Folding stairs to the attic with your own hands. Attic ladder with a hatch Do-it-yourself attic ladder mechanism

For dachas, country houses and cottages with attic rooms, a compact and lightweight folding ladder to the attic becomes a vital necessity. It should not take up much space, because every square meter is important in a country house. In addition, the great advantage of the ladder will be its mobility. Foldable designs save space and are easy to install. To complete all the related tasks for the construction of such a staircase, you can do it yourself.

Types of attic stairs

Attic stairs can be located both indoors and in the attic itself. The second option is more profitable in terms of saving living space. According to the design of the stairs are:

• monolithic (marching or screw);
• folding (lever, telescopic, scissor or folding);
• portable (attached or ladders).

Portable structures are used very rarely, mainly when performing construction work. The most convenient option is monolithic products that have wide marches and are equipped with railings. However, they are not suitable for access to the attic, because they have large dimensions.

It is better to use retractable structures that are safe to use and easy to install. In addition, when folded, they do not take up space in the room. Thanks to the variety of possible designs, you can choose the staircase that best suits your home.

Transformer stairs

For the manufacture of folding attic stairs, wood and metal (most often aluminum) are used. This combination produces the best results. Wood is necessary to create flights of stairs (the weight of the structure is reduced), and metal parts are most often corners, fasteners and mechanisms that ensure the rigidity of the structure.

For stairs choose solid wood (birch, ash, larch, beech, maple). The beam must be chosen at least 2 cm thick. If the ladder will be used quite often, it is worth thinking about a metal structure.

The manhole cover should be filled with foam for greater thermal insulation. Dimensions of stairs to the attic:

• the optimal march width is 65 cm;
• the average number of steps is 15;
• the optimal step width is 19.3 cm;
• the thickness of the steps is not less than 18 mm;
• the optimal angle of inclination of the structure is 60-70 degrees.

To prevent the ladder from sliding on the floor, it is worth putting special pads on each bowstring.

scissor

Such stairs are made entirely of metal. Their other name is accordion stairs. They are light, compact, easy to attach to the hatch. However, scissor ladders have one drawback - over time, a creak appears during their operation. They need to be lubricated periodically.

Telescopic

In this case, a folding ladder has several sections that fold into one another. They are usually made from aluminium. Domestic summer residents are wary of such stairs and prefer transformers to them.

Sectional hinged products are more in demand. They are more bulky and difficult to install, but they have high strength and durability. How a retractable staircase to the attic is made is described below.

Location

There is one main requirement for the location of the stairs - it should not interfere with residents when moving around the house. That is why it is not installed in the bedroom or hallway. Sometimes you can install a staircase as a piece of furniture - if the size of the room allows. In this case, it is not necessary to hide it.

Production of a two-section ladder

If you need to perform a simple and practical design, you should look at the option with two sections. To make such a ladder, you will need a small amount of tools and materials:

• hacksaw;
• ladder;
• roulette;
• beam 2-3 cm thick.
• loops along the width of the stringer;
• hook, screws, anchors and loops.

First you need to carry out preparatory work, then make a ladder, and then install it correctly.

Preparatory work

First, the old structure is dismantled, consisting of a ladder and a decorative frame equipped inside the passage. Then you need to pick up bars for flights of stairs. Each bowstring must have a cross section of at least 30 * 50 mm. The optimal slope of the attic stairs in a small room is 60-70 degrees. It must be taken into account when calculating the length of the stairs and the angle of inclination of the steps relative to the ladder racks.

It is worth arranging a two-section staircase when the attic passage is located in close proximity to one of the walls. The folding design will hang directly on the wall. The presence of only 2 sections does not allow you to hide it in the attic directly above the aisle.

Making stairs

First, the lower and upper parts of the stairs are assembled. To do this, you need 4 bowstrings and steps. The bottom should be 1/3 of the total length. Then it is necessary to strengthen the upper part with diagonal slats to give it greater rigidity. Then the structure is connected together with loops. A bar is attached to the top of the stairs, which will later be screwed to the wall.

The ladder is attached to the wall with a pre-screwed bar. It should be installed directly under the hatch. The advantages of this design are obvious - a minimum of parts and effort in manufacturing, ease of installation, ease of construction. The disadvantage of a two-section ladder is that it remains in sight.

