Many people purchase ladders, step ladders and access platforms without giving a thought about looking into the many ladder accessories that are out there.
These accessories are designed to make your tasks easier, safer and in many cases more efficient.
For example, there are ladder feet to stop you sliding, ladder hand moulds for an easier grip and also ladder accessories to make transporting around quick and easy.
There are ladder levellers in case you have sloping ground, even brackets to store your ladders cleanly in your garage.
In fact, there are ladder accessories suitable for most ladder types ranging from telescopic ladders through to aluminium ladders and platforms.
Choosing a ladder accessory is firstly about determining what you need and where you will be using your ladder. Also think about what task you need to complete and what could go wrong!
If you are using the ladder on a non-slip surface then ladder feet or ladder spikes may not be necessary.
However, if there is a chance that the ladder could slip when in use, maybe on a wooden floor, it is recommended additional rubber ladder feet would provide extra stability and stop any unwanted movement.
If for example, you are using the ladder in wet conditions ladder accessories such as ladder safety hooks and ladder safety guards may be required.
The ladder safety hook, also known as a ladder tether can fix your ladder to a solid anchor point, ensuring there is no danger of it falling.
You maybe working at high level, it’s wet and you need to clean out your gutters due to a blockage.
Leaning a tall ladder against a soffit or guttering is not advisable, especially if wet as they could slide sideways! Look into getting a ladder standoff bracket for peace of mind possibly.
Ladder accessories have been designed to help you complete your tasks with ease and without worrying about bumps or bruises from falls that could result in serious injury.
They can also reduce the amount of time a task can take by limiting the amount of times you need to climb up and down.
Some accessories may even prevent tools or materials like paint being dropped causing untold problems at ground level.
At Best Ladder Access, we decided to that an article showing you what typical ladder accessories are out there would be of great help. We hope so!
Ladder accessories
Ladder feet
Ladder feet accessories can come in many guises. Some additional rubber feet can be fitted over the ladder stiles like a boot.
Other rubber feet will fit internally inside the ladder’s stile.
This type of accessory will increase grip on smooth floors such as wooden floors or laminate floors that are highly polished.
As well as increasing a ladder’s stability, it will also reduce the chances of a valued floor from becoming scratched.
Many people have ladders or purchase ladders with feet already on them. Sometimes these feet can be made from plastic and not rubber.
Although in most cases, these will be perfect, they could still slide or damage a wooden floor so replacing them with rubber feet is an option.
The rubber feet shown on the right can be found on Amazon here.
Ladder mat
On the theme of providing additional safety, an anti-slip ladder mat is another very popular addition.
They are typically made from much softer rubber which gives you greater grip and stops a ladder from sliding around on a wooden floor.
People often use these mats for outside tasks as well as inside tasks.
When used outside, they will typically be used on softer ground where there is a risk of punching into a soft surface like grass.
These types of mats come in a few forms. Some are quite soft and rubbery which are perfect for work inside the home.
Some can be more rigid and better suited for outside work as the mat will prevent a ladder from punching into soft ground and toppling over with you on it!
Another advantage of a ladder mat is that you won’t have to fuss about changing the rubber feet on the ladder stiles.
The ladder mat on the left can be found over on Amazon here.
Ladder pads
Ladders pads as an accessory are very often overlooked and not given a thought.
These very simple ladder accessories slip over the top of the ladder’s side stiles.
When a ladder is then propped against a wall, they will avoid the wall from dirty marks or being damaged by the scraping of the ladder.
At worst, a ladder without these could cause dents, especially in drywalls.
When used externally, they can also provide extra grip reducing the chances of side slip under load.
On my construction site, we insist that all of our sub contractors use these when carrying out any work in customer occupied homes.
In fact anywhere that is decorated!
Ladder leveller
Ladder levellers are a very useful accessory when you have sloping ground and you need to pitch a ladder vertically.
Pitching a ladder that isn’t vertical will inevitably cause it to lean and come crashing down with the user not far behind it.
The two types of ladder leveller we have shown here depict the most common way of doing this.
The option on left comprises of two additional sliding side stile attachments.
These independently adjust after attaching ensuring your ladder is vertical and safe.
