Enlarge Attic Opening

How to trim an opening for your attic stairs 1.

Enlarge attic opening.

Cut off the electricity and determine where wiring and plumbing pipes run in the area. I plan to put joist hangers at all the circled areas. Remove the loose section of drywall. Measure and mark the size of your new opening plus 4 inches either side on top of existing ceiling joists 1 2 3 and.

Slice through the. We want to enlarge the opening and put in some pull down stairs to make getting into the attic easier. As long as you have the space this will make the attic much more usable in general. Work from a stable a frame ladder and use a.

Measure and mark the stair opening dimensions required from either the room below or from the attic above. Peek into the attic to make sure there aren t any ducts wires or pipes in the way. 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.

Repeat the cut on the. Place a 4 inch x 1 inch timber flat on the joists behind your. If your new hatch spans more than 2 joists involving cutting more than two joists you will need to contact a. How to open up an attic access step 1.

Gently tap into plaster. 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. I m not sure of your particular situation but since you are already reframing the opening you should consider adding a drop down ladder. This step is necessary regardless of whether you re expanding an existing hatchway or creating new attic access.

If you re lucky and this is the case squaring of the opening is simply a matter of nailing a couple of blocks between. Cut one rafter with a. Inspect the room to decide the most convenient location for the attic stairs for a new stair installation or enlarge. Then cut out the rough opening with a drywall saw.