To avoid this situation, it is worth building a more complex structure. The best option is a ladder with 3 sections. It can be easily hidden in the attic, used only when necessary.

Three-section

The most compact version of the stairs to the attic is a hatch with a folding structure of 3 sections attached to it. Such products are sold in stores. They are made of steel, have a small size and are made of steel. You can also build them yourself. The most commonly used material is wooden bars. To build a staircase to the attic with your own hands, you will need to perform a certain sequence of actions.

How to make a hatch

Before performing the hatch, it is worth calculating its dimensions. If the hatch to the attic is 125 * 70 cm in size, then the passage should be cut 7-8 mm more on each side. This will make it easier to open and close the sunroof. The level of thermal insulation from such a gap will not decrease.

As materials you will need:

1. Bars 50 * 50 mm - 2 long and 2 short.
2. Plywood 10 mm thick.

Now you need to build a hatch. To do this, 4 bars are attached to each other, and then a sheet of plywood is nailed to them. Before attaching plywood, check the diagonal. So that the construction of the bars does not “lead”, you need to nail scarves to the corners. After the hatch is completed, it must be tried on in the opening.

So that there are no locks on the outside, and the hatch closes well, you should cut the door latch into the cover. It will hold the hatch perfectly and open comfortably.

opening mechanisms

Now it’s worth doing the most difficult thing - creating opening mechanisms. In order not to complicate and not delay the process, you can buy them at a hardware store. However, if there is a desire to do everything with your own hands, you should follow certain rules.

To begin with, drawings of the future design are made, taking into account the opening angle of the hatch. To make a hinge on which the hatch will open, you will need:

• pieces of sheet metal;
• one corner;
• two metal strips of different lengths.

Holes are made on the hinges according to pre-made drawings. Then they connect everything together, without tightening the bolts too much. You can determine the opening angle empirically. To do this, the hatch is opened to the desired angle and marks are made on the metal. Then the area that interferes with the movement of the corners is cut out with a jigsaw.

Now each corner is locked in the desired position. To make the mechanisms identical, first one is completely made, and then all the details of the second are made according to the finished sample.

For greater strength, the hatch is connected to the opening by a supporting structure made of corners and metal strips. Pieces of metal are welded to the end of the upper strips, against which the lower strips will abut. The corner becomes a base. The result is a hinge mechanism that is half-bent when the hatch is opened.

Stairs

The staircase itself is made of wooden boards. For bowstrings and steps, an inch board of 100 mm is suitable. The first section is made according to the size of the hatch. The length of the second can be equal to the first section, provided that it does not touch the ceiling during unfolding.

For the third section, the length that remains to the floor is selected. The angle of inclination is measured with the hatch open. Then it must be transferred to the board, marking the steps. Then the length of the sections is marked. All the markup that was done on the first board should be transferred to the second. All lines must be mirrored.

Where the hinge hinges will be located, it is worth drilling holes. The top one is drilled directly at the junction of the fastened boards, the bottom one is drilled on their outer sides. To make the holes look more aesthetically pleasing, you should additionally go through them with a milling cutter.

Then the boards are sawn at the junction of the segments. After that, steps are cut and all elements are ground. Small indentations are made on the bowstrings into which the steps will be inserted. Once all the structural elements are ready, you can start assembling.

March loops

The next stage in the manufacture of stairs is the implementation of loops for connecting flights of stairs. To do this, you need to find 8 metal strips 25 mm wide. On 4 of them it is necessary to weld a small piece of the same strips. Each drilled 3 holes. One will serve as a connection to the hinge, the other - for screwing to the stairs.

To connect the ladder segments, they must be placed on a flat surface. The hinge must be screwed so that the bolt enters a groove specially cut out for it - in the center of the connection of the sections. After screwing the loops, it is necessary to check the section for flexion-extension. Only after the check is done, you can screw the 3rd section. After all the procedures are completed, you can remove the hatch and screw the ladder to it.

Each staircase, regardless of type, should be comfortable. In addition, when performing attic construction, it is worth adhering to the basic rules:

• attic folding stairs should not be more than 3 meters;
• metal steps should be equipped with anti-slip pads;
• wooden models are not installed in too dry or damp rooms;
• mechanisms and fastenings must be strong and reliable;
• from time to time the rubbing parts of the product should be lubricated.

