I need to figure out pretty soon what I am going to do for a strong pull down set of stairs to my garage attic. The ceiling height is a little over 12' and the width between the framing is 30". I am not opposed to making my own, but the issue with that is they would need to fold at least once because I only have a 10' area to work with on the ceiling. I see Rainbow Attic Stairs makes a heavy duty set that goes that high, but the price tag is over $2000. Are there any other really good quality pull down stairs that are a little more reasonably priced? Maybe $1000 or less? I would like something stronger than the standard wood stairs that are in most houses. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Heavy duty pull down attic stairs for 12'+ ceiling height
- Thread starter 1233user
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SILVERPLATE
Well-known member
I have a twelve foot ceiling and a real nice heavy duty folding aluminum stairs setup. Not sure where my builder got but checkout Home Depot online. Way less than a grand.
Mr onetwo
Well-known member
I have this one in my house...very high quality. http://www.century-inc.com/aluminum_stairs.shtml
Thanks! Do you remember where you got it? None of their resellers is showing the part number I need in stock. I'll give them a call directly tomorrow.
tms0425
Well-known member
My floor to top of ceiling deck height is 11'-9" so I went through the same process, considered the Rainbow but couldn't make it fit in the existing opening. There just weren't many available.
I ordered a Werner AH2512 aluminum model from Home Depot because they had the lowest price by a ton ($225 vs $350-400+ everywhere else). It took 5 weeks, but when my builder went to install it, the leg was split, frame bent. My guess is it was dropped from a very high place. HD said 5 weeks for another and I couldn't wait so got one ordered from Lowes, price matched, took about 5 days. It was installed a couple weeks ago. Yesterday one of the hinges already buckled when I was raising it back up, so the door doesn't close at all. I called Werner today and they're shipping me a new part overnight. I certainly can't complain about the service, but it doesn't seem nearly robust enough for its 375lb rating.
I ordered a Werner AH2512 aluminum model from Home Depot because they had the lowest price by a ton ($225 vs $350-400+ everywhere else). It took 5 weeks, but when my builder went to install it, the leg was split, frame bent. My guess is it was dropped from a very high place. HD said 5 weeks for another and I couldn't wait so got one ordered from Lowes, price matched, took about 5 days. It was installed a couple weeks ago. Yesterday one of the hinges already buckled when I was raising it back up, so the door doesn't close at all. I called Werner today and they're shipping me a new part overnight. I certainly can't complain about the service, but it doesn't seem nearly robust enough for its 375lb rating.
Mr onetwo
Well-known member
I got it thru my lumberyard....arrived in about a week as I recall.
I think that this company might be out of business . Their web site is still up, but I have sent emails to each email address that they list and they all come back undeliverable. Both of their phone numbers are not in service either.
Not a cheap date but these are as good as they get. http://www.rainbowatticstair.com/category/all-products/
BigEd
Well-known member
I recommend that you stay away from Rainbow.
A few years ago we installed a set for a customer in a new garage.
Stairs were wobbly and could not be adjusted for level treads.
Installation was verified proper by company rep, who used a stepladder
rather than climb the stairs.
Customer ate the cost of the stairs when company refused to accept return.
A few years ago we installed a set for a customer in a new garage.
Stairs were wobbly and could not be adjusted for level treads.
Installation was verified proper by company rep, who used a stepladder
rather than climb the stairs.
Customer ate the cost of the stairs when company refused to accept return.
We just did a set in an autobody garage (about a month ago). Maybe quality has gotten alot better since you did these a few years back? These were the most solid set of attic stairs we ever installed, no wobble at all. Even the building inspector was amazed. We did the F series.
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I looked at them, but it would be over $2500 after shipping. I can't justify that much money for a set of pull down attic stairs.
best I've seen were posted here:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3842836&postcount=9
Good thread overall.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3842260#post3842260
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3842836&postcount=9
Good thread overall.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3842260#post3842260
wssix99
Well-known member
This was a lot of work but an interesting long garage ladder on a budget:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286178&highlight=stairs
It looks like the picture of the finished ladder in action is gone, but if you reach out to the OP, maybe he would re-post it?
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286178&highlight=stairs
It looks like the picture of the finished ladder in action is gone, but if you reach out to the OP, maybe he would re-post it?
