucks would be wizzing all around us, and the damn thing would sway three to four feet each way... we had to adjust, my partner would yell, LIFT, That ment let go because it was moving , then we would adjust again, wait for security tech's to advise on placement, let go, readjust..... It was a real trip, and for some reason we did it in the dead of winter... not fun.. i dont miss that at all...

Now put me in a confined space, then we got problems...


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## Dennis Alwon

They make standard ladders that are 16'. For most homes that is more than you need and it is often hard to find a place to set it up esp. in foyers.

Looks like Lowes sells the Werner brand. http://www.lowes.com/pd_89380-287-T...glass Twin-Step Ladder&adtype=pla&cagpspn=pla


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## brian john

Dennis Alwon said:


> They make standard ladders that are 16'. For most homes that is more than you need and it is often hard to find a place to set it up esp. in foyers.
> 
> Looks like Lowes sells the Werner brand. http://www.lowes.com/pd_89380-287-T...glass Twin-Step Ladder&adtype=pla&cagpspn=pla


 
We seldom to never need 16' ladders, much less in a home, 6' is typically to much ladder for what we need in many cases.


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## sbrn33

I have a 16 foot aframe. It's a beast. I could not imagine a trestle on top of it being to safe. Yikes!


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## HARRY304E

brian john said:


> We were discussing Ladders the other day, we had a recent job for a one of our top customer at his house and an 16' a-frame ladder seemed the only option.
> 
> 
> The younger guys had never used one before; they were all use to lifts. The young guys were less than pleased about having to work so high off a ladder and the issues of getting it in and out of the house.
> 
> I worked for a company that did a slew of churches, and we lived and died on A-Frame extension ladders. They had a wooden one that went 40' in the air. Myself and a helper would man handle that ladder into place, Toe it up and I would climb the ladder to do fixture work. He was a fat lard azz.
> 
> With the ladder extended to the maximum height sitting on top was one scary job. Lean left ladder went maybe 3 feet left, lean right it went 3 feet right. Now maybe this was only 3" but in my mind it was 3 feet in each direction.
> 
> Can't even locate a link to an a-frame extension ladder
> 
> http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3DA%2Bframe%2Bextension%2Bladders&w=108&h=160&imgurl=www.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DA%2Bframe%2Bextension%2Bladders%23focal%3Db127f774495f97a64314d5318c0e320f%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fi853.photobucket.com%252falbums%252fab95%252fnelsonholland%252fAframeladder.jpg&size=&name=search&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DA%2Bframe%2Bextension%2Bladders%23focal%3Db127f774495f97a64314d5318c0e320f%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fi853.photobucket.com%252falbums%252fab95%252fnelsonholland%252fAframeladder.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DA%2Bframe%2Bextension%2Bladders%23focal%3Db127f774495f97a64314d5318c0e320f%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fi853.photobucket.com%252falbums%252fab95%252fnelsonholland%252fAframeladder.jpg&p=A+frame+extension+ladders&type=&no=1&tt=115&oid=http%3A%2F%2Fts4.mm.bing.net%2Fimages%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D4848228413801039%26id%3De87baca4911bddf13bfaf263ec8e5061&tit=Aframeladder.jpg+a+frame+extension+ladder&sigr=15uuc8q62&sigi=15nu2vuim&sigb=123596mag&fr=fptb-msgr


Try this.....http://www.lynnladder.com/products/HEAVY-DUTY-EXTENSION-TRESTLES.html

http://www.industrialladder.com/productDetails.do?productID=2790&categoryID=33


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## LARMGUY

HARRY304E said:


> Try this.....http://www.lynnladder.com/products/HEAVY-DUTY-EXTENSION-TRESTLES.html
> 
> http://www.industrialladder.com/productDetails.do?productID=2790&categoryID=33


 

Even if that thing was bolted to the ground with outriggers I wouldn't climb that.:no::no::no:


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## HARRY304E

LARMGUY said:


> Even if that thing was bolted to the ground with outriggers I wouldn't climb that.:no::no::no:


Agreed I was on my 32' ladder yesterday and never felt good on it.

