Your Questions Answered

Sometimes you could - but scaffolding would serve you better in many circumstances.

Ladders are great for quick tasks, but if you’re going to be working in an area for more than a few seconds we recommend scaffolding.

They’re safer than ladders, easy to set up, they roll, are significantly more stable, and provide a working area that ladders simply can’t compete with.

We hear the ladder horror stories. In fact, the owner of our company - and designer of these products - has one of his own. He recently underwent surgery after falling from a ladder while cutting branches in his yard.

Ladders provide inadequate standing area compared to scaffolding units, limiting maneuverability and thereby efficiency. It’s this limited range of motion and the stress of timelines that often causes ladder users to reach - putting themselves in jeopardy.

Stability at height is the primary reason one would choose scaffolding over a ladder.

One supposed benefit of ladders is they are lightweight and can be moved about the job site with ease; but the same holds true of our utility scaffold offerings. The difference is the utility scaffold is significantly more stable and with much more room to stand.

If you want to stand over 50 inches, you’ll graduate from the utility scaffold to a 6 ft Multifunction Unit. These are a bit more cumbersome than the utility scaffolds but provide stability and work area unrivaled by any ladder.

No.

Small portable utility scaffoldings are perfect for use in the home because of their size, their ability to fold flat, and their versatility. They have so many uses, we consider them the Swiss Army knives of home tools.

But it doesn’t stop there. Multifunction scaffolding and frame and brace scaffolding can be used by homeowners too. They are easy to assemble and store. Scaffolding is perfect for the DIY homeowner... or scientist … or marching band.

No.

Scaffolding configurations might look complicated, but they are not.

All scaffolds have three main elements: Uprights, braces, and platforms.

Uprights support the load, braces hold uprights in position, and platforms provide a work area.

In addition to these, guardrails and outriggers are required in certain circumstances.

There are a variety of safety equipment and accessories that can be added to scaffolding to make it safer and more functional. Our product line is designed to make customizing your configuration easy.

Guardrails are required whenever standing at 72 inches or above.

OSHA states that a scaffold's maximum standing height cannot exceed four times the minimum base dimension.

To meet this ratio, base dimensions must increase proportionally with a scaffold's maximum standing height to maintain stability. Outriggers are used to extend those dimensions and meet that criterion.

When it comes to Multifunction Scaffolding, we’ve made it easy for you:

All our scaffolding can roll. Our portable scaffolding products (utility and multifunction) are designed for lighter-duty tasks at lower heights than our frame and brace scaffolding. They come with wheels included.

Wheels should only be in use when scaffolding is over firm, level, unobstructed, smooth surfaces. Variations in grade can cause tilt conditions.

It is never the case that one can ride a moving scaffolding, never, no matter what… seriously. Don’t ask again.

Scaffold should be unloaded of tools and materials before rolling as well.

All ScaffoldMart products carry a Make it Right Guarantee.‍

We guarantee all of our products against flaws in material and workmanship for a period of one year from the time of purchase.

We’re honest brokers, but we aren’t perfect. Mistakes happen, we believe how we handle them defines our character. If we get it wrong, we’ll go above and beyond to make it right.

All our products meet ANSI and CSA engineering specifications. It is the responsibility of the end-user to meet OSHA regulations.

Although it is the user's responsibility to maintain a safe work environment, including proper use of our products, they are designed with the standards in mind. We write our manuals to promote best practices as described by OSHA when possible.

It is critical that if using these products for commercial applications, you understand and follow all regulations pertaining to scaffolding use.

Some states maintain their own Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) plans. This means that in some states, federal regulations are superseded by more stringent state regulations. It is important that you know your most local guidelines.

Yes, although we recommend buying all ScaffoldMart all the time. ;)

Our multifunction accessories can be used on other manufacturers' bakers units, and our accessory suite far exceeds competitive lineups.

Frame and brace is cross-compatible by nature, relying on long-standing patterns to provide continuity.

It’s important that when buying to match existing inventory that you check the dimensions thoroughly before purchasing. Our friendly sales team can help you with that, just give them a call.

Utility Scaffolding

Utility scaffolding are our lightest, most portable offerings. They are foldable for storage and transportation and can be set up in mere minutes. They come with multiple platforms that can be arranged in a variety of ways, making them versatile work platforms.

They come in three sizes: 3 ft, 4ft, and 5 ft to provide options for a variety of potential applications. The 3’er punches above its weight class, providing a sturdy work platform that is ridiculously simple to use.

The 5 ft version is among our favorite products because of its telescoping handrail and tool shelf, outboard step, and industry-leading stability.

Multifunction Scaffolding

Multifunction scaffolding, otherwise known as bakers scaffolding, has been an industry staple on American job sites for a long time. They’re like traditional frame and brace scaffolds but with lighter, more portable parts.

They can be stacked to 18 feet max standing height, not as high as frame and brace, and have a lower capacity as well. They’ve been sold for over half a century with little or no change in design, until now.

Our flagship product, the 6 ft Multifunction Scaffolding with Reversible Siderail, is indeed the world’s best multifunction unit. That’s quite a claim, we know, we’re just that confident in it.

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Frame and Brace Scaffolding

Frame and brace scaffolding is an industrial-grade product that provides high configurability and load capacities.

It can also be configured to be nearly as simple in construction as multifunction scaffolding; although the individual parts may be less wielding, its benefit is the almost limitless configurability.

Sometimes, but never more than a couple of adjustable wrenches.

Look for the NO TOOLS REQUIRED icon on our boxes, if you see that you’re in the clear. If not, you need the wrenches.

Portability range represents a ranking of portability based on the size, weight, and ease of transporting scaffolding. It reflects both portability on the job site while assembled and when broken down into parts, the way it might be stored and transported.

Buy caster wheels for inside use.

We do not recommend them outside unless on hard surface such as concrete or asphalt. Optionally, you can buy caster jacks for uneven surfaces to level a rolling tower.

Use level jacks outside or inside.

Level jacks give adjustability of the platform height of 24 inches upward. This is often a very good trick to adjust where you are standing to the exact perfect standing height so you can work productively and save your back.

Feel free to contact us at ScaffoldMart. Our scaffolding experts are here to help. (866) 900-0983