Garage Attic Ladder Question

[Code Red]

So I'm going to put a ladder in my garage for the attic.

Question is if I should run it width wise to follow the rafters or to run it length wise and reframe the rafters to make it work.

 

[Ghoster]

You are making your own?

Or buying a setup from the store?

The ones from the stores fit between the rafters, at least all the ones I have seen. They are pre-framed, you slide them in place and attach to the rafters. Really simple to put in, but its good to have a few people to do the work.

 

[cjceg1985]

either way it looks like ur gonna have to make a framed box to support the ladder. Going long ways I think it'll cost more and be more work, go with what u got don't complicate it more. Just my two cents....

 

[Code Red]

You are making your own?

Or buying a setup from the store?

The ones from the stores fit between the rafters, at least all the ones I have seen. They are pre-framed, you slide them in place and attach to the rafters. Really simple to put in, but its good to have a few people to do the work.

store bought, reason I was thinking of going length wise was so the ladder can sit between cars when down.

 

[Ghoster]

store bought, reason I was thinking of going length wise was so the ladder can sit between cars when down.

That would be an awful lot of rafters to cut and re-frame. Not sure that is such a good idea. Its still possible to run it with the rafters and have it come down just right between the cars. It may take good planning and testing, but I think you can pull it off.

 

[jham]

store bought, reason I was thinking of going length wise was so the ladder can sit between cars when down.

I have the store bought one. How much room do you have between cars?

 

[Code Red]

I have the store bought one. How much room do you have between cars?

well none at the moment I have a lot crap and trying to organize and insulate and finish off the garage so I can organize it. but the garage is a 2 and a 1/2 car garage and the garage door is not centered. so there is a entry door off to the left of the garage door. so then again i may have to move a car if I use the exact center of the garage.

 

[jham]

I have mine centered between where the 2 cars can go in mine its 28ft wide and I have to move a car out to use it unless I had a Smartcar lol
View attachment 17240
View attachment 17241

 

[DucatiSS]

You have pre-enginereed trusses. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT CUTTING THEM

install the ladder inbetween the existing rafters.

 

[Ghoster]

I have mine centered between where the 2 cars can go in mine its 28ft wide and I have to move a car out to use it unless I had a Smartcar lol
View attachment 1671
View attachment 1672

Good example pic!

If yours had been positioned more to one side, so the feet of the ladder hit right about at the crack on the floor, you may be able to open it with 2 cars there. It would be tight, but possible. I had one once that I could do that with, but the ladder was at the very front of the garage by the wall. So it came down over the hood of the car we had, but when unfolded hit perfect. I didn't install it, but someone had put a lot of thought in to the positioning of it.

 

[jham]

Good example pic!

If yours had been positioned more to one side, so the feet of the ladder hit right about at the crack on the floor, you may be able to open it with 2 cars there. It would be tight, but possible. I had one once that I could do that with, but the ladder was at the very front of the garage by the wall. So it came down over the hood of the car we had, but when unfolded hit perfect. I didn't install it, but someone had put a lot of thought in to the positioning of it.

Or if its an option for the op mark how far the cars pull in so it would open in front of them. which is what i should have done

 

[Ghoster]

Or if its an option for the op mark how far the cars pull in so it would open in front of them. which is what i should have done

You need to go fix up the insulation on those doors!

 

[Matt]

store bought, reason I was thinking of going length wise was so the ladder can sit between cars when down.

That's how mine is...but it was put in when the house is built. Unfortunately, I still have to move the TB when I put the ladder down.

 

[fletch09]

Or if its an option for the op mark how far the cars pull in so it would open in front of them. which is what i should have done

this is the way mine is. bought my house from a builder, he was wise enough to put it out of the way, so it would open in front of the cars.
depending on what i'm putting up there, i still back the TB out just in case i accidently drop something.

 

[fletch09]

this is the way mine is. bought my house from a builder, he was wise enough to put it out of the way, so it would open in front of the cars.
depending on what i'm putting up there, i still back the TB out just in case i accidently drop something.

ref. pics

 

[navigator]

those things are shaky enough as it is, I don't want to be coming down from the attic with the Christmas tree and the ladder on a stool.

You could put a straight ladder type in the center near the back wall and then more toward the center you could get one of these from Harbor Freight and built almost like a little elevator and use one of these



My dad did that in an old barn, makes it easier to get heavy stuff up and down. He build almost like a basket for hauling things up and down.

 

[Code Red]

ref. pics

ladder a wee bit short?

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

If our house does not sell by spring I will be putting one of these in as well. I like the idea of the front of the garage, but already have a little hole cut in center of garage. Sucks because I cant use it with the garage door up.

 

[Jkust]

The first thing i had installed in the house when we moved in was an attic ladder in the garage. It is a full room up there with a window completely going to waste with 12 foot ceilings as the roof pitch is 14/12. Anyway, the positioning of it pretty much required one of the cars has to be backed up at least a couple feet so not the most convenient. Regardless, my suggestion is to get the more expensive, much stronger, aluminum version and skip the wood. I'm only 175lbs and when I bring something really heavy up there, I am coming close to the weight restriction on the wood ladder that we have. Also, as handy as the attic ladder is, the opening is pretty small so is a pain to get many akward sized things up there.

In our house, our entire attic is big enough to have added a 4th floor again with really tall ceilings. I'm thinking about having a stair type ladder custom built for more storage but having learned the lesson of the semi-impractical standard attic latter I presume there will need to be some customization done in the ceiling. It's more of a wish list thing but if we ever finish the basement, the storage stuff needs to be moved somewhere.

 

[fletch09]

ladder a wee bit short?

yes it is. thats the way it's always been.
the guy that built the house also built most of the houses on our block.
so he must have gotten a deal on a shorter ladder and made it work.

 

[Regulator]

yes it is. thats the way it's always been.
the guy that built the house also built most of the houses on our block.
so he must have gotten a deal on a shorter ladder and made it work.

I am pretty sure I would be cutting some 2x4 to add to that ladder and extending it down a bit more solid. There is no way you would see me relying on that ladder perched on a step stool like that.

 

[RedEnvoyDenali]

You have pre-enginereed trusses. DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT CUTTING THEM

install the ladder in between the existing rafters.

DucatiSS is correct "DO NOT CUT THESES TRUSSES". In addition they are not designed for loading on the bottom chord. Not that you can't put stuff up there just keep it light, no engine blocks or such things. Be Careful light stuff adds up when you have a lot of it.

 

[fletch09]

I am pretty sure I would be cutting some 2x4 to add to that ladder and extending it down a bit more solid. There is no way you would see me relying on that ladder perched on a step stool like that.

why didn't i think of that. will check to see if it will work.
not sure if the added extension will allow it fold up properly.
it has worked fine that way for the last 26 years.
thanks for the insight.

 

[Code Red]

thanks for all the advice guys. I wont be cutting them. Now my only other concern is setting up some lighting up there. I'm thinking two light bulb setups in there.

 

[fletch09]

assuming your garage door opener is plugged into an outlet, find the feed to the outlet and tee off of that for power,
throw a switch in line so when you get to the top of the steps you can turn the lights on.

 

[Code Red]

assuming your garage door opener is plugged into an outlet, find the feed to the outlet and tee off of that for power,
throw a switch in line so when you get to the top of the steps you can turn the lights on.

that was my plan

 

[Code Red]

Got it up

 

[fletch09]

nice

 

[Code Red]

 

[djthumper]

Looking good.