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 for attic stairs.
Extend the tape measure so that it reaches from the ceiling to the floor.
That s dimensions between the framing of your attic joists which is typically 24 on center.
This is called the rise of your measurements and will determine how high your stairs will go.
Measure the height or rise of the space you want to make stairs.
How to measure your attic ladder for a replacement step 1.
You should also measure the ceiling height.
Hold the tape.
Measure the length from the hinged side of the attic ladder frame to the opposite side of the attic ladder frame.
Using a tape measure make measurements of the total height of the space you want to make stairs from the bottom to the top.
You ll need at least three critical measurements.
Leave room for extending the measuring tape.
Place your measurement along the edge so that your measuring tape stays in a straight line.
The width and length of the rough opening and the ceiling height.
You can watch a video or read this short article about how to measure the rough opening for an attic ladder.
Do not measure the inside of the box frame and as that is not a true rough opening measurement.
Close the attic ladder up fully and place a stepladder underneath it.
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.
Have your helper below note the measurement.
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.
Measure the rough opening s width and length in three different spots at the top and bottom of the framing.
How to measure the rough opening properly in order to install an attic stairway.
Place your ladder securely below the ceiling hatch and lock it in place.
You can stand on the attic ladder to take.
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.
The next measurement will be for the length of the stairs.
Attic ladders are sized based on the rough opening.