How Install Attic Ladder 20 5 In Opening

Snap a chalk line between the two nails image 2.

How install attic ladder 20 5 in opening.

Lightweight aluminum construction boasts a 375 lb. More product details close. Roughing an opening for fold down attic stairs. Measure the rough opening in your ceiling both the width and length.

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. Hiring an attic ladder installation service. Screws go into solid framing. Most full size ladders usually need an opening in the ceiling of at least 22 5 x 54.

Installation is simple with the easy to follow online instruction video. 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. Screw temporary 1x4 cleats to ceiling at each end of the opening. Conversely some homes have smaller openings or hatches.

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. Do this on both sides image 3. Using a carpenter s square line it up from the point of the nail and draw out 22 1 2 inches. Fold down attic stairs provide convenient access to your attic without taking up space in the floor below the attic.

Make sure there s enough headroom above the attic floor so the staircase can close properly. Screw the cleats to the frame joists from the room side of the opening. 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. Be sure the 2 1 2 in.

Standard openings are 22 5 x 54 but some homes have wider openings. Step 1 cut out attic access opening photo by karim shamsi basha. In new installations a rough. 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.

It also has a full length handrail for added safety. Load capacity while gas struts ensure smooth easy door opening. Snap chalk lines onto the ceiling to represent the rough opening of the attic staircase. The ladder offers a universal fit for homes with ceiling heights 8 10 ft designed for attic openings 22 5 in.