ceiling-fanladder
I have a fan on a high ceiling (maybe 16 feet high) that I want to replace. I need at least 12 foot type A ladder but it needs to fold because I have to take it up some tight stairs and corners to get it to the master bedroom.
I tried rending a fixed step ladder from home depot – it weighted a ton and it was so long I couldn't get in in the room.
The telescoping ladders all seem to be 9' tall and I don't want to pay $$$ for a ladder I'll only use once.
Any ideas how to get to that fan?
You have to take into account a few factors:
extension ladders have an overlap that isn't shown in the nominal length - for example, a 16' extension ladder has two 8' sections, but fully extended is only 13' long.
the ladder will be used at an angle (usually a four to one pitch / 75 degrees) so the top of a 16' ladder won't even be at 13' in use
you don't want to stand on the top few rungs
some tasks take more ladder than others, if you're painting, you can reach up and work a little higher than the top of the ladder, but if you have to get on a roof, you need the ladder that extends well past the edge of the roof (usually about three feet)
Trig tells us the height of the top of a ladder tilted at 75 degrees will be .97 the length. For example, a 16' extension ladder (which is really 13' long extended) set up at a 4:1 / 75 degree pitch will touch a wall at about 12'7" (13' * .97).
This chart has all you need to know, no math:
This is why every livable room is required to have at least two ways to exit room. If all paths are blocked, you then have to wait for the fire department to come with the ladder truck. Any other means will put you in greater dander.
Also it is not the ladder catching on fire that is the concern, but climbing through heat/fire/smoke that will make it impossible.
Best Answer
I'd look at renting a tall-ish scaffold set - something like:
When I'm standing that far off the floor in the middle of a room and wanting to be able to use both of my hands (as I would do when replacing a ceiling fan), I'd like a wide, firm base to stand on.
As long as you can get the individual pieces into the room you want to use it, you assemble it there.