When’s The Best Time To Use A Scaffold Tower?

Though both ladders and scaffold towers are immensely useful pieces of access equipment, they can be useful in different sets of circumstances. In this week’s blog, we touch upon some of the key differences between the two of them so that you can be sure you’re using the right tool for the right job.

Why Ladders Are So Widely Used

As the most widely-used access equipment in the world, ladders have no shortage of advantages that make them so useful to tradesmen and homeowners everywhere. They’re light, easily accessed and stored, and generally don’t require any sort of specialised construction or modification before they’re used (beyond practicing basic ladder safety). Ladders are also cheap and widely available, and there’s the sheer volume of products to consider; ladders can be made from wood, aluminium or fibreglass, and their incredible degree of versatility means that they can be tailored to an array of specific jobs. Loft ladders, extension ladders and garden ladders are just a few examples. With all this going for them, it’s no wonder they’re so widespread.

However, it is important to recognise their limits, and their suitability for certain tasks. The lightweight nature of ladders means that if you’re use them for a heavy task like drilling or hammering, they’re potentially prone to overbalancing, which can lead to accidents. The space provided might also be limited for certain jobs, as you can only get the area within your arms’ reach. For large-scale or longer-term work, you might benefit from using a scaffold instead.

When Are Scaffolding Towers Most Useful?

The main difference between a ladder and a scaffold tower is obvious at a glance – essentially, scaffold towers are on a much bigger scale, and this can make certain tasks far easier. For example, if you need to move something from one part of a wall to another, a scaffold tower can give you the flexibility to do so. They give you a solid surface and ease for working on high ground, and the platform’s surface also gives you a convenient place to put your tools. A scaffold tower can even allow you to enlist some help, as it gives plenty of room for two people to work comfortably.

These advantages don’t make them automatically preferable to ladders. You can’t erect or take them down quite as quickly or easily, and their higher price point makes them more of an investment than normal ladders, especially for homeowners. However, the scaffold towers we stock at Browns have been precisely engineered to be compact and hardwearing, while at the same time maximising user safety through features like non-slip rungs. Scaffold towers are especially suited to tasks such as rendering, bricklaying and roofing, making them particularly valued for tradesmen and professionals.

We have a huge range of scaffold towers here at Browns Ladders, no matter what your project. If you already know what you want, you can always contact us on 01282 615517 to place an order.

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