How Install Attic Ladder 20 5 In Opening

Do this on both sides image 3.

How install attic ladder 20 5 in opening. Roughing an opening for fold down attic stairs. Conversely some homes have smaller openings or hatches. Screw temporary 1x4 cleats to ceiling at each end of the opening. Screws go into solid framing.

Hiring an attic ladder installation service. It s important to understand the opening size you have or will create to ensure you select the correct attic ladder product for your home. Lightweight aluminum construction boasts a 375 lb. The ladder offers a universal fit for homes with ceiling heights 8 10 ft designed for attic openings 22 5 in.

Measure 54 inches and tap the second nail next to the same joist image 1. Most full size ladders usually need an opening in the ceiling of at least 22 5 x 54. Be sure the 2 1 2 in. Cut two pieces of 1 x 4 or 2 x 4 lumber long enough to span across the bottom of the opening plus a few inches.

Using a carpenter s square line it up from the point of the nail and draw out 22 1 2 inches. Position each cleat over one end of the opening overlapping the opening by about 1 4 to 1 2 inch to create a lip for setting the ladder frame onto. Fold down attic stairs provide convenient access to your attic without taking up space in the floor below the attic. Snap chalk lines onto the ceiling to represent the rough opening of the attic staircase.

Make sure there s enough headroom above the attic floor so the staircase can close properly. These all inclusive kits make installing an attic ladder a very easy diy project for those who have the skills and a nice easy job for a contractor for those householders who don t know one end of a hammer from the other. Measure the rough opening in your ceiling both the width and length. Load capacity while gas struts ensure smooth easy door opening.

Step 1 cut out attic access opening photo by karim shamsi basha. Standard openings are 22 5 x 54 but some homes have wider openings. In new installations a rough. Screw the cleats to the frame joists from the room side of the opening.

It also has a full length handrail for added safety. Installation is simple with the easy to follow online instruction video. 12 slip the collapsed staircase into the attic then drop it down so that it rests on the cleats. While the cost of doing this work yourself reduces the cost of the project from about 650 to 220 a professional licensed contractor should complete the job from needing a second set of hands to making structural changes and modifying existing piping wiring and air ducts this work is full of potential pitfalls and requires specialized.