How do measure pull down attic stairs.
Opening too wide attic stair.
You ll need at least three critical measurements.
If you come across an old attic stair check that the hinge nuts and bolts are tight the springs are anchored securely the pivot arms are straight and the treads and stringers are intact.
Check for squareness and then nail the other end.
Square the stringer s to the headers at one end and drive three nails through the headers and into the stringer.
The width and length of the rough opening and the ceiling height.
Climb into the attic through the opening using a step ladder and mark the edge of the opening width on top of the joists at each of the short ends.
The width of the stair opening is 36 inches or the actual width of the stairway whichever is greater.
If you did not do this un attach the arm from the ladder unscrew the arm from the floor and reverse it.
That s dimensions between the framing of your attic joists which is typically 24 on center.
When the arm is mounted to the attic floor the arm should be pointing away from the ladder and opening.
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The strut design eliminates springs and allows for a wide access opening easy to open and close smoothly.
Step 2 measure the distance from the floor where the base of the stairs will be to the ceiling.
So with a 24 on center and framing lumber being 1 1 2 thick the dimension between the inside edges of the two joists is 22 1 2 24 3 4 3 4.
Minimum opening size the 2012 international residential code requires an attic access opening for attics with an area greater than 30 square feet and a vertical height in excess of 30 inches.
In most cases a 4 inch nail 20d will be long enough.
Check the rough opening for squareness by measuring across the diagonals.
The length is simply the dimension between the two pieces of lumber that form the end of the opening.