lets see your mezanine stairs or ladders

[atotalnincompoop]

i framed in my mezanine floor today, now i have to figure out the best way to access it. i figured i would just use a ladder, but after climbing a ladder framing, i need to think of something that may be a little safer when retreiving whatever parts i store up there. i don't really want to frame in a permanent set of stairs because i don't want to lose the floor and wall space.
i thought about building a ladder on a track similar to those ones you find in an old library to access books up high. i could make them not very steep and just slide them out of the way when not in use.
i'd like to see what others have done to tackle this
thanks greg

[ScaldedDog]

Got pics of the space? I just put fold up attic stairs in my loft, and am happy with that.

Mark

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[kbs2244]

Use a ladder for yourself and a trap door with a hoist for the stuff.

[NUTTSGT]

What about a ladder well rather rather than a set of regular stairs ?

[atotalnincompoop]

thanks guys, but i ended up going out there this morning and framing in a set of stairs.
i'll post pics soon

[NUTTSGT]

Wow, that was fast. . . . . we'll be waiting on pics.

[Jim Stabe]

There was a guy on youtube that show a set of folding stairs that were lowered with some sort of electric winch. Very cool

[John in OH]

I was going to suggest a ship's ladder for your access and the hoist idea for equipment, but you work too fast for me!!

[2Big2Ride]

Check out jdub63's in post 9.

[camarotoolman]

get a pole from a strip club.

[atotalnincompoop]

its hard working around all this crap, i'll be able to load most of it upstairs tomorrow, so i can finish the rest of the place. anyways...here are the steps


i'll start a new thread showing the entire build

[bobadame]

Here's mine. They are pretty steep because I didn't want to loose the floor space. I've gotten used to them. It's sort of like a really sturdy ladder. I built the mezzanine and the stairs after the final inspection just to avoid the BS.

[c39er]

My shop stairs to parts heaven.

[ddawg16]

I'm partial to spiral.....

[NXGTS]

I wanted a full width standard stairway to walk up. The last thing I wanted to do was trip up or down a steep stairway.These stairs are more comfortable to climb than the ones in the house. I made them L shaped to try to avoid taking up too much floor space. There will be a small amount of out of sight storage under the stairway and landing.

[Torque1st]

There is a method of building stairs with a double pitch or alternating step that does not take up much more space than a ladder. They can also be made so they rise back up with a pulley, hinges, and some rope.

Alternating tread stairs:
Where there is insufficient space for the full run length of normal stairs, alternating tread stairs may be used. Alternating tread stairs allow for safe forward-facing descent of very steep stairs. The treads are designed such that they alternate between treads for each foot: one step is wide on the left side; the next step is wide on the right side. There is insufficient space on the narrow portion of the step for the other foot to stand, hence the person must always use the correct foot on the correct step. The slope of alternating tread stairs can be as high as 65 degrees as opposed to standard stairs which are almost always less than 45 degrees. The advantage of alternating tread stairs is that people can descend face forward carrying items. The only other alternative in such short spaces would be a ladder which requires backward-facing descent. Alternating tread stairs may not be safe for small children, the elderly or the physically challenged. Building codes typically classify them as ladders and will only allow them where ladders are allowed, usually basement or attic utility or storage areas not frequently accessed.

Alternating tread stairs have been in use since at least 1888.

[MN BIANCHI]

This is what I did for stairs up to the mezanine:

[CRE Neal]

[Torque1st]

Here is an article on alternating tread stairs with pictures and diagrams:
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-...der-stair.aspx
A user easily walks up and down them just like regular stairs. It usually takes a few times up and down to get used to them though.

[bullfrog123]

Really not much wasted space under the stairs. Use that area for your compressor, or build shelves and frame it in to store paint, parts, books, etc.
Here's mine.........

[Old Moparz]

I spotted an ad in the local paper when I was building my garage for oak library ladders for $35 each. Without exaggeration, the guy selling them had SEVERAL HUNDRED of them from the telephone company. He said they were used to access equipment in various buildings, not books. I bought 2 & have used them for almost 15 years. I thought I'd have real stairs built by now, but oh well.