Fiberglass Ladder

Since the Second World War, the manufacture of fiberglass ladder has become widespread. The fiberglass ladder is popular among DIY enthusiasts because of it light weight nature as well as its versatility. They normally come in two steps or three steps and are retractable. Fiberglass is actually derived from combing glass fibers with plastic. Initially they were used for insulation purposes. Later, by coining the glass fibers with hard plastic, they were found to be strong enough for the purpose of making ladders. Hence the fiberglass ladder was born.

The person who perfected the mixture of plastic with fiberglass was actually Russell Games Slayter of Owens-Corning in 1938.  However, one of the very first companies that used fiberglass as the underlying material for the construction of ladder was the Emerson Professional Tools company. They actually started off with a hybrid of aluminum and fiberglass ladder then slowly evolving to pure fiberglass ladders.

The marketing of these types of ladder was based on the concept that these tow steps or three steps ladder were light enough even for the typical housewife. They were shown to be very handy especially for those just of reach shelves or top closets. Being retractable, storage for these types of ladders was also extremely convenient as they just take up small spaces.

Indeed, when compared to the heavy and cumbersome metal and wooden ladders of the day, these fiberglass ladders were indeed more superior than what was available then. With time, the improvement in the quality of fiberglass used meant that they could now be used for industrial use. Thus, they can be used for many usages like cleaning the rooftop gutter, painting and the cleaning of upper floors windows. Apart from this, fiberglass ladders also have a distinct advantage over wooden or metal ladders. Wooden ladders are susceptible to rot whereas metal ladders can conduct electricity. Therefore, fiberglass ladders are good to use for all kinds of environments like around power lines and wet working environments. They are also fire-resistant and thus ideal also for firefighting works.

Nevertheless, fiberglass ladders do have a disadvantage when you talk about size to weight ratio. In the case of long ladders, fiberglass ladders are heavier and possess less strength than metal ladders like aluminum. Still, fiberglass ladders have their inherent advantage when we talk about two or three steps ladders. And they are also comparatively cheaper than aluminum ladders. However, when choosing a fiberglass ladder, always try to look for a branded ladder as opposed to generic brandless ladders. This is because you will never know if these ladders will fail under strenuous use. And if they do fail while you are using them, this can result in serious injuries or even fatality.