Enlarge Attic Opening

Slice through the.

Enlarge attic opening.

Work from a stable a frame ladder and use a. Measure and mark the size of your new opening plus 4 inches either side on top of existing ceiling joists 1 2 3 and. This step is necessary regardless of whether you re expanding an existing hatchway or creating new attic access. Cut off the electricity and determine where wiring and plumbing pipes run in the area.

Most attic ladders are made to fit between joists set at 24 inches on center. Gently tap into plaster. Peek into the attic to make sure there aren t any ducts wires or pipes in the way. Cut one rafter with a.

If your new hatch spans more than 2 joists involving cutting more than two joists you will need to contact a. Repeat the cut on the. How to trim an opening for your attic stairs 1. Then cut out the rough opening with a drywall saw.

Measure and mark the stair opening dimensions required from either the room below or from the attic above. If you see the attached image the dotted lines are where the enlarged opening will be. This will involve cutting 2 of the joists or whatever they re called. We want to enlarge the opening and put in some pull down stairs to make getting into the attic easier.

Remove the loose section of drywall. Cut the drywall straight across between the two joists connecting the ends of the two cut lines on the far edge of the attic access hole. How to open up an attic access step 1. If you re lucky and this is the case squaring of the opening is simply a matter of nailing a couple of blocks between.

I plan to put joist hangers at all the circled areas. As long as you have the space this will make the attic much more usable in general. Snap chalk lines onto the ceiling to represent the rough opening of the attic staircase. Inspect the room to decide the most convenient location for the attic stairs for a new stair installation or enlarge.