There are a number of options for stairs that can be constructed to access an attic space. These include Stairway kits, which generally have an attached handrail, and attic staircases, which are open on one or both sides. To build a staircase to an attic is not a difficult process but it would need certain tools like rubber mallet, measuring tape, 3/4″ plywood and some other materials like nails etc.
A stair case to the attic is built to turn left or right in the landing and extend past the doorway, while allowing a person to move toward the back wall. Use a square and a chalk line on the floor to get a straight line up and down. Mark the locations of risers and treads at both ends of the joists with one edge of each piece aligned against opposing joists. Measure between these markings to determine actual heights of each intermediate riser.
Having a staircase to an attic is convenient. After all, you don’t have to strain your biceps lifting things up into the attic. All you need to do is put your items on the stairs and simply walk them up into the attic without any effort. Building a staircase is not that difficult if you have some basic construction skills, but there are certain things you must know before building one to make sure it’s done right. But don’t worry: We’ll go over everything you need to know in this guide.
Measure the floor opening of your attic
Now that you’ve got your measurements, it’s time to determine the size and style of staircase. The best way to do this is by creating a scale drawing of the floor opening with its dimensions marked at each end.
- Measure the width and height of your attic floor opening. If it’s larger than 12 feet wide by 8 feet high, you’ll need to build two separate sections: one for each side of the attic stairs opening or else they will be too narrow (a minimum clearance) or too steep (more than 8% grade). There are many options here—you could opt for open-air stairs without railings as long as there aren’t any children in your home; if there are kids around who might slip off these steps, then consider an enclosed design complete with safety rails and balusters on all sides except up above where there will likely only be cielings instead anyway! Your contractor will help figure out what works best based on how much headroom exists between floors.
Determine the height of your staircase
First, you need to determine the height of your attic. To do this, find the highest point in your house and measure it with a tape measure or level. Once you have that measurement, add 6 inches for safety’s sake and use that number as a guide when measuring out where to place each step of your staircase.
Next, decide how many steps you want in your staircase. Most houses are built with two-story ceilings and stairs that go all the way up to it; however there are some homes with only one story ceilings (usually found above garages) or three-story ceilings (found in places like lofts). If this is not an issue for you then this part should be pretty straightforward: just make sure there’s enough room for whatever number of steps will get you up into the attic comfortably.
Make plans for the staircase
The first step in building a staircase to an attic is to plan. You’ll want to make sure that you have enough space for the staircase, as well as all of your other furniture and equipment.
Next, you’ll need the right tools and materials with which to build the staircase. This will vary based on what kind of staircase you are building and what kind of material it is made out of.
And finally, safety gear (hard hats, goggles) should be worn when working with heavy equipment such as saws or hammers that could cause injury if used improperly.
Build the stairs.
The first step is to build the staircase frame. This requires a few 2x4s, a hammer, and some nails. Start by cutting two pieces of 2×4 long enough to span between the floor joists as well as your desired height (this will vary depending on your particular situation). Since this is going to be a support structure for your staircase, it’s important that these pieces are sturdy yet lightweight so they don’t add too much weight to the roof.
Next comes attaching the risers and treads together with nails. The riser covers where each stair section meets with another so there isn’t any exposed wood or metal; since it only needs to be about 3 inches tall, you can use an 8-foot section of 2×6 instead of full-size 2x4s like those used for framing boards because there won’t be much pressure applied against them once everything is assembled into place anyway.
Successfully building a staircase to an attic is a job that requires you to be aware of how much space you have, how high your attic is and how much weight you expect to put on the stairs. If you’re not sure about any part of this project, get help from experts or take extra care and gather more information before moving forward.
- You must be aware of how much space you have, how high your attic is and how much weight you expect to put on the stairs. If you’re not sure about any part of this project, get help from experts or take extra care and gather more information before moving forward.
- If you’re not sure about any part of this project, get help from experts or take extra care and gather more information before moving forward
Final words
Building a staircase to an attic is not something that should be taken lightly. The room itself is likely located above a bedroom and you don’t want anyone to get hurt on their way up or down. That’s why it’s so important to know the dimensions of your attic, how high it is from the floor and where each step will be placed on the stairs themselves before beginning construction work.
With all this information, building a staircase should be as simple as putting together any other piece of furniture – but without too much trouble.
