Attic Ladder Considerations
If you decide to go with a folding option you ll need around five and a half feet of floor space so the ladder can touch down easily while giving you plenty of room to safely mount and dismount as you climb up and down.
Attic ladder considerations. Basic space requirements for an attic ladder. Many attics feature a folding staircase or a stair that folds up to be concealed behind a ceiling panel. Aside from code and structural implications of an attic conversion there are also design considerations to think about. If you plan to move large items up to the attic or if you have larger members in your household you may want to.
Full size attic ladders usually need an opening in the ceiling that is at least 22 1 2 x 54 inches. Local building codes specify minimum room sizes and ceiling heights but beyond that minimum it s up to you and your designer to determine the room boundaries and functions of the space. Standard attic ladders fit an attic opening of 22 x 54 and if you wanna supersize it you can get one up to 25 x 66 in aluminum or 30 x 54 in wood. While this is fine for an attic that isn t living space you may want something that s more stable that can hold up to heavy foot traffic.
Depending upon your previous means of access you may need to replace your attic stairs. Looking for a space adequate to this opening is your first step. Also make sure there is a suitable landing space in the attic so you can safely mount and dismount the ladder while carrying items. Of course not every dwelling space has room for a full size access ladder.
But even if your ceiling space is tighter than chris christie s speedo don t despair there s.