How Install Attic Ladder 20 5 In Opening

Screw temporary 1x4 cleats to ceiling at each end of the opening.

How install attic ladder 20 5 in opening.

Hiring an attic ladder installation service. Step 1 cut out attic access opening photo by karim shamsi basha. Measure the rough opening in your ceiling both the width and length. 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.

Snap chalk lines onto the ceiling to represent the rough opening of the attic staircase. Lightweight aluminum construction boasts a 375 lb. Installation is simple with the easy to follow online instruction video. In new installations a rough.

Measure 54 inches and tap the second nail next to the same joist image 1. Roughing an opening for fold down attic stairs. 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. Do this on both sides image 3.

Fold down attic stairs provide convenient access to your attic without taking up space in the floor below the attic. Conversely some homes have smaller openings or hatches. It also has a full length handrail for added safety. 12 slip the collapsed staircase into the attic then drop it down so that it rests on the cleats.

Screw the cleats to the frame joists from the room side of the opening. Load capacity while gas struts ensure smooth easy door opening. More product details close. Most full size ladders usually need an opening in the ceiling of at least 22 5 x 54.

The ladder offers a universal fit for homes with ceiling heights 8 10 ft designed for attic openings 22 5 in. Make sure there s enough headroom above the attic floor so the staircase can close properly. Using a carpenter s square line it up from the point of the nail and draw out 22 1 2 inches. 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.

Tap shims around the staircase to center it in the opening. Screws go into solid framing. Standard openings are 22 5 x 54 but some homes have wider openings. Snap a chalk line between the two nails image 2.