How To Measure For Attic Stairs

Measure the length from the hinged side of the attic ladder frame to the opposite side of the attic ladder frame.

How to measure for attic stairs.

That s dimensions between the framing of your attic joists which is typically 24 on center. Place your measurement along the edge so that your measuring tape stays in a straight line. Measure the rough opening s width and length in three different spots at the top and bottom of the framing. Place your ladder securely below the ceiling hatch and lock it in place.

How do measure pull down attic stairs. 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. Have your helper below note the measurement. Place a tape measure at the left side of the attic opening on the inside edge of any trim molding but the.

How to measure the rough opening properly in order to install an attic stairway. Extend the tape measure so that it reaches from the ceiling to the floor. Measure the height or rise of the space you want to make stairs. You can stand on the attic ladder to take.

The width and length of the rough opening and the ceiling height. Leave room for extending the measuring tape. This is called the rise of your measurements and will determine how high your stairs will go. Using a tape measure make measurements of the total height of the space you want to make stairs from the bottom to the top.

Close the attic ladder up fully and place a stepladder underneath it. Attic ladders are sized based on the rough opening. First if there is an existing stairway measure from the outside to the outside of the existing box frame. How to measure your attic ladder for a replacement step 1.

Hold the tape. You ll need at least three critical measurements. The next measurement will be for the length of the stairs. You should also measure the ceiling height.

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. For smaller attic ladder openings with a minimum measurement of 18 x 24 you will need to measure from the finished floor to the attic floor.