Attic Stairs Across Joists

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Attic stairs across joists.

Joists carry the weight of the walls furniture and people on them. 2 how much weight could the ceiling joist hold. 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. Sometimes the ladder may fit into an existing attic accessibility hatch.

Sistering is the process of adding a new joist next to each existing joist. The screw should be between two joists. Attic ladder kits are made to fit between existing framing in the ceiling that is the flooring of the attic. Remove the loose section of drywall.

When a load is applied to a joist it creates a tension in the wood along the top edge. If the attic joists are not adequate one way to strengthen the floor for live loads is to sister the old joists. Hopefully the attached pictures provide additional info. Where possible pick a size and location for your attic ladder that enables it to fit between existing ceiling joists or trusses.

In the case of 2x6 joists you can pair them up with additional 2x6 joists by nailing them together side by side. Ceiling joist are support by a wall that runs roughly down the middle of the house. Standard joist spacing for the installation of attic flooring materials is 16 inches on center oc meaning the distance from the center of one joist to the center of the next joist is 16 inches. 1 can the joist be cut to make room for the attic ladder.

Saw through the joist s being careful not to cut through the ceiling and making sure the cut ends of the joist s are flat and vertical. Now that you ve cut your joists it s time to frame the new opening. Part 6 shows you how. Single story house built in the 1940s.

Step 3 before cutting the joist first brace it to prevent sagging as you re cutting it.