How Install Attic Ladder 20 5 In Opening

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How install attic ladder 20 5 in opening. Standard openings are 22 5 x 54 but some homes have wider openings. Tap shims around the staircase to center it in the opening. Roughing an opening for fold down attic stairs. Lightweight aluminum construction boasts a 375 lb.
Fold down attic stairs provide convenient access to your attic without taking up space in the floor below the attic. 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. Measure 54 inches and tap the second nail next to the same joist image 1. Screw the cleats to the frame joists from the room side of the opening.
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. Installation is simple with the easy to follow online instruction video. Most full size ladders usually need an opening in the ceiling of at least 22 5 x 54.
Step 1 cut out attic access opening photo by karim shamsi basha. 12 slip the collapsed staircase into the attic then drop it down so that it rests on the cleats. Using a carpenter s square line it up from the point of the nail and draw out 22 1 2 inches. It also has a full length handrail for added safety.
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. 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. Screw temporary 1x4 cleats to ceiling at each end of the opening.
Make sure there s enough headroom above the attic floor so the staircase can close properly. 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. Screws go into solid framing. Snap a chalk line between the two nails image 2.
Hiring an attic ladder installation service. In new installations a rough. More product details close. Do this on both sides image 3.