My extension ladder gave out halfway through a job in Burlington

I was cleaning a tall chimney for a two story house last Tuesday, about 25 feet up. The ladder just buckled under me, the bottom section slid right out. I mean, I was holding on to the roof edge, but it was a real scare. I had to shimmy down the gutter to get back on the porch roof. The ladder was a brand I've had for years, but I guess the locking mechanism just wore out without me noticing. I ended up having to call my buddy to bring his ladder so I could finish the job, which was super embarrassing. Has anyone else had a ladder fail like that? What do you look for to check if they're still safe?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jake1mo ago

Sounds like you got lucky though.

jason731mo ago

I see it differently, @the_jake. It was more about being ready for the chance when it showed up. Calling it luck just misses the work that went into it.