I need a bucket truck...:thumbup:


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## sbrn33

Brian you are right on about the younger generation having it much easier(and safer) than even twenty years ago.. I remember wring complete steel buildings off of an old wooden extension ladder propped up against the purlins. Hanging HID lights or even eight foot fluorescents off that was always a bitch.
Great times though.
Boss never complaining about taking to long or not getting anything done. He was just happy we figured out a way to do things with out scaffolding.


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## HARRY304E

Dennis Alwon said:


> They make standard ladders that are 16'. For most homes that is more than you need and it is often hard to find a place to set it up esp. in foyers.
> 
> Looks like Lowes sells the Werner brand. http://www.lowes.com/pd_89380-287-T7416_0__?productId=1111483&cm_mmc=PLA_Paint-_-LaddersScaffolding-_-gps-_-Werner%2016'%20Fiberglass%20Twin-Step%20Ladder&adtype=pla&cagpspn=pla


Wow! they even have a 20' ladder weigh's 149 LBS..:laughing:

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1





 










 













*Werner 20' Fiberglass Twin-Step Ladder*

Item #: 89380 | Model #: T7420 
$842.22


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## Sparky J

Brian granger has them I got one there a few years ago. You can probably view them on their online catalog. If I remember correctly mine took a few days from the factory though (Werner).


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## wcord

Quote:
Originally Posted by *LARMGUY*  
_Even if that thing was bolted to the ground with outriggers I wouldn't climb that.:no::no::no:_
HARRY304E 
Agreed I was on my 32' ladder yesterday and never felt good on it.

I need a bucket truck...:thumbup:
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Back a long time ago (74), the company I worked for had a contract to relamp overhead road signs.
This being before the proliferation of economical bucket trucks and lifts, my boss had the great idea of fastening 2 layers of 3/4 plywood to the top of a van. (it was only a 3/4 ton van to boot)
Then we would stand the ladder up and used turnbuckles to fasten each leg to the plywood.
Thank goodness I was too young and stupid to know better :stupid:
At least the center was only extended about 6 feet from the top but that was high enough.

The one good thing that came about from that experience was a great appreciation for the car drivers who slowed down for the construction. I make a point of slowing down when there are workers on the road.

__________________


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## B4T

My 16' ladder is double sided and needs (2) men to carry and set it up..

Sometimes you need a second set of hands to hang a fixture and that ladder is perfect for it..


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## macmikeman

I use a trestle ladder all the time. When going on calls to existing commercial units that have a drop ceiling , but the real structural ceiling is maybe another ten foot above the drop one, and perhaps there are j-boxes up there that need to be accessed or I want to drill for new anchors or something like that. My trestle ladder fits up thru the 2'x4' opening of one ceiling tile, and then I can extend enough to work up to about 20 foot or so if I need to .

You cannot do that with a regular lift, once the ceiling grid is in.


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## retiredsparktech

macmikeman said:


> I use a trestle ladder all the time. When going on calls to existing commercial units that have a drop ceiling , but the real structural ceiling is maybe another ten foot above the drop one, and perhaps there are j-boxes up there that need to be accessed or I want to drill for new anchors or something like that. My trestle ladder fits up thru the 2'x4' opening of one ceiling tile, and then I can extend enough to work up to about 20 foot or so if I need to .
> 
> You cannot do that with a regular lift, once the ceiling grid is in.


How do you balance yourself on a perfectly vertical ladder? Most of your fixed vertical ladders have some kind of cage around them. I must be missing something here. There's nothing that beats experience.


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## Wchild1520

Not to get off topic but i find it ironic that the sponsor home depot is advertising an aluminium ladder on a electrical forum?


