Image looking down of woman about to climb up the attic ladder

Choosing the right attic ladder

Choosing the right attic ladder

Choosing the right attic ladder for your home might seem like a simple thing to do, but there are a few things to keep in mind before deciding to get one. Most of the time, our customers worry about fitting dimensions, ceiling heights and the differences between attic ladder materials.

This short article will cover those specific questions, so you can easily choose between all the options available. Remember that investing in the right attic ladder for your needs is essential, you don’t want to be one of those homeowners that made the wrong choice and hardly ever use their attic space.

 

Choose the right attic ladder’s location

It’s important to consider the day to day use to the space below the attic ladder. Installing it in the garage, for example, might make it a pain to always have to pull the car out of the garage to be able to access the attic. This in turn might make the attic less frequently used and, in the end, a sub optimal investment.

Also, make sure the space leading to the attic ladder is comfortable enough to carry all the types of objects you’ll bring to the attic.

Choose the right Attic ladder’s rough opening dimensions

The rough opening is the length vs. width dimensions of the ladder when installed on the attic’s floor. The rough opening for a full-size attic ladder should be at least 22.5 by 54 inches. But Louisville Ladder attic ladders range from

  • Classic size 22.5 x 54 inches
  • Medium size, 25.5 x 54 inches
  • Large size, 30 x 60 inches

Think about how you’re going to use the attic space, and the items (the size of boxes, lights and holiday decorations, for example) that you’ll keep up there. The larger the attic opening the easier it will be to use, but it’s a balancing act between the use, your budget and how often you’re going to be using it.

Choose the right Attic ladder’s ceiling height

Now it’s time to measure the ceiling to floor height. Attic ladders vary in length and you need to buy a size that’s appropriate for you. Louisville Ladder attic ladders can adjust to a variety of lengths, to make it even easier for you to choose what you need.

For example, our AA2210 Aluminum Attic Ladder has a 7-Foot 8-Inches to 10-Foot 3-Inches which means that if your ceiling height is anything in between those numbers, it’s the right choice for you.

One important thing to note: Louisville Ladder does not make ladders for ceiling heights below 7 feet, or larger than 12 feet.

Attic Ladder space

Choosing the right Attic Ladder material

Even though Louisville Ladder makes the best-in-class attic ladders, there are a few differences between aluminum attic ladders, and wood attic ladders.

Aluminum attic ladders:

  • Lightweight
  • Strong
  • Unlikely to be affected by humidity and rust

Wood attic ladders:

  • Sturdy and strong
  • Lower price
  • May be more prone to the effects of humidity and temperature change, depending on the attic space construction and the variance in temperatures throughout the year.

Now that you know the basic steps to choose the right ladder for you and your home, the next step is installation! Check out our simple attic ladder installation video. We will guide you every step of the process and help ensure you don’t miss a thing.

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