You can find the leg type over on Amazon here.
The second type of ladder leveller depicted on the right here, levels the ladder as a whole unit. The base of the ladder sits on an adjustable plate.
The leveller is placed on the ground where you wish to pitch your ladder. The plate is then adjusted so it’s level and then ladder is pitched on it.
The one main advantage of this type of ladder leveller over the side stile attachments is that is covers a much larger footprint on the ground increasing the stability of the ladder.
It will also come with a strap to secure the bottom rung to the leveller, thus locking it in place and making a solid unit. You can find the plate type of leveller over on Amazon here.
You can read our article on ladder levellers here.
Ladder stabiliser
The ladder stabiliser is one of those accessories which again is very often overlooked.
Purchasing one of these however could potentially save you from what could be a very bad fall.
They work by massively increasing the spread or footprint of a ladders base and giving you extra feet for point loads.
This means that the risk of a ladder base moving whilst you’re on it is massively reduced.
They also make you feel much more secure and confident when climbing a ladder.
They usually fit most ladders as they have fixing adjustments and come with big rubber feet for grip.
The ladder stabiliser example on the left can be found over on Amazon here.
Ladder work platform
Ladder work platform accessories are a really useful piece of kit.
Their biggest features or advantages are that they can take away the uncomfortable nature of standing on a ladder rung for a long time.
They can also be used as a tool tray or for a pot paint to stand on.
They work by hooking over the ladder rungs and providing a sturdy platform in which to stand on.
This not only makes it more comfortable for longer periods but also makes you feel safer as the whole of your feet can be placed on it increasing your balance.
These can also be used on ‘A’ frame ladders.
Ladder standoff
A ladder standoff bracket is used typically on a set of aluminium extending ladders and as its name implies, stands the ladder off and away from a wall.
This is very useful when working at height access some house guttering for example.
A standoff bracket will not only spread the footprint at the top of your ladder giving extra stability, it will push you out from the soffit giving you better access to your gutters.
In this example here, it has a ‘V’ shape in the bracket so you can straddle rainwater downpipes and remain central, or place the ladder and bracket on the corner of a building.
It also has a ‘checkerplate’ so tools and materials can be rested on it.
This could be a bucket for example if you are scooping out moss and leaves. They easily attach on hooks over the ladder rungs.
This example can be found over on Amazon here.
You can also read our article on ladder standoff brackets here.
Ladder paint hook
The ladder paint hook is a simple but ingenious idea.
For those of us that have painted whilst standing on a ladder, negotiating around a paint brush clutching a paint pot and trying to maintain balance, you wonder why you haven’t got one of these!
It simply hooks over and around a ladder rung and gives you a hook to hang the paint pot on.
This gives you an extra hand free to steady yourself on the ladder whilst dipping the brush in the pot.
It doesn’t look like much but this example is very well designed and can support up to 12 Kg so miles enough for a paint pot.
Ladder tool holder
The ladder tool holder is a great piece of kit! The advantages of this accessory are obvious.
With the tools that you need all in one place at the top of your ladder, there is no more need to keep going up and down to fetch tools.
This not only helps any jobs get completed sooner, it massively reduces the chances of any accidents by reducing the amount of times you climb the ladder.
This great example can be carried anywhere with it carry handles but then easily hooks over the rungs of a ladder ensuring that everything you need is exactly to hand.
Ladder wall brackets
Finally, if you are stuck for space in your garage, why not hang your ladders on the wall getting them out of the way.
Avoid tripping over them by simply fixing ladder wall brackets. This example are also lockable.
The advantages to locking your ladders away in a garage is that it’s not a great idea to have them easily accessible in the garden.
There are some awful people out there that would see them as good to use and break into a property.
The brackets on the right, along with many others can be found over on Amazon here.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, ladder accessories can help you by holding tools or materials allowing you to carry out tasks with your ladder more safely.
Ladder accessories are also usually cheaper than buying a ladder that’s already equipped with the feature.
At Best Ladder Access, we hope you found this article helpful and that it may of even given you an idea of some ladder accessories that you might not of thought about before.
We have covered accessories that keep you safer, allow you to complete your tasks quicker and help to secure your ladders.
Best of luck and above all, be safe.