If you spend a lot of time doing certain types of home activities, such as cleaning, decorating, and improving some areas in your home beyond your reach then a step stool ladder is all you need. Whether it’s getting a jar from a shelf that is a little too high or cleaning out your gutters, this piece of equipment can assist you to do those elevated tasks safely and with ease.
There are different types of height assisting equipment, including step ladders, platform ladders, pole ladders, scaffolds, etc. They can also be used in places such as homes, offices, libraries, warehouses, retail, and hospitality. This equipment enables workers to work safely at heights. They are portable, easy to fold up, and are made from superior materials to ensure safety in the working place. There is a wide selection of stool step ladder designs on the market, but choosing the right one can be sometimes tricky. To make sure you choose a step ladder that best suits your needs, you need to consider some important factors.
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Factors to Consider Before Picking the Right Step Stool Ladder
Choose the Right Design for the Purpose
When it comes to choosing the right design of ladder step for your needs, you need to consider a number of aspects that ultimately dictate your choice. These involve the kind of job you will be doing, the climate conditions of the area you will be working at, and making sure you choose a product that won’t underperform beyond your expectations and requirements.
Most types of stool step ladders feature self-supporting, portable designs that have flat steps and side rails. They are designed with stability in mind, but they rarely employ handrails for climbing. They usually feature one to four steps in their design. These steps allow the user to climb as if walking up a staircase. Today most types of step ladders feature fixed length and they need not have more steps than 80 cm in height. The highest permittable standing level of a step ladder is two steps downs from the top. This is because a person standing a bit higher may lose their balance and fall.
The extension stool step ladder design allows you to adjust the height you need. The hinged inverted V design is what gives them the necessary stability. These types of ladders feature a base and one or two upper sections that slide up and down allowing you to reach different heights.
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Pick your Preferable Size
When it comes to choosing the right size, you can select either a one-step, two-step, or three-step ladder. Each one of these different ladders sizes has different applications usage. For instance, a two-step ladder is usually suitable for performing medium height tasks such as stocking shelves, filling, and overhead repairs. The three stepped stool ladder designs on the other hand are more suitable for jobs such as painting, washing windows, and doing any type of repairs in your home or elsewhere.
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Weight Limits
Most homeowners don’t need super heavy access equipment which is not the case with professionals who mostly need ladders that are able to support their type of work, weight, and tools. Therefore, the ladder you choose needs to be able to accommodate both the weight of the user and his or her tools. For this matter is essential to pick a step ladder made from durable and lasting materials that can withstand heavyweight.
Most types of step ladders come in five different Duty Ratings which define the maximum weight load capacity the ladder can withstand. For instance, a person fully clothed plus the weight of the materials that are carried onto the ladder should weigh less than the duty rating. Since not every job is the same, step ladder stools are made to suit a variety of applications.
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Material Matters
Many materials can be used to make a ladder or step stool. Some of the most common ones are aluminum, fiberglass, wood, bamboo, etc. Ultimately the material you choose can affect the ladder step quality, durability, and performance. For instance, those crafted from sturdy bamboo are much lighter and portable to transport around the house. They combine both sustainability and beauty in one package.
Aluminum step ladders are highly durable and offer superior strength as they are designed for heavy trade commercial use. In comparison to aluminum, fiberglass is much more durable and long-lasting due to its superior weather-resistant properties. You can leave your fiberglass ladder exposed to sun or rain for days on end, and you can rest assured it won't rust or lose its quality and strength. As fiberglass possesses non-conductive properties, most types of fiberglass step stools are safe for electrical projects and work near electrical lines.
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