Here is something that has been bothering me for a long time and that I haven’t been able to find an answer to. Why are extension ladders used and manufactured “backwards”?
According to the instructions on any extension ladder I have ever seen (and the only way to set up a “D” rung ladder) is with the fly section on top or outside of the bottom section. This presents two problems:
1) Assume that you are right handed and are setting the ladder against the side of a building. According to instructions, in order to raise the ladder you must be under the ladder, between the ladder and the building. You place your left foot on the bottom rung, left hand on the fourth or fifth rung and the rope in your right hand. The ladder must be balanced near vertical in order to raise it. You have to look over your shoulder and behind you in order to see how high and where the ladder needs to go while maintaining that vertical balance. When the proper height is reached and the ladder is dropped back against the building, again, you are looking over your shoulder and your foot on that bottom rung works against you by pushing the bottom of the ladder out and away.
Now, what I have always done when I had round rung ladders is to turn the ladder over, putting the fly section on the bottom. You set the ladder the same way with your left foot on the bottom rung, left hand on the fourth or fifth rung and rope in your right hand. Now the ladder is in front of you. You can balance and raise the ladder easily because now you have your foot, hand and rope working together. You can easily see how high and where to place the ladder. To drop the ladder against the building, you simply relax the tension on the rope and left hand. You have complete control.
2) When descending a ladder with the fly section on top the fly section abruptly ends and you have to step into the bottom section making the possibility of missing that step much greater. If the fly section is on the bottom you step onto the bottom section which is definitely easier and safer.
So, is there a mechanical reason why the ladder needs to be used with the fly section on top, perhaps affecting strength or rigidity? I definitely feel that the fly section on the bottom is safer and certainly makes much more sense.
Anybody else notice or have opinions on this or am I just being anal?
-Hal