Such rules will be useful in the manufacture of attic stairs.

As you can see, making an attic ladder with your own hands is simple. In the process of its manufacture, certain recommendations should be followed, and before starting work, make a detailed drawing. In the process of work, care should be taken, especially when working in the attic near the opening.

Every home needs more space. When all the rooms are functionally occupied, the owner of the dwelling begins to look for free space outside them. This is where a folding ladder to the attic will come in handy. It will allow to equip a workshop, a children's room, put a billiard table, a bar counter there. Preoccupied with this idea, the owner begins to think about whether to buy a ready-made staircase or make it himself.

An example of a folding metal ladder to the attic

But first, he must familiarize himself with its various options in order to choose the right one.

Depending on the place of installation, attic entrances are internal and external. Folding attic stairs outside, as a rule, are not installed. And the stationary structure installed outside is not entirely comfortable in winter, but it does not occupy a single meter of usable living space; Another option is insulated.

To prevent metal parts from being exposed to the damaging effects of precipitation, they are most often made of galvanized metal or painted with special paint.

Attic stairs are made of wood and metal. Both options are fairly durable devices. However, they can creak or rumble, although not everyone finds these sounds annoying. In addition, they can be eliminated or at least muffled by using different rugs or anti-slip pads. Wood and metal are often combined to create very attractive multi-stage structures.

Stationary

A monolithic structure with steps, usually made of wood, with handrails and railings is installed on. With the active daily use of the attic, it is complemented by a door. You can’t do without it when it is equipped as a comfortable room in the house as or adults, a rest room, a workshop that you have to visit daily.

A variant of the device of a stationary wooden staircase to the attic

For a stationary device, a separate territory is sometimes assigned - a stairwell.

Folding loft ladders

You can also buy them or make your own. They are installed in rooms with limited space, when it is impossible to build a monolithic staircase structure. Folding attic stairs have several varieties, but they are not bulky, but light, but the weight does not limit strength, because hardwood and aluminum are used for manufacturing.

scissor

Such a retractable structure is attached to the hatch cover, and unfolds to the very floor according to the principle of a tram current collector or an accordion. This design is only metal, so over time, without proper lubrication, it begins to creak. It is used in a private dwelling with non-intensive use of the attic.

Scheme of operation of the scissor ladder to the attic

The load capacity is small, but the weight of an adult can withstand reliably.

telescopic

A ladder of several sections that are packed into one another is called telescopic. Usually it is made of aluminum, so it is light and strong. But such folding stairs to the attic are not very popular with consumers. Most often they are used in construction work in the form of stepladders. When packed, they are so compact that they can be transported in the trunk of a car.

folding

This is one of the varieties of folding ladder devices, usually consisting of two sections. The first is rigidly attached to the base of the hatch. From below, a second one is attached to it with special hinges that allow it to be folded forward.

Drawing with the dimensions of the folding ladder

When there is no need for it, and the entrance to the attic is closed, the folding structure is located in the attic. If you open it, it leans back and falls to the floor.

retractable

With a lack of space, a retractable staircase to the attic is installed. It can be made of wood or metal. Extends from the hatch, which is opened manually or by means of an electric drive.

The main requirements for such a design are compactness, strength, low weight. To achieve this, durable wood and light metal are combined in the manufacture.

screw

It requires more space than folding devices. May be with or without railings. It looks very light, no matter if it is made of wood or metal. The original design, but the ascents and descents are difficult, and sometimes risky, especially for the inhabitants of the old house.

Such attic stairs are used in houses in which the exploitation of the attic is not so intensive. They can be arranged so that all steps are attached to a post that is in the center of the system. There are also such stair spirals, in which the steps are held by curved load-bearing bowstring beams.

Folding and can be bought without any problems at a building materials store that sells pine, oak, as well as metal, usually made of aluminum. The cheapest product made of pine, but in terms of strength is not inferior to other materials.

It should not be forgotten that a ready-made ladder installation needs proper care, which includes the treatment of wooden surfaces with fire impregnation, varnishing or paint.

