Folding ladder with own hands

Folding attic stairs today have gained wide popularity. This design combines at once 2 important advantages: space saving in the room due to the prefabricated staircase system, and secondly, the possibility of comfortable and safe access to the attic. The ladder does not require special care, just mount and do it with your own hands.

Description of the construction

The attic space in the residential building is usually a place for storing unnecessary things that for years are being accumulated there and the number of them is increasing, or in the attic they are equipped with a full complementary room. And with each year the number of those who try to improve this room increases. In old Soviet-era houses, the entrance to the attic was usually done from the street. Under the window stood a huge stepladder, which led to the attic. And already in our modern age, people began to equip attics with the view that you could get there by being directly in the house. This is an indispensable attribute in a private home, an attic ladder can also be used in a garage or workshop.

Whatever functions this room has in your home, it is only possible to get there by means of a staircase, which will become a connecting link between the two floors.

In this case it is a ladder of an attic, a folding type, which, due to its design, takes up a lot of space and is the most suitable option as a means of moving from the first floor to the second.

The stores have a wide selection of these designs, but not all of them can meet the requirements of the buyer. It's easier and cheaper to make a folding ladder with your own hands, having the skills to work with construction tools, and without outside help. In this case it is important to draw up the correct drawing and follow its instructions.

Folding and sliding ladder attics save space on the ground floor, guarantee a safe climb, and if necessary, can be an obstacle to children entering the attic without the permission of adults. The most durable material for the structure of the ladder can be wood, metal, as well as a combination of wood and metal. Such designs are on springs and folding, with handrails and without. The folding ladder should be stable and safe, because the distance from the lower floor to the attic is often at least 2 meters, and this is a decent height from which you can fall and get injured.

Basic requirements for folding ladders:

• functionality;
• the ladder should have a 45-degree angle of inclination;
• light weight construction;
• pass must be made to the optimum width;
• ergonomics. Folding stairs should occupy the minimum amount of space;
• environmental friendliness. The materials from which the ladder will be made need to be chosen of high quality;
• easy to slide out and fold into place.

Types of attic stairs:

• wooden;
• metal;
• sliding;
• screw;
• Foldable.

The principle of folding the attic:

• ladder sliding or telescopic type;A ladder of scissors or pincers type
• ;Folding or lever ladder.

Types of stairs and their characteristics

Stairs come:

1. Extendable ladder.

Ladder folding is inherently a transformer, models of sliding type have several sections, which, in turn, move apart from each other. Such a ladder in a folded form has a protrusion from the side of the attic. This is the most reliable type of construction, which has no control levers and can withstand the maximum loads.

1. Folding ladder.

A foldable attic ladder consists of 3 or 4 sections. The first part is screwed to the loft hatch, and the remaining sections are fastened together by lever mechanisms. The principle of operation of such a ladder is to lower the ladder with a ring or an additional lever that keeps the ladder folded. When the staircase assumes its original position, the attic is closed with a lid on the latch and thus the staircase hides in the ceiling.

Folding structures can be made not only from wood, but also from aluminum. Such stairs are rather light and strong, their height is easy to adjust. Ladder type "accordion" also refer to this type. They are easy to attach to the ceiling and just pop out.

Advantages of the attic:

• strength and reliability. With proper attachment of the structure, it is capable of withstanding various loads;
• practicality;
• space saving;
• easy installation and fastening;
• aesthetic appearance of a collapsible attic.

Recommendations for the manufacture of

Recommendations for making a folding ladder with your own hands:

1. For a comfortable and safe climb up the ladder, the steps should be parallel to the floor.
2. It is not necessary to distribute the steps at a great distance from each other. Again, for security reasons.
3. The most acceptable step size is 650 mm. This size is suitable for an adult.
4. When calculating parameters, consider the width, the wider the ladder - the more comfortable it is for the elderly and children to move to it. The optimum width of the staircase is 90 cm.
5. If you decide to design a folding ladder made of wood, then choose non-treated material as a basis, so that it can be painted or varnished on your own. The tree must be dried.
6. In the case of a metal frame, remember that incorrectly selected items can rust. The fastenings of metal parts are different from the fastenings in the wooden staircase.
7. A foldable attic ladder can be made from both wood and metal. The tree is suitable when the maximum load weight does not exceed 150 kg. Metal can withstand up to 250 kg.
8. The overall staircase is not suitable for a small room, it should be taken into account when planning the design.
9. The dropped ladder must necessarily have an emphasis on the floor, otherwise the fastening system will not withstand the loads and the ladder will fall.
10. It is desirable that the assembled staircase is fixed with brackets. Then, if the hatch cover opens, the ladder will not open and fall.
11. Fittings and other fasteners must be made of high quality materials. Be sure to consider this when choosing fasteners.

Folding ladder with your own hands

Before making a folding ladder, you need to determine the dimensions of the structure and its location. It means, on the street there will be a ladder or indoors.

Measure the ceiling, its height. Write out on the sheet of paper all the small details: the parameters of the railing, steps and so on.

