Ladders....

Kritchlow

Kritchlow

Final Approach
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Kritchlow
Just moved into a new house. HVAC filter are at the top of a 12-14 foot vaulted ceiling. I’m ****ed because I need to buy a new ladder to change the dam filters.
I’m extremely afraid of heights. If I go up a ladder I need it to be super stable. I’ve looked at Little Giants but that seems over-kill for a filter change. I saw Gorilla at Home Depot. Not sure what to do.
I figure I need to buy an eight foot ladder.

Thoughts....????
 
I'd be using scaffolding if you can fit that in the space below.

If not, and you resort to a ladder, with 12-14 feet to peak, I might think about something closer to 10 ft, as you really want to be on a rung about 3-4 ft below the top of the step ladder. The 10 footer step I have has a taper angle that increases at the bottom 3 rungs to make it wider than normal, and more stable. I think I bought it at Home Depot, but it was years ago.
 
I have the Werner equivalent of a Little Giant, but it's the Big Giant 26ft version. With the 4 ladders in one and the hardware, it is very heavy and cumbersome to set up.

I now have a second 13ft little giant for work in the house. You would probably need something in between like a 17ft version. They work very well as an A-frame. As an extension ladder they are very top-heavy and a straight 1-fly painters ladder is the better option.
 
I'm not at all afraid of heights, but I'm seriously afraid of falling. I have a 12' ladder, and that's as high as I'll ever voluntarily climb. Some of the floodlights on the outside of my house are 20' up, and not close to a window. They remain burned out.
 
A simple 10' aluminum or fiberglass painter's ladder will be fine. The problem with the Little Giant and other multi-position ladders is that they weigh a lot more, are cumbersome to move around, and you typically only use the ladder as a standard A-frame ladder. The other configurations are special use/rarely needed.
 
Buy an OSHA graded ladder. See this chart to select the right one.

Type Capable of Supporting Rated Use
TYPE IA 300 lbs. Extra Heavy Duty Industrial
TYPE I 250 lbs. Heavy Duty Industrial
TYPE II 225 lbs. Medium Duty Commercial
TYPE III 200 lbs. Light Duty Household

Don't cheap out! I bought a Type 1 to clean out the gutters at a former home, 2-1/2 stories up. Ladder was heavy as lead but it surely was stable!

-Skip
 
One advantage of the little giant style ladder is that you can use it on a set of stairs in case you have can-lights or windows that are otherwise unreachable.
 
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