Metal parts, hinges, rollers must be lubricated with machine oil.

But it is not always possible to find a suitable staircase on the market. Then the best option is a do-it-yourself attic staircase, which can be made in accordance with your own wishes and tastes. How to do it? There is no shortage of relevant information on the World Wide Web today. All you need is desire, the necessary materials, tools and creative enthusiasm.

Primary requirements

The attic staircase is a risk area, so it must meet the following requirements:

Stair details

The home master, who has decided to independently build a ladder structure, should familiarize himself with its components.

Structural elements of stairs to the attic floor

Then he will better understand the question of how to make the stairs to the attic in the best way.
Any attic staircase consists of details, the names of some of which may not have been previously known to the home craftsman. It would be nice to get a drawing on which they are depicted and signed.

These should include:

• Beams, which are called bowstrings and stringers;
• Railings, safety handrails;
• The edges of the steps, also having their own name: horizontal - tread, and vertical - riser;
• Flight of stairs.

Kosour

This is a solid beam in which cutouts are made for attaching steps from above, so that their ends are visible from the side. There are stair structures, in which it is one in the middle, and wooden planks are horizontally attached to it. But more often, the installation of an attic staircase for greater strength is carried out on two stringers.

Then, even visually, the whole structure looks solid, able to withstand heavy loads. The metal support is often made not in a straight line, but in a stepped shape. Making it at home is very problematic, it is easier to buy it ready-made.

bowstring

This is the name of the supporting inclined beam, and differs from the stringer one in that it hides the ends, and the steps are attached to it with the help of special grooves. Therefore, there must be two of them - on both sides of the staircase. Even a folding staircase to the attic cannot do without these beams, if it is made of wood.


With them, the stationary structure looks massive, soundly, while on the stringers it seems visually light and spacious.

Railings and handrails

It is necessary to find out if there is a difference between these concepts. A railing is a railing along the outside of a flight of stairs. From above, they are connected by handrails - this is an integral part of the fence, on which they lean with their hands. Together, they ensure the safety of movement. These elements can be metal, wood, even glass. They look very attractive if they are made of stainless steel: no protective equipment is required, especially painting, and the service life is almost unlimited. But not every consumer decides to buy them because of the high price.

A variant of the device of the railing of the stairs to the attic floor

Railings need solid, reliable. If the attic stairs with a hatch, then they should end at its very base and not interfere with the functioning of its cover.
There are also some mandatory requirements for handrails:

• The width should allow a person to grab them with his hand in order to hold on tighter;
• Height - at the level of the belt of an adult, not lower;
• To avoid injury, there should be no sharp corners at their ends;
• In appearance, they should form a single, harmonious ensemble with the entire staircase that adorns the house.

Rise and tread

The vertical part of each step is a riser. It closes the space between adjacent steps, and is also an additional support for them. Such steps are called closed, and open will be those that consist of only one horizontal plank for the feet - the so-called treads. Folding stairs to the attic are also equipped with these details.

Flight of stairs

This is an element that connects all the components into a single structure. It has a maximum of 18 steps, mounted on load-bearing beams - a bowstring or stringer. There are single-march stationary systems without turns from the floor to the entrance to the attic and multi-march systems with several spans. They must meet the same requirements that apply to all stair parts: strength, convenience, safety.

Construction of the staircase

The useful width of the march is determined by the distance from the finished wall to the inside of the handrail.

In most cases, the attic is rarely used. For this reason, installing a massive stationary staircase is far from ideal. A more practical solution is a folding ladder to the attic, the small size of which allows you to save free space as much as possible.

Compared to stationary models, folding attic stairs have the following advantages:

Among the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting the following points:

• Difficulty in manufacturing. Some models are quite difficult to make with your own hands. This will require complex and accurate calculations, tools, as well as appropriate skills.
• Lack of sufficient comfort when using. Climbing or descending stairs with a large angle of inclination is not very convenient, and lifting massive objects along such structures is not the most reasonable option.
• Low payload. Most models can not withstand weight more than 150 kg.

Types of folding stairs

All folding attic and attic structures can be divided into several types:

• scissor;
• telescopic;
• sectional;
• folding.

scissor models

Folding scissor-type products are also called “accordion stairs.” This name perfectly describes its essence: when folded, the product resembles a small block, and when unfolded, it straightens out like accordion bellows. To straighten such a ladder, you should pull the bottom step.

