Searching for a ladders? Here’s some info to help you find the right one. The rigid ladder is often the ladder type used for most tasks. There are many types of rigid ladders, from the fixed type to the roof ladder type. The most basic of these is the fixed ladder; it has no moving parts. Extension ladders are the type that can be lengthened, since one part is nested in the other for storage. Joined by a hinge at the top, and often forming an inverted V, are step ladders. If you need space to place things like paint cans, you might need a platform ladder, which has a platform at the top. Ladders that have hooks to set them locked on the roof are called roof ladders. Aluminium is the preferred material for ladders, except those used for electrical work, for which fibreglass ladders are used.