Attic Stair Placement

[His200HerScout]

My garage will be 32x52x10 (actually 11, including 1' block wall). Gambrel attic trusses, to yield 16x52 loft. The trusses will be 24" OC but one of them will be "removed" (but the trusses on either side will be doubled) so that, in one section, the spacing will be nearly 48" with ladder framing. Some of that ladder framing won't be there, so that I will have a nearly 4x8 hole in the loft floor (with a guard rail) through which I can winch stuff into the loft (see 1st diagram).

I decided that I want to have open floorspace in the garage, so I want a retractable pull-down staircase to the loft. I'm leaning toward a 30"x60"x11'6" Rainbow. http://www.rainbowatticstair.com/attic-stairs-products/prestige-folding-attic-stairs.cfm

The staircase will be positioned directly in line with the man door so that you can walk straight in, pull down the staircase, and go right up.

My question is regarding placement. I think the floorspace in the loft would be best utilized if the pull-down stairs were mounted just outside the usable area of the loft. If you can picture it... As you walk up the stairs, you have truss webbing next to you instead of wasted loft floor space (see 2nd diagram).

I attached two diagrams, one showing the top-down view of just the area I'm describing, and the other showing a side view with the stairs pulled down.

The "projection" measurement from Rainbow indicates that the stairs will come very close to the wall during pull down, but they should clear by a few inches.

Does this look like a good idea? Anyone do something similar? Anyone have any regrets about pull-down stairs and wish they put in a permanent staircase?

Thanks!

 

[kbs2244]

Your placement looks fine.
The main thing to remember about pull downs is that they are not real strong.
If you are heavy, don't plan on carrying heavy stuff up with you.

 

[His200HerScout]

Your placement looks fine.
The main thing to remember about pull downs is that they are not real strong.
If you are heavy, don't plan on carrying heavy stuff up with you.

Thanks. I don't plan on ever carrying anything up the stairs that's heavier than a 6-pack... I think I'll hoist any/everything up there through the access hole.

 

[38 Special]

I made an error with mine when I put it in. Where it folds down is where a car sits when in that bay. It never fails, that when I have one apart and on jack stands, I need in the attic.

Looks like you won't have that issue, but thought I would throw it out for the other readers.

 

[timewarp]

With that large of loft I think you will be using it more than just once in a while and you will end up just leaving the stairs down most of the time, so if they are in the way when they are opened you will not like them, I personally would go for a nice set of fixed stairs, put them somewhere that you can build storage around them downstairs and you won't be loosing a lot of space and it will work much nicer in the end. They will also be much sturdier than the pull down stairs. My sugestion would be to put them on one of the ends, they could still be off to the side like you have them but up against the wall.
Just my $.02.

 

[KenB]

Don't know what you plan to do with the upstairs, but I agree with the above recommendation for a permanent staircase with landing space at the bottom. In fact, I'd be surprised if your local building code allows a trapdoor as the only entrance to a 1600 sf second floor. Do you plan to have an outside entrance of some kind?


Ken