This was in the shed when we moved into the house. There is no label or anything to tell when it was built. All I know is that the previous owner got it before 2007 (that’s when he died). Already plenty of time for the wood to decay.
On the one hand, I work on the vines in lofty heights, and I don’t want to find out the hard way that a rung isn’t holding up anymore.
On the other hand, that thing is sturdy (I can barely carry it alone), and probably expensive (quick Googling suggests 300+ EUR), and I don’t want to replace it before I’m sure its necessary.
What I do want to know is, is there some sort of stress-test that I can easily perform at home and that doesn’t actually damage the ladder unless it’s already past the safely-usable point?
I think the task would be harder if it were a wooden ladder.
I would suggest:
Is there any sign that any part has been bent and straightened, or dented or twisted?
Are all of the joints sound? all moving parts move as they should - nothing grates or jams?
Are all of the rivets are present? Are they intact and original?
Are the main members are straight when you sight along them?
Is anything painted over that might conceal a crack or shoddy repair?
Edit: I missed the part in the OP about wood decaying - but this looks like an Aluminium alloy ladder - is it not? If it’s a wooden ladder, ignore everything above.
Yeah, Aluminium ladders (with no plastic structural parts) are pretty much good until something happens to mechanically damage them. Wooden ladders… I just don’t think it’s worth using one when metal ladders exist.
It’s made of wood, and as far as I can tell, not reinforced with anything except at the top joint. Just painted over. Sorry, the image is apparently to small to show that it’s definitely wood.
If it was kept dry and all joints appear sound it’s probably ok. Wood houses stand for centuries if maintained, right? It’s unlikely a wood ladder was rated for more than a hundred kilos so keep that in mind. Wood also will give you info–cracking, creaking–before failing (usually!). If it feels sturdy when open it probably is. If it feels rickety make it into firewood.
Do you have any repair people you work with or anyone who is familiar with ladders? If so, have them come take a look at it. I’m not sure how much testing you would be able to do to really validate the strength of the ladder. Someone who is experienced with working on ladders would likely be able to give you a good evaluation if the ladder is still usable.
I have a wooden ladder I’ve had for about 30 years and the wood is fine. The bolts sometimes loosen, but I can easily feel the ladder getting loose and tighten them up as needed.
I would think a greater concern with a ladder that tall is just typical ladder risks. You really have to make sure it’s on flat, level ground since you’re so high that it can easily become unbalanced and tip. And be careful about reaching off to the sides for the same reason. Even if the ladder is fine, look for solutions where you can stay on the ground. For example, they make tree loppers and saws that are on long extension poles which allow you to do a lot of trimming without dealing with ladders.
You can check the bottom rungs by standing on them. Bounce a bit to check they tolerate more than your passive weight. If it doesn’t look like the other rungs have been exposed more to the elements, they are probably not different. You might not want to rely on that though.
Wood generally doesn’t decay invisibly. Take a flat head screwdriver and poke at any areas you think might be weakened. If you can’t push the screwdriver into the wood, it’s probably not about to crumble.
Check the hardware for loose screws/bolts/rivets and rust.
And if you’re still not sure: rent a cherry picker, fix your safety harness to it, and test the whole ladder while moving the cherry picker up to ensure failure won’t kill you.
This, big time. Climbing a ladder with a chainsaw in hand is my absolute last resort. I have a small battery powered chainsaw (battery at the base of the pole to help manage weight distribution) that I use from the ground.
I won’t use a step ladder that doesn’t reach above the roof line of a house.
8 foot ladders leave at least a foot gap between the ladder and roof. Stepping up and onto the roof is fine. Stepping off the roof and feeling for the ladder sucks. Especially if there’s no one holding the ladder.
I routinely used short ladders in my younger days. I’m more fragile now and a 10ft step ladder is much safer.
Can’t you just lay it flat and walk across it? I know you don’t want to damage it, but it doesn’t sound like it’s a sentimental item, and the way I see it, if it’s broken it’s broken; if it’s just going to shatter when you put weight on it, what value does it have even if it’s still intact?
The rungs are twice as tall as they are wide. It looks like I could easily break a long one when stepping on it while flat without getting any sense of what it would hold up vertically.
It’s generally inadvisable to paint wood ladders as it makes it more difficult to spot any issues with integrity, as you have discovered. Treating with linseed oil or other clear preservative is better.
