What pitch will you build mine at?

We take the rise, run and headroom on site and set the steepest pitch that still clears the floor and ceiling openings. Tighter mechanical rooms usually land near 60-70 degrees; where there is a little more run we build closer to 50.

Can a ships ladder be used outdoors?

Yes. We galvanize or use an exterior primer and paint system for roof, bulkhead and exterior pit ladders, and use grating or serrated diamond plate treads so ice and water drain through instead of pooling on a solid tread.

Do you install as well as fabricate?

Yes. Our crew field-measures the opening, fabricates the ladder in our Brooklyn shop, and welds or bolts it in place, so the top and bottom connections match the structure rather than a stock kit.

Product

Steel Ships Ladders

Name: Steel Masters NYC
Address: 135 Liberty Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11212, US
Telephone: (888) 577-8335
Price range: $$

A ships ladder is the answer when there is not enough floor space for a staircase but a vertical ladder is too hard to use every day. Steel Masters builds them at the pitch your space allows, with open treads you can actually stand on and handrails on both sides.

Diamond plate or grating treads, welded stringers, and bolted or welded top and bottom connections - fabricated in Brooklyn and installed by our crew.

Steel ships ladders let a building put a real climbing surface into a footprint that would otherwise only fit a vertical ladder. Steel Masters has fabricated steep-pitch ships ladders for NYC mechanical rooms, roof hatches, pits and mezzanines since 1972, each one built to the rise, run and headroom measured on site rather than assembled from a stock kit.

Why NYC Owners and Managers Choose Steel Masters

Field-measured pitch - we take the rise, run and headroom on site and set the steepest pitch that still clears the openings above and below.
Open, non-slip treads - diamond plate or grating treads deep enough to stand on flat-footed, not the thin rungs of a vertical ladder.
Handrails both sides - continuous handrails that run past the top tread onto the landing, welded to the stringers, not bolted brackets.
Welded stringers - stringers and treads are shop-welded into one rigid assembly instead of a bolted-together kit that works loose.
Interior or exterior finish - primed and painted for indoor mechanical spaces, or hot-dip galvanized for roof, bulkhead and exterior pit installs.
Top and bottom connections built to match - welded or bolted to the deck, curb or platform framing as the structure requires, not a universal foot plate.
Fabricated and installed by one crew - measured, built in our Brooklyn shop and installed by Steel Masters, with no subcontracted install.

Where Ships Ladders Get Used

Boiler and mechanical room access where floor space around the equipment is already tight. Roof hatch and bulkhead climbs that need a real stair surface instead of a rung ladder. Mezzanine and platform access in warehouses and industrial buildings. Pit, vault and cellar access where headroom above the opening is too low for a standard stair run.

Built to the Space, Not a Stock Angle

We take the rise, run and headroom on site and set the pitch from those numbers, usually between 50 and 70 degrees depending on how much floor space is available. Treads are non-slip diamond plate or grating, sized to actually take a foot rather than a toe hold.

Handrails continue past the top tread so there is something to grab stepping onto the landing, and the whole ladder is primed and painted for interior use or galvanized where it will see weather.

Fabrication and Installation

Stringers, treads and rails are shop-welded in Brooklyn as one assembly, so there is no loose hardware to work its way free under repeated use. Our crew sets the top and bottom connections to match the deck or platform framing on site, whether that means welding to steel or bolting to a curb or slab.

Every job is measured in the field and built to that opening - we fabricate in our own Brooklyn shop and install with our own crew, the same way we have since 1972.

- Steel Masters NYC, Brooklyn shop, 135 Liberty Ave

Related Steel Masters Product Lines

Fixed Roof Access Ladders - vertical fixed ladders for straight roof and hatch climbs
Roof Ladders with Safety Cages - caged fixed ladders for climbs tall enough to need fall protection
Fire Egress Stairs - code stairs where the run and headroom allow a standard pitch
Steel Mezzanines - platforms that ships ladders are often built to access

Serving All Five Boroughs, Long Island & Westchester

Steel Masters fabricates in Brooklyn at 135 Liberty Ave and installs with our own crews across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island and Westchester. Call (888) 577-8335, send us your plans through shop drawings and plans, or contact us online for a quote on steel ships ladders.

Frequently Asked Questions

A ships ladder runs at a steeper pitch, usually 50 to 70 degrees, on a footprint too small for a code stair. It still has open treads you can stand on flat-footed and handrails on both sides, unlike a vertical rung ladder.