Correct ladder height

[Naveen]

I have 10' ceilings on the first floor in my home. What's the correct height step-ladder I should purchase for changing bulbs, etc? (Flush mounted light fixtures, kind of like this: Shop Portfolio Flush mount ceiling fixture at Lowes.com ). I'm about 5'7".

Also, is fiber-glass preferred, or am I ok with aluminum?

Thanks.

[paul100]

The safest height to reach a 10' ceiling would be an eight foot step ladder. Aluminum or fiberglass are both OK. You just need to get the proper weight rating. The higher the rating the stronger the ladder. I personally always try to buy the strongest one I can afford.

[Mondu]

You might want to consider a 7 foot ladder. Lowes doesn't carry them in store but they can be ordered online and shipped there. That way you can also use it in rooms with 8 foot ceilings.

[thetalkingmule]

6 foot

[Naveen]

Hm. Yeah, the 8' makes sense. As you say, paul, the safest way. But I think Mondu makes a good point about also being able to use it in other rooms with lower ceilings. The 6' seems to short given my height. I feel like I'd be straining to reach...though maybe I'm overestimating how short it is.

[Naveen]

I ended up going with the 6'. Doing the math, it seemed to be just enough. It works for me, though the 7' might have given me a little more padding in terms of not having to reach up as much. But as mentioned above, they're not in stock in stores, and I didn't want to wait for delivery.

Thanks everyone for their input.

[ThePursuit84]

I ended up going with the 6'. Doing the math, it seemed to be just enough. It works for me, though the 7' might have given me a little more padding in terms of not having to reach up as much. But as mentioned above, they're not in stock in stores, and I didn't want to wait for delivery.

Thanks everyone for their input.

6' was a great choice. People forget that your arms can reach about 1-2 feet higher than your height. Thus, if you were 5 feet tall, you'd only really need to be about 3-4 feet high to easily reach a 10 foot ceiling. This does NOT mean you should buy a 4 foot ladder. You want to stop about 2 rungs from the top to be safe. So I think a 6' was perfect for your application.