The drawing below shows the layout of our loft. In this case, it will be attached to the wall, not to the ceiling.

Materials for making a folding ladder with your own hands:

• for oblique need 2 bars length of 3 m;
• 2 bars corresponding to the width of the ladder;
• 4 metal door hinges;
• boards;
• wood bars for tread.

Manufacturing technology of a folding ladder with your own hands:

1. Measure the distance from the ceiling to the floor, as well as the angle of the stairs. For example: height - 2,4 m, angle - 30 о.Calculating the total length of the structure, the length turned out to be equal to 2.9 m.
2. You can make a ladder yourself, and you can use already finished or stairs used. In this case, you need to saw a wooden staircase in two. The lower part should be shorter than the top, so it will be more convenient to fold the ladder. Cut approximately 2/5 of the total length.
3. Under the opening in the ceiling, fasten 2 short bars, which should correspond to the width of the existing ladder. Connect these bars with loops and after that, to the second bar, which is closer to the wall, attach the upper part( half) of the ladder.
4. To make the structure stronger, fasten it diagonally with brusks.
5. Attach the lower section, which is shorter, to the upper section using metal loops. Carefully fasten the hinges and check that the ladder is folded in the right direction.
6. So, our ladder is folding. Fold it in half and fasten it to the wall with a hook. And the hook must be fastened to the bottom of the ladder folded and attached to the wall. Loop the loop on the Kosower, above the place cut.
7. To avoid slipping of the steps, make rubber gaskets on them.
8. A simple folding ladder for the attic is ready. Its main drawback is the appearance, as all the fasteners and bars are visible on the surface. But still, such a ladder is a convenient means for a comfortable ascent to the attic and descent from it.

Specifications for the folding ladder

Popular specifications:

1. The width of the march should be from 70 to 105 cm.
2. The height of the ladder should not be more than 3.5 m, because the staircase is too stiff and has a small stiffness. And to fall from this height is much more painful.
3. Number of steps - up to 15 pcs., Not more.
4. The optimum distance between the steps is 20 cm.
5. The thickness of the steps is from 1.8 to 2.2 cm.
6. The safe angle of the ladder is 65 degrees.
7. The minimum weight that a folding ladder must support is 100 kg.
8. The steps should not slide, but they must be mounted parallel to the floor.

Loft ladder on the bowstring with your own hands

Proceed as follows:

1. The total height of the ladder is divided into 3 parts, 1 section must match the size of the hatch, the second section is slightly smaller than the first.
2. Use the angle tool to measure the angle of the hatch.
3. Move this angle to the boards and mark the steps.
4. In place of the hinge, which will be between the sections, drill holes.
5. Sand all edges.
6. In places where joints will be installed, cut boards.
7. From the tree, cut out the steps and sand them with sandpaper.
8. In the strings, make the notches under the steps.
9. In these notches, insert the steps, fixing with glue and screws.
10. Connect all sections with special metal hinges.
11. Assemble the structure and mount it into the opening.
12. Check the system for operation, if everything is correct, disassemble it. Cover the tree with stain and varnish, and after drying, reassemble everything again.

Folding ladder of 3 sections with your own hands

It is very easy to make a folding ladder if you have all the necessary tools and materials in your arsenal. For work you will need:

• finished ladder made of metal or wood;
• 2 beams;
• screws and cutters;
• drill, saw on wood;
• rollers;
• hammer, hinges;
• tape measure, punch.

Stages of making a folding ladder for the attic with their own hands:

1. Decide on the dimensions of the ladder. Its length should be 35 cm more than the distance from floor to ceiling. Do not forget to take into account that the staircase is at an angle.
2. Saw a ladder into 3 parts.
3. If you use a metal structure, then sharp trauma dangerous sections smooth with molten rubber or special caps.
4. Install all 3 parts of the stairs on the beams. The length of the beams, and we have 2 pieces, should be more than one piece of stairs about 20 cm, as it is yet to attach the hinge.
5. Connect all 3 pieces together. They should open according to the principle of "accordion".First fix the section with the 2nd, then the 2nd section with the 3rd already through the bottom.
6. After all the sections are fastened, you need to decide where the stairs will be at the top and where the bottom is.
7. At the bottom, secure any rubber cushioning roller. This is necessary, if suddenly under any circumstances your ladder falls. This anti-impact roller will soften the fall and not damage the coating on the floor.
8. By the way, the hinges for opening the ladder, too, use a smooth response, that is, spring. With them, the ladder will not fall, but will slowly sink.
9. So, all sections of the ladder are interconnected, shock absorbers are installed. Now you can attach the door to the attic so that when the staircase is in the assembled state, it could be hidden under the lid.
10. This cover is not difficult to make from a sheet of ordinary plywood, in which you cut out a suitable size square or rectangle and fix it on the ceiling with the help of loops.
11. Pay attention to the picture, attach the upper section of the staircase to the attic cover.
12. The spring hinges will help you smoothly open your stairs, and for the convenience of unfolding the stairs, attach a lever or rope to it.

Folding ladder with your own hands.

Video