How to safely set up a ladder in a bathtub?

Lukin

I'm painting my bathroom this weekend, and I have high ceilings. I need to set up a ladder in the bathtub in order to reach all the way up. Now the ladder has rubber feet and I don't think it'll slip; I'm more worried about damaging the tub. Any advice or tips on this?

Willeth

Could you not lay a board over the bathtub to stand on? Much more even pressure on the tub instead of two concentrated points, and more area to stand on.

Lukin

Unfortunately that's not possible the way the tub is designed. It's flat against one wall.

RUNN1NGMAN

If you're using a step-ladder, I would put the side that I'm climbing up with it's feet outside the tub, and the other side inside the tub with a folded up towel under the feet so you don't scratch the tub.

acidlacedpenguin

could you instead take a long ladder and angle it such that you can brace the bottom of the ladder at one wall, or the door, or whatever, and the top against the wall effectively bypassing the tub predicament?

Improvolone

Lukin wrote: »

Unfortunately that's not possible the way the tub is designed. It's flat against one wall.

Maybe not a board across the top, but what about a board in the tub to protect the floor?

Deusfaux

folded up towel or bedsheet works wonders for all sorts of things where you dont want 2 surfaces to put too much pressure on each other.

like moving furniture or big electronics

Improvolone

I'd think a towel would add to the slip factor

Deusfaux

the wall of the tub should prevent it from going any further away from the wall it's against

Improvolone

I had it in m head that it was an a-frame ladder.

see317

Forgoe the ladder for an extendable handle paint roller?
like this?

Lukin

I ended up putting the "rungs" part of the ladder in the tub, and the "thin" part of it outside the tub. I didn't damage the tub, which was my primary concern.

The long-handled roller is a great idea for the wall, but eventually you gotta get up there with a brush to handle the corners.

dispatch.o

Lukin wrote: »

I ended up putting the "rungs" part of the ladder in the tub, and the "thin" part of it outside the tub. I didn't damage the tub, which was my primary concern.

The long-handled roller is a great idea for the wall, but eventually you gotta get up there with a brush to handle the corners.

we used a sponge brush on a stick when we had a similar problem. Though we painted without the proper type of primer or somesuch and after a couple of showers the walls got drippy.