| Fire Escape Ladders - Planning & What To Look For When Choosing |
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 Buying
an escape ladders starts with making decisions about how you and your family
are going to exit you home in the case of a fire. As a rule every room should
have two different points of exit. In most upstairs bedrooms that means
the entrance door and then making use of the bedroom window as an escape
route. That's where escape ladders come in.
Escape ladders were developed to provide a quick and simple, if sometimes
awkward, way out of a window. Every upstairs bedroom needs to have acccess
to an escape ladder. That means that either every room has to have a fixed
ladder available, or that you buy a portable escape ladder that can be moved
to the window you are going to use as an exit.
You don't have a lot of time to exit a house that is
on fire. When making your decisions about the type and number of ladders
you need remember that if each room has a fixed escape ladder under the
window then no time will be lost trying to find them and they will always
be exactly where you need them to be.
Windows from stair landings make bad choices as exit windows in a fire emergency
as smoke from a fire will usually rise up the stairs. If you decide that
you want a single portable ladder in the bedroom area then site it, if possible,
in the room where the drop from the window to the ground is the smallest.
Measuring Up
 Once
you know where the ladder(s) are going, you next need to know how long they
need to be. As a general rule a 4.5 metre, 15 ft, escape ladder is required
to escape the upstairs bedroom in a standard 2 story house and a 7.6 metre,
25ft, ladder is required for the top floor exit of a 3 story house.
If you feel that the measurements in your house might be different then
there are a few tips to help you measure up correctly.
Remember, if you buy your ladders at Ladderstore you can't go wrong,
if they don't fit then you have 30 days to return them. If in any doubt
then just call us on 01204 590 232 and we will double check your measurements
with you before you order.
The easiest way to measure the height from a standard window to the ground
is to tie a weight to a piece of string and drop it out of the window. Mark
the string and then lay it out flat an measure it. Otherwise known as a
plumb line in the trade! Remember to measure the height from the bottom
sill outside the window straight down to ground level. If there are any
obstructions that stick out on the way down you need to take a note of these
as it will affect the choice of ladder that you make.
If you need to measure the height from a roof, velux, style window or a
window that has a sloping roof then again you can use the plumb line, just
throw the weight out far enough to clear the edge and measure the length
of the string as before. Alternatively, use a standard window on the same
floor to measure the height as above, and then use a tape measure
internally to measure the distance from that window sill to the
roof window and add the two measurements together.
If you are thinking about a portable escape ladder then you will need to
measure the width of the wall. This is because portable ladders have a hook
which hooks over the window sill and there is usually a maximum width that
they can accomodate. The diagram on the right shows you how to measure your
wall thickness.
The final measurement that you might need is the opening width of the window
you plan to exit from. For obvious reasons you and your family need to be
able to physically get out of the window. Also, in the case of portable
ladders, the hook of the ladder needs to fit over the window sill and the
ladders need to fit out the window unhindered and without twisting. When
your window is fully open you need to measure how wide the opening created
is.
That's it, all measured up. Armed with that information you can now think
about the particular escape ladder you should choose.
Choosing the Ladders
Most escape ladders are made in a variety of sizes and so it shouldn't
be difficult to find a few that meet your physical requirements. You can
use our Range Overview table to quickly see which ladders will best match
your measurements and location requirements. You
can view the Escape Ladder Overview by clicking here ...../
If you have a specific requirement for a ladder that you can use from a
roof window, or one that needs to hook onto the railing of a balcony then
that more or less makes your decision for you. Use the Escape Ladder
Overview to see which ladders can be used in this way and then simply
match up your measurements.
For standard window escape ladders there are essentially only two types
- fixed, sometimes called permenant, escape ladders and portable, sometimes
called mobile, escape ladders.
Fixed Escape Ladders
A
fixed escape ladder is one that is attached to either the inside (internal)
or outside (external) of the window.
Fixed external escape ladders tend to be the most
robust of escape ladders and are physically attached to the wall of the
building. For aesthetic and security purposes they are usually of the 'fold-out'
variety which means that when not in use they fold flat against the wall
and are much more unobtrusive. In an emergency the operator opens the upstairs
window and releases the ladders into an open 'folded-out' position ready
for use. They are usually fixed rigid structures being made from solid steel
or aluminium and are therefore easier to climb down as they are similar
to normal ladders.
Fixed internal escape ladders are usually contained
in a storage box which is attached to the wall underneath the escape window.
In an emergency the box acts as the anchor point and the ladders are thrown
out of the window. Operators then climb out and down the ladders. These
ladders are usually made from rope or chain with plastic or metal treads.
They are designed to take a large load so that several people can climb
down them at the same time and they will usually have stand-offs, protrusions
that hold the ladder rungs away from the side of the house and allow enough
room for a secure foothold.
Fixed escape ladders have certain advantages. They can't
be misplaced as they are fixed in place ready to use and they tend to be
easier for children to use as it is often a one button release mechanism,
no assembly required. On the negative side they also are usually the most
expensive option, and you will need one for every window that you may want
to exit in an emergency. Fixed external ladders will often require a competent
DIY install, or a professional installation whereas fixed internal ladders
usually only require fixing a couple of screws into the wall underneath
the window.
Portable Escape Ladders
Portable ladders are generally made from aluminium chain or some form of
rope or heavy plastic with rigid bars that act as the rungs of the ladder.
You keep them folded up under a bed or in a wardrobe and in the event of
an emergency you hook the top portion of the ladder over the window sill
and drop the rest out of the window.
Some portable escape ladders can also be used to exit roof style velux windows
and to allow escape over the railings of a balcony. You can use the Escape
Ladder Overview to check which ones allow you to do this.
Stand-offs
are protrusions that hold the escape ladder rungs away from the side of
the house and allow enough room for a secure foothold. As a rule the more
stand-offs an escape ladder has the better. It will be less awkward to use
and safer.
When choosing portable ladders the
wall thickness and window opening measurements that you made are important
as each ladder has slightly different requirements. You can use the Escape
Ladder Overview to check which ones will suit your particular measurements.
There are some variations on the theme of portable escape ladders. A recent
innovation is the 'semi-rigid' fire escape ladder. These ladders are probably
the safest portable fire escape ladders available. Their semi-rigid design
of interlocking sections cuts out a lot of the swaying and swinging that
you will experience use rope and chain style ladders. You
can find out more about these ladders by clicking here ...../
Portable ladders have a number of key advantages. They are certainly cheaper
that most fixed ladders and you do not necessarily need one for every room
as you can move the ladders to the window that you want to exit. If you
have any obstacles to get past, or need to exit from a roof window or over
a balcony railing then you don't really have an option you will need this
style of ladder. On the negative side, with the possible exception of the
semi-rigid ladders, they can be awkward to use and the swinging you will
experience using them can be unsettling. Another worry is that the ladders
will have to be located and a few, albeit, quick bits of assembly of the
ladder hook are usually required. This can take up vital seconds in an emergency.
This is why we recommend that you and your family practice setting up the
ladders on a regular basis. |
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