You might already have started your Christmas shopping (my wife certainly has!), but have you looked at the market for all the different types of ladder you may need this festive season?  If you are decorating the outside of your house, especially the roof, you will need a straight, (possibly) extension ladder, a step ladder and a roof ladder.  To decorate trees outside you will need a tall stepladder designed for use outdoors or an outdoor work platform.  For decorating indoors and dressing the tree, a step ladder is the best bet and you may want to provide kids with a small plastic step so they can get involved too.  When getting decorations in and out of the loft, a good loft ladder is essential as Christmas items can be bulky and heavy. Putting up lights along the roof edge has become more popular recently and the ideal ladder for this job is a straight ladder, probably an extension ladder so it can be stored more easily.  The ladder length needed for the average two-storey house is around 6.3 metres, fully extended.  This allows the ladder to rest on the guttering, rather than the wall beneath, making is far safer to attach lights as you are working at the correct height, without reaching, and the rungs extended over the roof line provide a handhold.  Always have someone available to foot the ladder and rather than over-reach and risk falling, move the ladder along as you work (always climbing down the ladder first  it should be common sense, but remember that a ladder should never be moved while someone is on it!).  Midland Ladders has two options for the homeowner, the Lyte 3.8 metre double extension ladder, £92, or the Titan 3.9  double extension ladder, £104.  Both are made of aluminium and are kitemarked to BS2037 class 3, for domestic use.  The Lyte model has an extended length of 6.9 metres and will take a load of 125 kilos and weighs in at just 14.5 kilos. The Titan model is not much heaver (15 kilos) but only takes a load of 95 kilos.  However, it is longer than the Lyte model, having an extended length of 7.1 metres.  If the load on the ladder is a concern, then the Lyte model is the one for you.  The Lyte model is also more versatile, as the sections can be separated, leaving you with two shorter ladders or one long one.  If a longer ladder is ever required, purchasing another section will give you the extension you need.  It is also slightly shorter when stored.  The Titan ladder is the one to go for, should you need the extra height.  Victorian built houses tend to be taller and earlier buildings can be a lot shorter, so always check you have enough height in the ladder to tackle the building you are working on. If you intend to put decorations on the roof, you will also need a roof ladder.  These can be an expensive investment for a job that only takes place once a year, but it could be a cost worth sharing with neighbours.  However, it is cheaper to buy a hook that can be attached to a normal ladder in order to turn it into a temporary roof ladder.  The Universal Roof Hook is a cost effective way to get a roof ladder.  It clamps onto the top rungs of a normal extension or single straight ladder and comprises the wheels needed to get the ladder up the roof and the hook that goes over the ridge.  Putting decorations on a roof is not an easy task and should only be done by people experienced in working at height and on roofs.  It should only be attempted in good weather on a dry roof and in good light, as a fall from a roof will usually result in serious injury and sometimes death.  Always keep decorations with electrical components (lights, moving parts) unplugged while working with them, and do not turn them on until you are safely on the ground.  A fire caused by faulty electrics could trap somebody on the roof and there is a risk of electric shock. The same advice applies to putting lights in trees outdoors.  To put lights and decorations on tall trees (ones that you cannot reach from the ground) you will need a stepladder designed for use in the garden or a work platform designed for gardening.  The latter is a good investment if you spend a lot of time in the garden, or have tall hedges and trees that need pruning.  As it can also be used for outdoor maintenance, it is a good buy for anyone working on a fixer-upper.  The Hedgemate Telescopic Platform has a four-foot high platform, allowing you to reach up to ten feet.  The large anti-slip surface at the top provides room to move about and the side and front guardrails provide security.  This ladder has four telescopic legs that are independently adjustable, making it suitable for sloping and uneven ground and the large footpads at the base of each leg stop it from sinking. They also swivel in every direction allowing for maximum contact with the ground.  The Hedgemate unit weighs 25 kilos and will fold flat for storage.  It costs £169 including VAT and delivery, but will serve you well for decorating and indeed pruning your trees and hedges.  It can also be used for outdoor maintenance such as window and gutter clearing as the front legs sit almost vertically, allowing it to get as close as possible to hedges. Decorating the tree indoors is something that all families can get involved in at Christmas.  Often the tree will be tall enough to warrant using a stepladder to get to the branches at the top and to put the crowning decoration on, whether it's a star or the angel that a now-grown-up child made at playschool many years ago.  Most homeowners have a step ladder as it is a useful tool around the house.  If your step ladder needs replacing, or you don't have one at all, a five tread ladder from Lyte will satisfy your needs.  It is classed for medium duty, so will last a lifetime and stand up to any domestic chore.  There are five treads, including the platform at the top and the extra high handrail allows you to stand safely on the platform with a grab rail at hand height.  The treads are three inches wide, which gives you a comfortable surface to climb up and the platform has a non-slip surface for extra stability when you are trying to fix the decorations on.  The height of the platform is just over a metre, so this ladder can be used even in homes with tall ceilings.  The total height, including the handrail, is 1.68 metres and it weighs just 5.4 kilos.  When closed, the ladder is 1.83 metres tall so can be stored behind a door or in a garage or shed.  It will take a load of up to 175 kilos (27.5 stone).  This ladder costs £74 including VAT and delivery – an absolute bargain! You can also get the kids involved in decorating the tree with some heavy duty plastic safety steps.  These are ideal for kids all year round, as they can reach kitchen worktops to help with baking (or maybe the washing up if they are well trained!) and are safe for use in the garden, as they are manufactured from very strong plastic designed for use on building sites.  The plastic is also food grade, so kids can eat off them at picnics.  They will take a weight up to 260 kilos, so you can fit as many kids as possible on these steps, perfect for climbing and playing on.  The bright colours also appeal to children. The steps are available in single tread up to five tread models, although the three tread model is the tallest you might need.  Weighing in at 5, 10 and 15 kilos through the tread numbers, they are not light enough for children to swing about, but they would be able to push them along the floor.  The single step costs £55, the two-tread model costs £79 and the three-tread model costs £109, but they are hardwearing enough to be passed down through generations as the kids grow up.  They are strong enough for adults to use too, so the whole family can get some use out of them.  In fact, the non-slip surface and wide steps make them perfect for the elderly too. Although we haven't covered the loft ladder an essential tool for getting decorations in and out of the attic, you can see that there are a number of ladders you might need over the Christmas period, depending on your activities.  Midland Ladders is your one-stop-ladder-shop for the festive period, and beyond!