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Luca[_2_] August 19th 08 07:31 PM

Drop down stairs
 
Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.

Runtime Error August 19th 08 07:50 PM

Drop down stairs
 
"Luca" wrote in message
...
Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.


Buy a good quality folding step unit that will fit between your ceiling
joists. If you're putting it in yourself, follow the detailed directions
carefully and exactly. Measure twice, cut once-- especially when you trim
the height of the ladder to your installation. Too short is a real bitch....

If you're not up to do it yourself, hire a capable guy who knows what he's
doing to install....



dpb August 19th 08 08:22 PM

Drop down stairs
 
Luca wrote:
Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.


My comment would be I ken dropdown stairs to/from an attic; I don't
follow how they would function in a crawl space, at least w/ an ordinary
definition of crawl space.

--

DerbyDad03 August 19th 08 08:22 PM

Drop down stairs
 
On Aug 19, 2:31*pm, Luca wrote:
Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.


Think about what you will be putting up in the crawl space. The stairs
come in various widths, so get the widest one you think you might
need. Nothing worse than putting in a 22" width only to find that you
really need 30" or more.

Don't settle for what you see on the shelf at the home center, there
may be more widths and options available on-line than at the store. Do
some research. Do you want metal or wood? Do you want a railing? etc.

Standard attic stairs can be pretty energy inefficient. There are
stairs with built in insulation or you can buy covers that go over the
stairs on the attic side or you can find some pretty simple plans on-
line to make your own cover. I'll be making one this fall.

I added a piece of hardboard across the bottom of my ladder so the
wood wouldn't dig into my carpet.

Oren[_2_] August 19th 08 09:05 PM

Drop down stairs
 
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:22:09 -0500, dpb wrote:

Luca wrote:
Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.


My comment would be I ken dropdown stairs to/from an attic; I don't
follow how they would function in a crawl space, at least w/ an ordinary
definition of crawl space.


I don't know the ordinary definition, but one should have to crawl
around and have no need for a ladder.


Oren[_2_] August 19th 08 09:11 PM

Drop down stairs
 
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:22:27 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

On Aug 19, 2:31*pm, Luca wrote:
Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.


Think about what you will be putting up in the crawl space. The stairs
come in various widths, so get the widest one you think you might
need. Nothing worse than putting in a 22" width only to find that you
really need 30" or more.

Don't settle for what you see on the shelf at the home center, there
may be more widths and options available on-line than at the store. Do
some research. Do you want metal or wood? Do you want a railing? etc.

Standard attic stairs can be pretty energy inefficient. There are
stairs with built in insulation or you can buy covers that go over the
stairs on the attic side or you can find some pretty simple plans on-
line to make your own cover. I'll be making one this fall.

I added a piece of hardboard across the bottom of my ladder so the
wood wouldn't dig into my carpet.


If the steps are for an attic, does it meet local code/fire rating.
Various styles have various fire ratings, I think...

Frank August 19th 08 10:55 PM

Drop down stairs
 
dpb wrote:
Luca wrote:
Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.


My comment would be I ken dropdown stairs to/from an attic; I don't
follow how they would function in a crawl space, at least w/ an ordinary
definition of crawl space.

--

When my house was new, I installed them into an attic area over the
garage. You could stand in part of it but rest you'd have to stoop.
I put down a few partical boards and use for storage.

At the time I was fighting with the county and builder over my septic
coming up and had to install a new drain field. County inspector came
around to check job, glanced in garage and saw stairs and had "loft"
added to my property tax assessment. I insisted his boss come out and
inspect it and he did and removed assessment.

Red Green August 20th 08 04:29 AM

Drop down stairs
 
Luca wrote in :

Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.


Yea. Why? Do you like go down there and get drunk? Just how high is this
"crawl" space? Isn't it accessed from outside? Where would the stairs be
when they are up? In the house?! I mean the part that normally is out of
view when it's in the attic.

Obviously having problems envisioning this one.

aemeijers August 21st 08 12:13 AM

Drop down stairs
 
Red Green wrote:
Luca wrote in :

Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.


Yea. Why? Do you like go down there and get drunk? Just how high is this
"crawl" space? Isn't it accessed from outside? Where would the stairs be
when they are up? In the house?! I mean the part that normally is out of
view when it's in the attic.

Obviously having problems envisioning this one.


For those that came in late- OP, like some others I have noticed on this
group over the years, apparently uses the term 'crawl space' to describe
the typical unwalkable 5-12 roof modern attic. They all probably live in
slab-house country, and don't even know that the term traditionally
applies to the mini-dungeon under the house, not the one above.

--
aem sends...

Red Green August 21st 08 12:19 AM

Drop down stairs
 
aemeijers wrote in
:

Red Green wrote:
Luca wrote in
:

Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a
crawl space would be appreciated.


Yea. Why? Do you like go down there and get drunk? Just how high is
this "crawl" space? Isn't it accessed from outside? Where would the
stairs be when they are up? In the house?! I mean the part that
normally is out of view when it's in the attic.

Obviously having problems envisioning this one.


For those that came in late- OP, like some others I have noticed on
this group over the years, apparently uses the term 'crawl space' to
describe the typical unwalkable 5-12 roof modern attic. They all
probably live in slab-house country, and don't even know that the term
traditionally applies to the mini-dungeon under the house, not the one
above.

--
aem sends...


Ahhhhhh, thanks.

DerbyDad03 August 21st 08 05:12 AM

Drop down stairs
 
On Aug 19, 4:05*pm, Oren wrote:
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:22:09 -0500, dpb wrote:
Luca wrote:
Any wisdom/comments about having drop down stairs installed to a crawl
space would be appreciated.


My comment would be I ken dropdown stairs to/from an attic; I don't
follow how they would function in a crawl space, at least w/ an ordinary
definition of crawl space.


I don't know the ordinary definition, but one should have to crawl
around and have no need for a ladder.


I don't know the ordinary definition, but one should have to
crawl around and have no need for a ladder.

One might need a ladder to gain access to the crawl space so that one
could crawl around.

My attic is a crawl space which I use for storage, so I have a drop
down ladder in the hallway for access.

dpb August 21st 08 02:41 PM

Drop down stairs
 
DerbyDad03 wrote:
....
My attic is a crawl space which I use for storage, so I have a drop
down ladder in the hallway for access.


Your attic is still an attic, even if it isn't tall enough to stand in.
It isn't a crawl space.

"A rose by any other name..."

Or (supposedly) from A Lincoln --
"How many legs does a sheep have if you call the tail a leg?"
"Four. Calling the tail a leg doesn't make it one."

--



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