I use an aluminium '3-way' ladder made by ABRU.It consists of two sections
about 6ft long and can be used as an ordinary stepladder,inverted 'V' or one
leg of the V can be slid down so it can be used on stairs or uneven ground
or the two sections slide together to form a straight extension ladder about
10ft long.Quite versatile, it is quite light too.There are a few
manufacturers who make the same style so worth shopping around,cost around
£25 - £30.Let me know how you get on.
Mark Atherton

"Michael D" wrote in message
om...
After trying to do a simple job on a borrowed (& lethal) step ladder
over the weekend I heard something on the radio saying that falling
off ladders is the biggest single source of DIY injuries - so I think
it's time I splashed out.

I'm looking for a decent step ladder for general purpose decorating.
I live (at present) in a ground floor flat so I don't need something
that can reach really high up, but as I''m thinking of moving
soon(ish) I was looking at combination ladders, to save having to buy
a normal extension type ladder in a while. Are the combination
ladders a decent solution or something that does 2 jobs badly?

Also - I'm very short of storage space so I'm going to have to store
the ladder outside. Does anyone know of a decent step ladder that
collapses?

Any other do's / don'ts or other recommendations would be very
welcome.

Regards,

Michael