DIY Network

Attic Stairs: Opening Trapdoor From "Weekend Handyman" episode WKH-411

After looking over the materials in the stair kit, host Paul Ryan begins framing out and opening up the trapdoor to make space for the stairs. He measures the ceiling height to determine if the location allows sufficient space for opening and closing the folding stairs.

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	Initially, there was no space in the garage to park.
	By installing new stairs, the clutter was moved to the attic.
	Easy-to-install attic decking made storage simple.
	The garage floor received a facelift as well.

Time: 12 hours over two days.
Difficulty Rating: This project rates a 2 out of 5 on the Weekend Handyman difficulty scale.

Materials:

Attic stair kit
Attic flooring
Polyvinyl flooring
Safety glasses
Pry-bar
Hammer
Jab saw
Circular saw
Reciprocating saw with bimetal blade
Impulse nailer
Utility knife
Acrylic latex caulk
2 X 6 lumber
Chalk line
Shims
Lag screws
Respirator
Shop vacuum
Push broom
2" deck screws

Opening Trapdoor

1. If you need to cut a new hole for your stairs, make sure there’s no electrical or plumbing in the way. It’s best to orient it so the stairs will run parallel to the joists.

2. Make sure that there is enough head room so you can move things in and out.

3. Take the correct measurement from floor to ceiling, because the stairs do come in different sizes.

4. If you have a rough opening, you may need to adjust the hole to fit the stairs. For this project, we needed to lengthen the opening and frame in the width.

5. Start by taking off the existing trim from the trapdoor (figure A).

6. The rough opening needs to be 1/2" longer by 1/2" wider than the stair unit, this will give a 1/4" all the way around for shimming and squaring.

Figure A

Figure B

7. Measure and mark the length for your stairs and snap some chalk lines (figure B).

8. Using a circular saw with a segmented masonry blade, set it to the depth of the plaster (about an inch thick) and cut through the plasterboard (figure C). Go slowly.

9. Finish up the corners with a jab saw (figure D).

Figure C

Figure D

10. Remove the old header and a section of the joist that are in the way of the rough opening (figure E).

11. Make the first cut through the joist cutting 2" back from the rough opening to allow room for a new header.

12. Cut through the nails on either side of the old header, and take out the joist section and header in one piece (figure F).

Figure E

Figure F

RESOURCES :

Rainbow Attic Stair
Model: Prestige
Type: 25-1/2" X 54"

Manufacturer: SP Partners, LLC
1492 High Ridge Rd.
Stamford, CT 06903
Telephone: 1-877-369-6996
Contact: Tino Terrigno, National Product Manager
Website: www.rainbowatticstairs.com

Attic Flooring
Model Number: 3504
Size: 16 inch or 24 inch

Manufacturer: Metro Products
P.O. Box 1208, 9175 E. 146th St.
Noblesville, IN 46061
Telephone: 1-800-676-6904
Contact: Tom Krol, National Sales Manager
E-mail: tkol@atticdek.com
Website: www.atticdek.com

Garage Floor Covering
Brand Name: G-Floor
Model Number: Coin Pattern
Color: Gray

Manufacturer: Better Life Technology, LLC
9820 Pflumm
Lenexa, KS 66215
Telephone: 1-877-810-6444
Website: www.bltllc.com