How to cut legs for folding attic stairs.
How do you cut a space for an attic ladder.
What your attic probably does not have is a set of code compliant stairs.
Whether you installed a new set of folding attic stairs or your existing set was never cut correctly you can cut the legs of the stairs to the proper length.
Saw through the joist s being careful not to cut through the ceiling and making sure the cut ends of the joist s are flat and vertical.
The ladder length will depend on your ceiling height.
Basic space requirements for an attic ladder.
Your attic may presently have a fixed ladder a pull down ladder or no ladder at all.
To convert your attic to living space you cannot provide access via a ladder.
If there is ample space you can do a pull down ladder that folds out as explained in this article.
Swing clearance measure and verify the amount of space available to swing out the stair sections of your ladder this extends beyond your attic opening.
2 how much weight could the ceiling joist hold.
Also make sure there is a suitable landing space in the attic so you can safely mount and dismount the ladder while carrying items.
Full size attic ladders usually need an opening in the ceiling that is at least 22 1 2 x 54 inches.
Also make sure there s enough floor space to accommodate the ladder when it s fully extended.
Step 2 go up to the attic and with a hammer tap a nail through the ceiling by the joist as a starting place to cut your rough opening.
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If you re installing pull down attic stairs for the first time you ll likely need to cut the hole yourself.
Before i do can anyone help me answer the following questions.
Looking for a space adequate to this opening is your first step.
Part 6 shows you how.
Before you can take on your attic ladder install you may need to choose a location and cut a hole for your access point.
1 can the joist be cut to make room for the attic ladder.
Ensure that you have the right size ladder and that there s suitable landing space in the attic for safe mount and dismount from the ladder.
This would require cutting some of the ceiling joist.