Loft Ladder Hard To Pull Down

[billellerby]

My quite heavy aluminium loft ladder has become increasingly difficult to pull down. It is not too bad in warm weather but I have to hang on the pole in cold weather. I suspect the strong springs are the cause and have tried oiling them to no effect. Any suggestions would be welcome.

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe you need to oil or grease more than the springs ? These things do need to slide over each other. Give it a good going over (and mind drips the landing carpet).

[tonyav]

Assuming that your ladders are in two or three sections I would lubricate where the sections slide into each other.

[tonyav]

Snap, OG.

[alavahalf]

It sounds as though the return spring fixing point, could be repositioned to reduce the pull required to lower the ladder.

[TWR]

As OG & Tony, at the sides of the Alloy Ladder, one ladder slides up the other, put some oil in that area, we have the same & that's what I do.

[Arksided]

I would use WD40 to reduce the friction.

[bundleone]

I use a silicon spray, or even furniture polish works.

[HansUrbancka]

Take the advice of Arksided. WD 40 really does work wonders.

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5.. Keeps flies off cows.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8.. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewellery chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly..
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers...
22.. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open..
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida ’s favourite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38. The favourite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites.. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

Cheers....Hans.

[billellerby]

Thanks for all answers. WD40 on the sides has made the sliding part of the operation easier but has not solved the pulling down action difficulty. I have given the springs a good dosing of WD40. Repositioning the spring fixing point may be the answer but would be a job for an expert. I see from the label that it is a Ramsay ladder.

[alavahalf]

Thanks for that billerby .. from your original question I noted the words..
"Difficult to pull down". For years I have clambered into other peoples lofts to do plumbing repairs and they often say" I have a loft ladder, but it's difficult to pull down. From my experience, as people become older and less able, they often struggle to battle with the ladder while it waggles around above their head and is being held back by the spring ! Simply reducing the tension by repositioning the spring, seems to help solve the issue !

[billellerby]

Thanks alavahalf. I am getting on a bit but still have some strength! As I said before the temperature in the loft makes a big difference to how easy it is to pull the ladder down. It always goes back up much more easily.It must be the spring. The ladder has been in place for over 20years and was no problem for a long time. What has changed I wonder?