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## TooFarFromFenway

HARRY304E said:


> Wow! they even have a 20' ladder weigh's 149 LBS..:laughing:
> 
> http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1
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> *Werner 20' Fiberglass Twin-Step Ladder*
> 
> Item #: 89380 | Model #: T7420
> $842.22


I've used that one. It's sturdy actually. I wouldn't recommend trying to walk it though....:no:


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## TooFarFromFenway

Wchild1520 said:


> Not to get off topic but i find it ironic that the sponsor home depot is advertising an aluminium ladder on a electrical forum?


It's Google. It provides ads for many types of sites, and it usually takes keywords from the website to determine the ad it displays. 

But yes, very ironic.


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## union347sparky

retiredsparktech said:


> How do you balance yourself on a perfectly vertical ladder? Most of your fixed vertical ladders have some kind of cage around them. I must be missing something here. There's nothing that beats experience.


I was thinking the same thing!


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## macmikeman

retiredsparktech said:


> How do you balance yourself on a perfectly vertical ladder? Most of your fixed vertical ladders have some kind of cage around them. I must be missing something here. There's nothing that beats experience.


Well, you surf Sunset Beach for twenty years or so and trestle ladders don't even count next to that. I never had a problem with a trestle. Now , setting up ladders on uneven sloped ground , well thats another story altogether.........


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## chewy

All of our step ladders open up to double their size and are aluminium (We are a network infrastructure company but even sparkys use aluminium ladders here) with a 150kg/350lb rating. We have a 6m one that is quite heavy and is like a bouncy castle when its opened up to 12m leaning up against a wall or purlin. Most of our work can be done with 8ft ladders that can open up to a 16ft leaner. I have never worked out of a lift before, scaffhold staging is built around a building and internally on large internal spaces on construction sites here.


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## varmit

retiredsparktech said:


> How do you balance yourself on a perfectly vertical ladder? Most of your fixed vertical ladders have some kind of cage around them. I must be missing something here. There's nothing that beats experience.


You straddle the top of the vertical section with your legs gripping the ladder. It takes some getting accustomed to, and not something that you are comfortable doing, but these type ladders were once common for 16 to 20 foot working height.

I would be interested in a OSHA interpretation of standing straddle of the top of a ladder today. That was the designed method of use, so maybe it is compliant.

Using these ladders was a little "exciting" on gravel fill, in buildings before the floor was poured.


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## wildleg

macmikeman said:


> Well, you surf Sunset Beach for twenty years or so and trestle ladders don't even count next to that. I never had a problem with a trestle. Now , setting up ladders on uneven sloped ground , well thats another story altogether.........


surfs up










http://www.wtop.com/681/2941741/Surfs-Up


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## HARRY304E

TooFarFromFenway said:


> I've used that one. It's sturdy actually. I wouldn't recommend trying to walk it though....:no:


I know a few guys that would try that..:laughing:


Not me no way..:no:


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## backstay

I have a 20 foot wooden stepladder. But 20 ft is an odd hight(it doesn't fit anywhere) so now I have a 16-1/2 foot wooden stepladder. It still takes two people to set up.


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## hardworkingstiff

varmit said:


> You straddle the top of the vertical section with your legs gripping the ladder. It takes some getting accustomed to, and not something that you are comfortable doing, but these type ladders were once common for 16 to 20 foot working height.


I used them when I was working for a sign manufacturer/installer (early 70's). I never had a problem with them, plus I used to carry a 40' wooden extension ladder. That sucker was heavy and carrying it by yourself was .... interesting :laughing: . I was in gymnastics in high school and college, so I had the muscles to handle the weight, and I was not afraid of heights. I felt very secure straddling that ladder. I could lean one way or another and not feel like I might fall. Pretty cool.


> I would be interested in a OSHA interpretation of standing straddle of the top of a ladder today. That was the designed method of use, so maybe it is compliant.


Yea, that would be interesting.


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