Ships Ladder

[Jerry Bruette]

Has anyone here ever built a ships ladder/loft ladder. It's like a staircase only at a steeper angle.

How tall was it, how wide were the treads and what angle was it?

Thinking of using the idea for a set of steps up to a platform for a deer blind.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Unlike stairs ladders are unregulated in the building code. The most important thing is to come down facing the rungs in the same way that you went up.

[Cameron Wood]

I've built several over the years. Treads 4"-4 1/2", basically a ladder with wider rungs and attachment method at the top, and maybe additional grip rails.

Why not just use a ladder?

[Jerry Bruette]

I've built several over the years. Treads 4"-4 1/2", basically a ladder with wider rungs and attachment method at the top, and maybe additional grip rails.

Why not just use a ladder?

Gettin' old, prefer something with wider treads, handrails, and not vertical.

[Patty Hann]

. The most important thing is to come down facing the rungs in the same way that you went up.

[George Yetka]

I would suggest following this as a maximum in angle. The rest is based on what your working with as far as height and travel.

[Jimmy Harris]

For something like this, I'd just do some experiments and find out what you're comfortable with. With normal stairs, there are regulations that keep them all pretty much the same dimensions. With something like this, there won't be regulations, so there likely won't be a "normal". And since this is just for you, why not make it as if it were made for you.

Maybe stack some bricks or boards or something stable to get an idea for how high you're willing to raise your legs, how much ledge you need, and what angle works best.

[Bill Howatt]

Made a ladder for our loft the height is just under 9 feet. You are right about a vertical climb being difficult when you are older or not in reasonable shape. I made a ladder out of hickory which has treads about 3-1/2 inches wide and it rests at about a 60 degree angle when down. Made a huge difference in climbing ease. No handrails on ladder, just hold the treads above for climbing support. However, when the edge of the loft is reached, there is a handrail one side and a post on the other fastened to the house for gripping as you move off (or on) to the top rungs. Maurice is right about coming down the same way as going up. I tend to push boxes of items up the ladder ahead of me but how well that works depends on size and weight.
When the ladder is not in use it is stored in the loft and pulled down by a rope and it is pulled back up by a rope and pulley. I have a counterweight for helping to pull the ladder up and was surprised at how much heavier it had to be than I thought at first.

[George Yetka]

Made a ladder for our loft the height is just under 9 feet. You are right about a vertical climb being difficult when you are older or not in reasonable shape. I made a ladder out of hickory which has treads about 3-1/2 inches wide and it rests at about a 60 degree angle when down. Made a huge difference in climbing ease. No handrails on ladder, just hold the treads above for climbing support. However, when the edge of the loft is reached, there is a handrail one side and a post on the other fastened to the house for gripping as you move off (or on) to the top rungs. Maurice is right about coming down the same way as going up. I tend to push boxes of items up the ladder ahead of me but how well that works depends on size and weight.
When the ladder is not in use it is stored in the loft and pulled down by a rope and it is pulled back up by a rope and pulley. I have a counterweight for helping to pull the ladder up and was surprised at how much heavier it had to be than I thought at first.

Im seeing alot of new commercial buildings with a split tread left and right at different heights. They are awful, but what they do have is a central hard plastic raised bump for sliding equipment up the ladder. This raised section makes it very eaasy to get condensers to the roof. Adapting something like that center rail into a ship ladder to a storage loft would be very beneficial

[John TenEyck]

You can't fall off a ladder if you don't go up one. You might consider hunting from the ground.

John

[Cameron Wood]

Gettin' old, prefer something with wider treads, handrails, and not vertical.

Wider treads, but loft ladders I have made were not that different in pitch from an extension ladder. At 60˚ like Bill Howatt's, the rails are 6" out of my reach when standing straight and the shallower it is, the stronger (heavier) it needs to be made.

A deer blind suggests that this would be carried to a somewhat remote location, either repeatedly, or once and left outdoors.

[Jerry Bruette]

Im seeing alot of new commercial buildings with a split tread left and right at different heights. They are awful, but what they do have is a central hard plastic raised bump for sliding equipment up the ladder. This raised section makes it very eaasy to get condensers to the roof. Adapting something like that center rail into a ship ladder to a storage loft would be very beneficial

Dealt with similar ladders for almost 25 years before I retired. Made by a company called Lapeyre. They were ladders to traverse over conveyors. Stamped right on the frame were instructions to go down facing away from the rungs. Took some getting used to and as long as you weren't in a hurry they were okay.

[Jerry Bruette]

After digging around the interweb I found out that OSHA, IRC, and IBC all have code for ships ladders.

Angle should be 50*-70*, tread depth 5" minimum-6", handrail 12" above stringer and starting 3' up the stairs, and 6.5"-9.5" rise.

This will be taken to a remote area and left attached to the stand. The stand shouldn't be more than 10' above the ground. I want to use a ships ladder so that the bottom of the ladder is closer to the platform than what a regular set of stairs would be.

I'll just have to do some Trig to figure angles of cuts and make sure it's anchored securely.

[Steven Horton]

Built one about 2 years ago to get to a mezzanine in my shed and it has been awesome. Like you I did some digging around and found some specs, probably the same as you are looking at and it worked out great. Easy to climb up or down. Very comfortable. Even my wife has no issues with them.

I found a design on line using a 2 x 12 for the stringers and cutting slots for handrails. Again, couldn't be happier. I think you will love it as long as it is secured well.

[Tim Greif]

Do a little studying of the Lapeyre Stairs alternating tread stairs.
https://www.lapeyrestair.com/product...-tread-stairs/

Before retirement, I was an engineer in the water/wastewater industry designing treatment plants all over the country. Our architects used the Lapeyre stairs in many plants where space was limited. They called them modified ships ladders. The manufacturer provided training for all the operators on the proper way to use the ladders safely. The ladders proved quite effective.