Cutting Ceiling Joists For Attic Stairs

Determine the area where you want to place your stairs.

Cutting ceiling joists for attic stairs.

Cutting a hole in the floor for a staircase may happen during new construction or while renovating an older home. If the room has no ceiling. If the room has a ceiling and you have cut the required hole go to step 2. Note that only one stringer is needed in figure 17 because the ceiling joist provides one side of the frame.

How to cut a hole in the ceiling for attic access. If the ceiling joist does not provide one side of the frame cut a second stringer the same length as the first one. Next using an electric drill pop a screw up through the drywall in the ceiling as a reference point so that when you go up in the attic you ll be able to locate it and find the general location of the attic stair. Locate the joists behind the drywall on the ceiling using a.

Werner s easy access attic ladder 5 cut ceiling joists step 1 mark. You potentially compromise too many of the rafter cross ties by doing that. Measure the distance between the full joists on either side of the cut joists. Standard ceiling joists sit on 24 inch centers and the space between them is 22 1 2 inches.

You ll then use the ceiling joists to determine the final location. Position a stepladder directly under the desired area for the attic access hole. Step 2 cut joist support boards. Cut a stringer to this length.

Cut 2 joist sized boards long enough to span two joists on each side of your chosen. These are trimmer joists. Instead you should place the cutout opening inline with the ceiling joists rafter ties. Cutting and or removing joists to provide an entry or access can be the most difficult part of the overall project.

Locate an area centered between the two joists and cut a 6 to 8 inch diameter hole using a. Either process requires cutting away flooring. In order to maintain the support integrity of the ceiling or floor joist or rafter system it is important that if joists are cut that the load that was bearing on those joists be transferred to a modified support system.