Onewolf
Well-known member
Here's the best attic stairs:
I like that idea A LOT!!! I would have to somehow make them fold at least in half though, I only have a 10' space where they can go up into the trusses. Its looking more and more like I am going to have to make my own, since all the decent pre-made pull down attic stairs are crazy expensive. I am waiting for a quote on a set of "Husky 1200" stairs make by American stairways, hopefully I get a call back with that tomorrow.
These are excellent as well, I would just need to make them fold so the footprint going up into the trusses was less than 10'. I wonder if I could use some type of garage door torsion spring, pulley, and cable setup to pull the stairs back up instead of those lift struts or regular springs. Thanks for the link!
Alan Douglas
Well-known member
That's what I did, replacing a rickety pull-down wooden attic ladder. There wasn't enough opening and I couldn't enlarge it. Also there was no other access to the attic and I wanted to do the job myself, no helper upstairs. I bought an aluminum stairway from Home Depot and used it as a kit of parts. That also let me re-use the old springs and arms and toss the gas struts that came with it. I'm not keen on replacing them when they leak; the old springs served for 40 years and are still fine.
I have not seen any scissors, folding style, stairway that I would put into my one home.
The design is inherently rickety.
If I understand your problem correctly you have 12 foot height and 10 foot width.
A custom made with the bottom two feet hinged may be designed to have the need stiffness.
You could add pivoting supports, outside the stringers, to the floor at the bottom of the 10 foot piece to take the weight and not stress the hinge point of the treads.
The design is inherently rickety.
If I understand your problem correctly you have 12 foot height and 10 foot width.
A custom made with the bottom two feet hinged may be designed to have the need stiffness.
You could add pivoting supports, outside the stringers, to the floor at the bottom of the 10 foot piece to take the weight and not stress the hinge point of the treads.
going thru the same BS with Rainbow right now. New construction 12' ceilings. Builder has been arguing with them for last 8 months. Have sent numerous pictures showing how no matter what treads will not level. can live with the death wobble but not with the treads facing backwards. No help from Rainbow. They are junk. No refunds or help from them STAY AWAY!!!!!
Rodbolt
Well-known member
My garage build I used a Werner 12' attic ladder from Lowes if memory serves correct. My ceiling is 12' 6" so I just fabricated some longer aluminum feet for the ladder. Works perfect!
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James-W
Well-known member
What are you planning on storing up there? If you plan on putting heavy or bulky objects up there, then I don't think a ladder is what you want. I had a similar situation and I ended up constructing a lift in order to get items up there. Trying to lift a heavy or bulky object while going up a stairs is not exactly the safest thing to do. Having a lift makes it a whole lot easier and safer.
Re: Heavy duty pull down attic stairs for 12'+ ceiling
Thats correct, my ceiling height is just over 12', and the maximum area I have for the stairs to fold up into is 10', but I would like to use less so there is at least a little area of floor in front of the stairs. The stairs are going to be much longer than 12' though, so a lot more than 2' are going to have to fold up.
It looks like the Husky 1200 by American Stairways is about my only option as far as premade fold up stairs go in a 30" width (except Rainbow which I'm not counting because they are $2500). The cost with a fire rated door is just under $850. Now I have to decide if I am going to just buy those, or if I am going to try to make something myself
Thats correct, my ceiling height is just over 12', and the maximum area I have for the stairs to fold up into is 10', but I would like to use less so there is at least a little area of floor in front of the stairs. The stairs are going to be much longer than 12' though, so a lot more than 2' are going to have to fold up.
It looks like the Husky 1200 by American Stairways is about my only option as far as premade fold up stairs go in a 30" width (except Rainbow which I'm not counting because they are $2500). The cost with a fire rated door is just under $850. Now I have to decide if I am going to just buy those, or if I am going to try to make something myself
Nothing super heavy, no engine blocks or anything like that. Probably nothing heavier then 1 person could carry by themselves. The height up there at the tallest point is only 4', so there isn't a ton of room for big things.
Mr onetwo
Well-known member
I think Century is still around......ask these guys http://www.industrialladder.com/productDetails.do?productID=2772
Thanks for the link. I just called industrial ladder and they said that the Century stairways are no longer available. I asked him if they had gone out of business, and he wasn't sure if it was that or if they had been bought out by someone. He offered to give me a "deal" on the Rainbow attic stairs for "only" $2395.