Geometry Question

[bigoak]

just build a damn ladder straight up, by screwing steps between the back 2 posts!!! How we do all of ours and no problems yet!!

Already have a ladder. Want something my 72 year old dad can easily and safely climb. You got a problem with that?!!

[southdeltan]

just build a damn ladder straight up, by screwing steps between the back 2 posts!!! How we do all of ours and no problems yet!!

Already have a ladder. Want something my 72 year old dad can easily and safely climb. You got a problem with that?!!

Hell, my 67 year old dad is the one that built our ladder

Not that we wouldn't rather have steps, I just don't think straight out is the best option. Of course, it's easier than the other option.

[Denduke]

10' over 20' up...hypotenuse is sqaure root of the sum of the squares of the 2 sides...100+400=500 square root is 22.36 or 'bout 22'4". Lay your runs side by side and take a square and 10/20...1 to 2 on run to rise mark your treads and pick a good interval between each step. Real steep ladder so each step kinda gonna be in the shadow of the other one yet better than a ladder. Most standard steps are 11" over and 7" up. Yours gonna be kinda radical, so put a good handrail for the gentleman and don't worry about what the dang angle is! Don't knotch the runs but put lil blocks under each step and nail/screw thru the run into the step (18"or 20" wide be enough) from the side. Use treated 2x6 for da runs and steps shouldn't be heavey but stout enough. With the 2x6 runs standing on edge would be easy to fasten 2x4 handrail with the same 1 over 2 up on your square for the angles. Make the hand rails contribute to the overall "box" strength of the whole thing....$.02 Later DL
This'un is metal and real steep to get the idea...

[Seymore]

All this is assuming you are building on level ground and that the base of the stairs will be level with the ground that the pylons for the house are driven. If not the easiest thing to do is take a range finder with angle incline technology and then shoot a line from floor level to where you want the base of the ladder to be. Otherwise, you will be using trig function of sin, cos, and tang. All of which I last studied 25 years ago. Hence, the range finder suggestion.