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Choosing Casters For A Set Of Scaffolding

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When working in a great room with tall ceilings, scaffolding can improve your productivity. While you might be able to access a high ceiling with a ladder, scaffolding will give you a larger platform, so you don't have to climb down and move your scaffolding as often as you would move a ladder. On the other hand, if you have to break down your scaffolding and move it every time you are ready to move to the next section of the room, you will end up wasting a lot of time. Thus, choosing a good set of casters is the key to maximizing your productivity.

Pivoting Versus Fixed Casters

When rolling your scaffolding around, you will most likely make use of two types of casters. Pivoting casters will swivel three-hundred-and-sixty degrees. This allows you to make turns instead of just rolling in a straight line. On the other hand, if you put pivoting casters on all four corners of your scaffolding, it can make the scaffolding hard to maneuver. Also, if you have to roll over sawdust, nails, or other debris, pivoting casters will try to turn when they hit obstacles. Putting fixed steel casters on the back corners of your scaffolding will give it stability and help to roll over obstacles and uneven surfaces.

Diameter and Durability

When working on a construction site, you are likely to come across a lot of debris. Casters that have a small diameter, should roll fine over smaller obstacles, but in order to make sure that you can use your casters on gravel, on uneven ground, and over any debris you find inside a building, you need large diameter wheels. You also need to make sure that your casters are made from steel with rubber boots so that they can handle rough wear. 

Locking Mechanism

Finally and possibly most importantly, you need to make sure that your casters will not start to roll while you are on top of your scaffold. Locking brakes for a caster will typically look like a bar that runs along one or both sides of the wheel. To engage the brake, you step down on one side of the bar, and it will create friction against the wheel and keep it from rolling. To disengage the brake, you step on the other side of the bar. 

The right casters will improve the functionality of your scaffolding, while the wrong casters will create just one more hassle to deal with on a jobsite. With a little foresight, you can buy casters that have the right features to satisfy your needs. 


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