According to the type of construction, attic stairs are folding, sliding, stationary, portable. The article describes how to make a rise on the roof yourself.
What type of lift to choose
The stationary design is stable, safe, easy to design, manufacture. An attic staircase with a hatch is often used to climb to the attic. Two-story apartments are equipped with stationary stairs for movement between tiers.
Folding (folding) are unstable, but compact. Suitable for those who rarely use the upper rooms. The staircase and the hatch are often interconnected. Folding steps are attached to the cover, which overlaps the hole from the premises to the roof. To open the door, you need to pull the handle, grab the bottom step, pull out the structure, and if necessary, straighten the individual elements. The mechanical opening method is considered the most reliable, but there are also self-folding marches on an electric drive. The cover design often provides maximum protection of the lower room from heat loss.
A portable wooden staircase is a mobile option. It is found in old village houses, farm buildings. The design is applied to the attic hatch or hole, if necessary, to get into the room, then cleaned. The product is leaned against the wall in the utility closet or left under the hatch. The main disadvantage is insecurity: the ladder is not fixed.
What material to use for construction
Stationary and retractable stairs can be made of:
- metal
- tree.
Wood is better for lifting structures. Steps, railings made of wood look good in any interior, it is nice to touch them. The metal is durable, but not so comfortable for the skin.
You can combine wood and metal, making a combined staircase.
Planning
Making the stairs to the attic is easy. The manufacture of constituent elements: steps, railings, treads - you can do it in advance.
Need a drawing, a diagram to scale. The plan will allow:
- Determine the number, size of structural elements.
- Facilitate the assembly process, installation of parts.
For each type of stairs, certain parameters are calculated.
A fixed flight of stairs must meet the following requirements:
- march width - not less than 650 mm;
- step width - from 260 mm;
- riser height - about 20 cm;
- optimal angle - 45 ° to the floor;
- dimensions of the manhole (hatch) - 600x1200 mm.
Parameters may vary.
The dimensions of the folding type attic stairs are different from the stationary ones. An example of the distribution of values is presented in the photo.
The larger the hatch, the more convenient the passage through it. Stretched stairs should be at an angle to the floor. Flat design should not make an acute angle with it.
The sliding staircase is similar in configuration to a folding ladder, it differs in a transformation mechanism (see photo and diagram).
A portable ladder is the simplest type. It comes in different sizes. A universal solution is a sliding product. The folding mechanism is the same as the sliding, attached to the hatch.
Making a static staircase
Instructions for the stairs from one march without turns:
- They make a plan, calculate the angle of inclination of the guide beams, determine the number of steps. According to the results, the material is prepared.
- Kosoura with cuts (beams on which steps and other elements are laid) are supported on one of the sides of the passage opening. The beam is attached with a beveled end to the side face of the manhole with nails or self-tapping screws.
- Wall braid for strength attached to the wall in several places for fixation.
- The lower ends of the support beams are cut off at an angle so that they are firmly against the floor. Screw or hammer nails.
- If the kosour were taken with finished cuts, steps are laid on them. For unprepared beams, metal corner supports should be stored on which steps, risers will be mounted.
- Set the railing. They can be set to the ceiling or the end of the lift. The latter option is more convenient if the house has children, the elderly.
The main advantage of a static staircase is stability. Handrails are essential for safety. So that the climb does not clutter up the space, the bottom of the march is sent to the corner of the room, if possible, bring the staircase to the wall on one side.
Folding option
The design does not hide on the upper floor, adjoins the wall. For work you will need:
- screwdriver, wood screws;
- card loops for stairs;
- metal hook;
- 2 bars, equal in length to the width of the manhole;
- 2 bars with a length exceeding the length of the stairs by 15–20 cm;
- anchors for fastening the structure;
- finished wooden staircase, which is 20-30 cm higher than the lift height.
Working process:
- Short bars are screwed to the beginning and end of the stairs from the back.
- At a distance of 2/3 from the manhole, the march is cut in half between the steps, the parts are connected back through card loops from the bottom.
- Long bars are mounted obliquely on the back of the stairs to give it rigidity.
- The march is put into working position, the upper bar is pressed to the manhole, fastened with anchors.
- The loop from the hook is fastened to one of the kosour at the place of cut, the structure is folded.
- A hook is attached to the wall, hooked to a loop.
Similarly, you can make a ladder that will be fixed on one side to the wall with card loops, the second side of the march will remain movable. As a result, folding will be longitudinal and not transverse.
In cases where the upper floor is not heated, it is necessary to block the hole with a heated door.
Folding ladder with hatch
The attic hatch with a ladder, which can be removed if necessary, is suitable for organizing a lift under the roof from any room. The design advantage is a hidden transformation mechanism, the ability to remove the march when unnecessary.
Stage 1: hatch preparation
If the hole in the floor is not made, it is cut. 1-2 cm should be added to the desired size of the passage.
According to the internal size of the hole, a manhole cover is made. If the upper room is cold, the door must be insulated, the seam is equipped with a sealing tape around the perimeter. A MDF sheet (or other material), cut to the size of a manhole, a heater is connected together. The ends are covered with a board or plywood. The door is installed on the other side of the manhole, from which the layout of the stairs will be made. This is usually the short side of the aisle.
Stage 2: Build the March
As a workpiece, you can use a finished or self-made flight of stairs. Keep in mind that the total height should be 30-50 cm greater than the distance from the floor to the ceiling.
The finished ladder is cut into 3 equal parts. So that it can be folded, the finished workpieces are connected with hinges (corners) so that the whole structure is assembled on one manhole cover. On the first cut, loops are fixed on one side, on the second - on the opposite. Sections when folding stack on top of each other.
The photo shows the installed flight of stairs, folded four times.
Stage 3: fixing the components of the lift
When the hatch and march are ready, they can be connected. To do this, the upper part of the stairs is laid on the hatch door so that when opening the braid rests against the rigid base of the hatch. The upper parts of the supporting beams are connected to the base of the door. Fixation is made with self-tapping screws.
The upper module of the stairs is fixed to the cover. For ease of lifting, small brackets and railings are attached to the same part (see photo above).
For smooth and convenient opening of the stairs, special supporting handle brackets are attached to the structure, which facilitate the transformation process.
Bracket handles can be purchased in the hardware department of a construction or furniture store.
A detailed installation process is presented in the video.
Telescopic flight of stairs
This type is displayed according to the principle of a telescope, that is, along one axis.
The design is more rigid due to the powerful mechanisms for fixing the web. The mechanism is difficult to reproduce at home, it is recommended to purchase a ready-made sliding ladder.
If desired, you can saw the ladder in the same way as in the previous method. The fasteners that hold the sections are connected in a special way. For their movement, special grooves are needed on the march.
Next steps:
- According to the above algorithms prepare the hatch, cover.
- The ladder is attached to the lid.
The installation process is similar to the assembly of a folding march. The result is a flight of stairs that does not unfold, but slides into the attic, hiding under the hatch door when it is closed.