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Best placement for attic ladder? (with diagram)

exactly

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Jan 23, 2020
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Minnesota
I will be installing an attic ladder tomorrow with the help of a couple of friends, and I was wondering what the best placement is for my garage.

Attached is a diagram of my garage as it relates to the install of an attic ladder. The garage is about 21 x 21 feet. The problem is there is this stupid front entry closet that sticks into the garage a bit (right side of diagram).

If the attic ladder is installed on the house side of the garage (right side of diagram), the dark blue square, and the top is the center of the truss, there will be only about 42 inches from the end of the attic ladder assembly to the wall. I think the ladder itself will extend a bit farther, considering the 9' ceilings and the 62" suggested space (presumably for the full 10' ceiling height, though). I do not think there is going to be much space from the bottom of the ladder to the wall.

If the attic ladder is installed on the left side of the garage with the intention of landing at the center of the truss, there is about 72 inches to the wall, minus perhaps 18 to 24 inches of shelving that may be there. So similar problem. There is shelving there now, but I will probably move towards French cleats.

The front to back placement, or top to bottom in this diagram, cannot really change because moving it forward one trust means I would be right next to the lights and opener, and moving it back one truss means that it will be very close to the wall, which may have shelving or tools along it at some point.

What would you do? One idea I had was to install it on the right side of the garage, dark blue square, but move it to the left about a foot beyond the centerline.
 

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ford33

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Chicago, IL. USA
Any limits on the height in the attic? Is the attic floor flat with boards to walk on or do you have to walk on the trusses?

You need some height to carry items and yourself up into the attic space. You also need space to step off the ladder and walk into the attic.

It is not clear to me why you are concerned about how close to the wall the ladders is other than you need space to step into the attic and not hit your head.
 
OP
E

exactly

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Jan 23, 2020
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Location
Minnesota
Any limits on the height in the attic? Is the attic floor flat with boards to walk on or do you have to walk on the trusses?

You need some height to carry items and yourself up into the attic space. You also need space to step off the ladder and walk into the attic.

It is not clear to me why you are concerned about how close to the wall the ladders is other than you need space to step into the attic and not hit your head.

7/12 pitch and interior of garage is 21' wide. I'm not sure of the specific height at the moment. The idea is to land around the center for the reasons you mentioned, so if the ladder is to the right of the centerline, the direction is from right to left. So yes, you're right.
 

CombatNinja

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Where is the overhead garage door in that diagram? Based on that front entry closet location, I am guessing that the overhead door is at the bottom of that diagram, where you have "21' wide" indicated. If so, that is a terrible place for the ladder because you have a potential interference issue with the ladder down of somebody opens the door, no?
 
OP
E

exactly

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Location
Minnesota
Where is the overhead garage door in that diagram? Based on that front entry closet location, I am guessing that the overhead door is at the bottom of that diagram, where you have "21' wide" indicated. If so, that is a terrible place for the ladder because you have a potential interference issue with the ladder down of somebody opens the door, no?



It’s at the top of my diagram. If the ladder is moved down in the diagram it would be 2’ from the wall. If I move it up (towards the door) it would be right next to lighting and the opener.
 
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lorne

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Mar 17, 2007
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Maynard, MA
Try to put it somewhere so that you can open the access without moving a car. I have mine just off center of the middle of my garage perpendicular to the cars. Usually the car on that side is far enough over to open the ladder.


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Innovate1

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Illinois near St. Louis, Missouri
The left seems best to me. Why the desire to put it on the right with less space? If you ever want to put long stuff up there you need some room to the wall at the bottom and the diagonal braces up top.
 

Kaizen

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New England
Right smack in the middle of it all. Preferably over a car so all you do is move a car and use it. Also better so when you get up there you are not close to a wall.



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QwikKotaTx

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Seabrook, TX
I'd say mine is in the middle and when it comes down crossways to where I park on the far side it has plenty of vehicle clearance as well as clearance between opposite wall and first step. It has been very nice to have compared to getting the ladder out and unsafely using the top of it to get in the attic.

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