Loft ladder with a hatch is simple or difficult to manufacture?
It seems that it is very difficult to make a ladder, but in fact, its construction does not require excessive work.
The independent design of the staircase ensures that it, as in this photo, is ideally suited to the size for the intended place in the apartment.
Contents:
- Types of stairs for the attic
- Construction conditions
- Construction of the staircase in one march
- Construction of the elementary folding ladder
- How to open and close the folding ladder?
- Arrangement of a hatch
Varieties of stairs for an attic
Suitable for individual construction are ladders:
- non-locatable;
- mobile;
- retractable.
It is more appropriate to build a fixed, non-relocatable structure, if the attic space is used as a dwelling or there are things for which one often has to climb.
These stairs can be single-masted or screwed.
To make the connection between the floors with your own hands, having a small experience of carpentry behind, it is better to choose, as in the photo, a simple ladder with one march.
Photo:
Attached or mobile ladders - an option for a rare passage to the attic. There is a risk of falling and injuring your hands or feet.
This ladder is better to be considered as a temporary, used during the repair.
Extremely popular is the sliding mechanism shown in the photo. It is used when there is a shortage of free space in the room leading to the attic.
Photo:
The main advantages - the elementarity of the device, the guarantee of operation and compactness.
Construction conditions for the
The main rule for the construction of a ladder with its own hands is the safety of its use. It provides strength and reliability of the structure. Equally important is the right size.
It is important to maintain the correct relationship between the angle of inclination and the occupied area. The more the angle is the more used area. This indicator determines the ease of operation.
It is suitable and convenient to consider an angle of 65 degrees, plus or minus 5 degrees. But if the ascent to the attic is used constantly, the best angle of inclination is 45.
The standard dimensions of the steps are 15-20 centimeters in height, 25-30 centimeters in depth.
The stair span must be comfortable in width, so that an adult can easily climb on it. Approximate width of the span is 70 cm.
The traditional width of the march should fit within the boundaries between 65 and 110 cm, the height can not be more than 3.5 meters.
With these parameters, the construction will not be rigid and accidental drop will not lead to serious injuries.
It is more correct to make 10-15 steps with the distance between them about 19 centimeters. The steps are made with a thickness slightly more or less than 20 mm.
A pull-out ladder is required to have these dimensions in order to withstand a weight of 150 kg. To understand the installation of the ladder with their own hands will help the drawings.
Photo:
Easier to make your own wooden stairs. The most popular tree is a pine, which is easy to get and process. And she is unpretentious in exploitation, but is not expensive.
If you plan to install a ladder, then you need to take such tools:
- hand saw, or better - circular;
- electric drill;
- hand-held milling cutter;
- drills of different caliber;
- bits for screwing fasteners.
Construction of a ladder in one march
The easiest lift to the attic is a one-flight ladder fixed in its place.
For its construction with their own hands take 2 long boards to make the desired angle. It is better to take boards with a thickness of 50 mm.
The steps can be fixed by means of a string or strings.
The bowstring is a groove made by a router in the side board. And косоуры are cut out in a board horizontal platforms on which steps are put.
The final stage of fixing is screwing in the screws.
Fixes every degree in its place a metal screw spindle. This process is demonstrated in detail by the video.
To get down comfortably from the stairs, it is advisable to make a railing. To build them for a stationary wooden staircase with their own hands is very easy.
The material for the handrail is a long polished bar. It is installed at the edge of the ladder from the bottom to the top.
For reliability, vertical beams connected to the steps are added to the structure. The place of installation of the ladder and its shape determine whether it will be surrounded by handrails on both sides or not.
Video:
Construction of the elementary folding ladder
A folding ladder made by own hands, will save the area of the room and reduce the loss of warm air from the house, because the attic hatch will always be closed.
This is a winning option, if the attic has to climb up occasionally.
The construction of this ladder design does not take much time and is done without much effort.
First, it would seem that a standard ladder for one march is made. Its total length should be greater than the height of the ceiling by only 40 centimeters. Steps can be mounted on a bowstring or kosour.
Below the bottom of the hatch to the ceiling anchors are mounted timber from the tree. This allows you to reliably prop up the stairs to it. Then, as shown in the video below, the ladder is divided into 2 parts in a 1: 3 ratio.
Video:
Finished elements are weaved together with loops. The upper part of the ladder is mounted with loops upwards, onto the bar made in advance.
The correct installation of the eyelets is required. They must be made with their own hands so that in a compressed form the element of the ladder, leaning against the floor, lies against the wall.
For reinforced fixation of the folded mechanism, a metal or rope loop is used to the wall.
The main disadvantage of this design, retractable as an accordion, is the mandatory placement at the wall.
The assembled parts of the staircase will still be visible, which may not fit perfectly into the surrounding interior.
The hatch can have a size equal to or higher than the upper segment of the ladder. During the use of the ladder, its upper part spreads weight onto the open lid.
To strengthen the dismantled ladder to the hatch, the lever hinges are additionally mounted.
How does the folding ladder come and go?
The mechanism of folding and pulling the ladder resembles springs. Also, the process of opening and closing the ladder is comparable to how a sofa-book is put forward.
To open the hatch, you need to point down the attached cord. So the design will open evenly. When the lid of the attic is lowered, the ladder unfolds. This technology is shown in the photo.
Photo:
In the opposite sequence there is a folding ladder. First, all the sections are assembled together and go up, then the spring mechanism is triggered, and the hatch itself closes.
By coordinating the tension of the spring, it is possible to control the dimensionality of the opening and closing process, as well as the pressing force of the hatch.
When the ladder is installed and all the fittings are adjusted, the design is specially disassembled to produce the design of its parts.
On the steps and string add 3 layers of wear-resistant color coating. It is necessary to paint the ladder with accuracy, so that the finished mechanism corresponds to the analogues being sold.
Arrangement of the hatch
The essential point is the installation of the hatch in place of the open aperture.
If it is not covered in any way, cold air masses will penetrate into the house, as a result, the room temperature will be lowered.
That's why the ladder to the attic is certainly accompanied by a hatch. Make a hatch in place of the opening simply, you just need to arm yourself with materials: brusks the size of 50 to 50 mm and plywood.
Progress:
- Determination of the location for the hatch and its dimensions. To them, add about 8 mm, so that the hatch is lowered without zeal and creaking;
- The bars are cut into 4 parts of the right size, and small holes are cut out at their edges;
- The sawed grooves are lubricated with glue, the bars are joined and fastened with self-tapping screws;
- So that the diagonal does not go off in the side, the scarfs are screwed;
- Then the sheet of plywood is fastened;
- After fitting the hatch in the free hole, a latch is inserted into it;
- For unobstructed opening of the hatch cover use the handle, which is mounted in the hole and which presses on the latch.
The ready hatch should be very easy to swing open. In order to avoid any minor errors, and the installation was well executed, it's better to get acquainted with everything on the video.
Video:
The attic with the hatch has some features. If the room above is cold and not heated, then the hatch of the closed door must be insulated.
Insulated hatch - the guarantee of a comfortable temperature in the house.
Heat-insulating and vapor-tight layers of material are applied after the plywood. A good heater is a mineral wool or styrofoam.
After this, the vapor barrier film is reinforced once more.
Then the insulated hatch needs only decorative decoration. The hatch is trimmed in the same way as the ceiling finish.
Although sometimes the hatch is trimmed with other materials to create a contrast and accentuate the hatch.
In the event that you have made not a wooden, but a metal hatch, it can be painted with a protective wear-resistant paint layer.
