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An acquaintance of mine an old aluminum ladder, sort of like this one:

enter image description here

The ladder used to have some kind of rubbery strip at the forward edge of its top platform, to prevent it from scratching the wall when it's leaning against it. But - that strip is all worn out.

My question: What should I replace it with? I mean, obviously, some other kind of rubbery strip which adheres to aluminum, but - there's lots of kind of rubbers and adhesive strips. Is there some combination of materials, or category of these things which I should look for?

Also - should I look for something which comes with adhesive, or should I use use my own glue/bonding agent to attach the strip to the ladder?

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  • Pick a material that won’t leave a black, or colored, mark on the wall. Then choose one that is soft enough to not dent the surface it is leaned on.
    – Solar Mike
    Dec 27, 2019 at 23:13

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I would use a strip of UHMW plastic it won’t wear out and can be held in with counter sunk screws I have 2 strips of this plastic on the bunks for my boat and over 25 years of use they still look great, no marking on the boat hull.

I would not use a self adhesive strip as with pressure they can move and that would not be good in this case.

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I use a scrap of unbound carpet like the marine carpet found at big box stores enter image description here

Cut a strip to size needed and use a contact type adhesive like enter image description here

Follow directions that say apply to both the rug scrap and the ladder with a cheap paint brush. Allow it to dry until it is not sticky to touch. Now align carefully and press the glued surfaces together. The bond is instant and not movable so get it positioned right before allowing contact.

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Any scrap felt or carpet should work as a cushion for when you are storing your folding step ladder.

You don't need anything for when you are using it because YOU SHOULD NEVER LEAN A FOLDED STEP LADDER AGAINST SOMETHING THEN CLIMB IT:

enter image description here

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  • But between uses you're putting it up against the wall and moving it back away. And that's in the places where the scratches will be the most visible and annoying.
    – einpoklum
    Dec 28, 2019 at 19:48
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    Agreed, that's why I stressed for storage in the answer. The original question did not clarify that the strip was needed for storage, and I used the opportunity to remind readers about ladder safety as I am in the business. Cheers!
    – Jimmy Fix-it
    Dec 28, 2019 at 19:55

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