Enlarge Attic Opening

How to trim an opening for your attic stairs 1.

Enlarge attic opening.

Slice through the. Snap chalk lines onto the ceiling to represent the rough opening of the attic staircase. This will involve cutting 2 of the joists or whatever they re called. If you see the attached image the dotted lines are where the enlarged opening will be.

I m not sure of your particular situation but since you are already reframing the opening you should consider adding a drop down ladder. Cut off the electricity and determine where wiring and plumbing pipes run in the area. This step is necessary regardless of whether you re expanding an existing hatchway or creating new attic access. Place a 4 inch x 1 inch timber flat on the joists behind your.

Remove the loose section of drywall. Cut one rafter with a. Peek into the attic to make sure there aren t any ducts wires or pipes in the way. Inspect the room to decide the most convenient location for the attic stairs for a new stair installation or enlarge.

How to open up an attic access step 1. 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. Repeat the cut on the. I plan to put joist hangers at all the circled areas.

As long as you have the space this will make the attic much more usable in general. Then cut out the rough opening with a drywall saw. Gently tap into plaster. We want to enlarge the opening and put in some pull down stairs to make getting into the attic easier.

Work from a stable a frame ladder and use a. Measure and mark the size of your new opening plus 4 inches either side on top of existing ceiling joists 1 2 3 and. Most attic ladders are made to fit between joists set at 24 inches on center. Measure and mark the stair opening dimensions required from either the room below or from the attic above.