Each private house or cottage, regardless of type structure – a small cozy country house or a mansion worthy of an oligarch, has the attic. Ideally, the attic should be a useful area which is maintained to the extent needed. The price per square meter of housing is very high, and it is not necessary to translate the valuable parameters for the creation of the landfill in general unnecessary things. Isn’t it better to use this room as storage for seasonal sports facilities, workshop, or another useful way? Unfortunately, all of this is just ideal. More often the attic is a cluttered room, littered with unnecessary junk. This happens not because the owner is unwilling to use the area of their homes efficiently, but because access to the attic is difficult. What should you do to avoid the loss of useful area of the house? And how can you get access to the attic, with all the convenience and security?
What are types of ladders to the attic?
There can be any attic ladders the main thing is that it should be long as well as comfortable and take up little space providing safe rise.
In contrast to conventional fixed structures, which differ in large forms and clutter the room, there are produced a variety of structures to climb in the attics, which are compact, convenient, safely equipped with railings and handrails. All these ladders are folded; it is foreseen by their designers. One or two of movement — and the ladder is not visible; it is in the attic, securely fastened and hidden behind the hatch. Such constructions are now becoming increasingly popular because everyone wants everything in the house to be thought out, all fixtures should be ergonomic and save valuable space.
Ladders to the attic, which will help the prudent management of space in the house
Ladders are convenient and are ergonomically hidden in the attic, lying down directly on the hatch.
These stairs can be divided into several types:
- Foldable, which have two or three sections and, if necessary, are folded, taking a seat on the attic hatch, especially thoughtful way;
- Extendable with a telescopic structure, that is, firstly staircase is receded, finding the minimum size corresponding to the length of the attic hatch cover, after which it is closed, and the ladder is in the attic on top of the door;
- Scissor, which is of metal construction, with couplings similar to the crosshairs of the two parts of scissors.
We do not consider fixed ladders, which can be afforded only by the owner of a very large house when there is no need to save space.
Folding stairs for attic: the materials, features, description
Such designs are made in most cases of wood and consist of several sections. Their number depends on the size of the hatch cover and height of the room in which you intend to install the ladder.
Wood is a great material, eco-friendly, natural and quite durable, processed by special antiseptic compounds, although the price is quite high.
The size of the partitions is calculated so that they are conveniently placed on the hatch, and don’t prevent its closure. You should connect the items using metal components, allowing the ladder to be folded quickly and without hassle. Fairly reliable construction fasteners allow the ladder to withstand considerable weight.
Stages are often equipped with special notches to prevent slipping when lifting. Luke, which is a part of the ladder, is insulated. Therefore, it is possible to establish such a construction both on the warm attic, and unheated attic.
Scissor ladders to the attic
These ladders were designed for achieving the greatest compactness. The ladders are entirely metal, only the hood and hatch frame can be made of wood and woodworking products. Most of these models are made of aluminum, not only because of its small specific gravity, but of sufficient strength or stainless steel, which allows withstanding heavy loads, and little exposed to moisture in the air.
The design is original and at the same time, simple. That ladder for the principle of folding is also called an accordion. It is enough to pull it over to decompose it.
Modern eco-friendly insulation will not bring any harm, and the use of non-combustible or resistant to high-temperature materials for insulation hatch will comply with all fire safety regulations.
The price of these ladders are quite high, but for those who want to get an ergonomic, more compact design, an attempt to save could be critical. Buy the ladder from unreliable manufacturer cheaply, and then detecting the defects will be more costly and frustrating than spending money on a quality product.
Ladders to the loft or attic of pullout type
These designs are increasingly in demand in the market; they are comfortable, compact, do not require special maintenance and takes up minimal space in the room. They can very quickly lead to a working position, like any other stairs compact the samples, and as convenient and without unnecessary expenditure of time to fold back.
Until recently, these designs were not popular and were not used in great demand in Russia, but today many have noticed their benefits. Usually, telescopic ladder is made of aluminum to minimize the weight of the product. The aluminum has sufficient strength, and stiffness is less susceptible to corrosion. Ladders made from it are light, durable, and very comfortable.
There are telescoping attic ladders out of wood. They are more dimensional, but it is a great option for lovers of natural wood. Retractable wood staircase to the attic is a wonderful solution that combines convenience and environmental friendliness of this wood, however, and their price will match the quality.
The benefits of telescopic ladders
Ladder for climbing to the attic hasn’t still gained immense popularity but, it may be a leader in sales over time, although the price will likely fall due to the increase in turnover. In comparison, for example, with the folding ladders, such structures are much easier, more durable, and their material does not require additional processing, except for the sliding models out of wood.
Natural wood folding attic ladders and the material are not cheap. Price can be a serious obstacle to the acquisition. And every day natural materials are becoming more expensive. Moreover, the wood treatment is quite capricious and time-consuming processing.
Scissor construction and metal folding ladders are very good, although the metal folding ladders are often made of heavy metal and are inferior to the telescoping ladders in compactness and design of the bunching are not so reliable, because you know, the fewer joints there are, the more secure the structure will be.
The safety of telescoping attic ladders in operation
Each section of the ladder is mounted with specially designed paddles that eliminate accidental displacement of the partitions in operation. Each section is provided with grooves in which it slides, unfolding, or folding. A wooden model of sliding ladders is also provided with a system of slots and gates, and the steps are wider than metal structures, which help to achieve greater security for users, but their price is higher.
Also, there is an elaborate system of protection against unauthorized access of children to the attic. If an adult knows where a special metal rod which serves as a key is, they will easily and conveniently open the hatch and pull it, bringing a ladder in working condition.
Is it difficult to install compact stairs?
Almost all the stairs of the compact type are supplied with a special hatch.
Before the design of the opening under the loft, you should familiarize yourself with the dimensions of commercially available products, in order not to bite your elbows afterward. After all, if the opening is less than desired, it’s not so bad, but if it is more than necessary – this is a real problem.
But the installation of attic stairs by the size will not be easy. You need a minimum of instruments for the installation so that it may be conducted even by a layman.
There is no need to call highly paid craftsmen, the price of which is growing every day, and look for a trustworthy company for the installation; it is enough to have skills with a screwdriver and a foam gun.
The price of such models is not that small, but given the fact that you can once install and forget about the problem – purchasing a convenient, reliable, easily installed, and even safe ladder to the loft is not the most useless waste of money.
There is one more pleasant moment: the transportation of such a device does not require a special technique because the folded stairs to the attic easily fit in the trunk of the car.
The website administration will be glad to learn that our small review of the compact types of attic ladders has helped you in choosing a design for your home. If you know something else of such ladders, please contact us, any information is important.