The scissor model consists of many small sections fastened together. Therefore, the dimensions of the structure in the folded state are minimal. Perhaps the only drawback of this variety is not very reliable fastenings between the blocks. Therefore, the scissor ladder should be handled with care and do not forget to lubricate the mechanisms between the segments. Working principle of electric scissor ladder

Telescopic varieties

A characteristic feature of this model is a retractable type of sections, like a matryoshka. That is, the smallest pipes are fixed in pipes of a larger diameter, which are inserted into even larger side pipes, etc. The sections are held in the folded state by special clamps, which are located on the outside of the metal beams. To fold the structure, it is enough to loosen the “grip” of the latch.

However, despite the relatively simple device, such models are rare. The reason for the low popularity is problems with fixators. After a short use, the metal clamps begin to “jam”, which prevents the structure from straightening.

Sectional stairs

The sectional folding model resembles a scissor type, only here the segments are not pressed, but stacked on top of each other. Accordingly, when unfolding, the parts are straightened and fixed in a certain position.

The advantage of such a ladder is its low cost. As disadvantages, it is worth mentioning the rather large size and massiveness of the structure.

Folding products

The most unusual option is a folding ladder. This model has a couple of interesting features:

Since the design is similar to direct march varieties, the angle of inclination of the folding ladder is about 45 degrees, which contributes to the most convenient use. As negative points it is worth highlighting:

• high requirements for free space;
• “specific” design (when folded, the folding ladder does not look very nice, because it is not hidden and is always in sight);
• massive structure.

Material used

The material plays an important role for folding stairs. On the one hand, it must be durable, on the other hand, it must have a minimum cost. These requirements are fully met only by 2 materials - wood and metal.

Wooden products are mainly made from coniferous wood, such as pine. Such models have good reliability and low price. In addition, the creation of wooden stairs does not require specific skills or sophisticated equipment. As disadvantages, it is worth highlighting the following points:

• massiveness of the product;
• rather low load capacity (maximum weight - 100 kg);
• short service life.

Much more common are metal stairs made of aluminum and steel, which are in no way inferior to wooden counterparts. In particular, the advantages of such products include:

• acceptable cost;
• good load capacity (up to 200 kg, depending on the type of construction);
• high resistance to rust and mechanical stress;
• durability;
• light weight (for aluminum);
• high strength.

The only drawback of metal varieties is the difficulty of self-manufacturing. For work, knowledge of welding and appropriate equipment will be required.

Important Points

Any ladder, regardless of its type, should be as convenient as possible for use. Therefore, when choosing or designing a product, it is recommended to consider the following parameters:

• optimal span width - 60-70 cm (excluding load-bearing beams);
• the recommended angle of inclination of the structure is 45-60 degrees, the maximum is 75 degrees;
• average number of steps - 15 pcs.;
• step thickness - 2 cm (± 2 mm);
• The “step” of the steps is 17-22 cm (the steps should be located at an equidistant distance from each other throughout the entire flight of stairs);
• with frequent use of the stairs, the width of the tread (horizontal part of the step) should be at least 20 cm;

You should also pay attention to other important points:

• attic stairs should not be higher than 3 m, otherwise the risk of injury increases significantly;
• it is recommended to put anti-slip pads on metal steps;
• wooden models should not be installed in too dry or damp rooms (the service life is reduced);
• fasteners and mechanisms must securely connect the sections of the product;
• it is recommended to lubricate the mechanisms of the structure from time to time.

Making a folding ladder with your own hands

The process of creating a ladder structure is not particularly difficult. But for greater convenience, it should be divided into 2 stages:

• preparation for work;
• staircase manufacturing.

Preparatory stage

The manufacture of stairs begins with the design - taking measurements and creating a drawing. The scheme is recommended to be performed in three projections: front view, top view and side view.

Important! In this case, the design in the drawing should be displayed in the "straightened" state.

Also, the drawing must meet the following requirements:

• on the projection from above, draw a plan of the room, on which the location of the stairs should be noted;
• for greater clarity, the dimensions of the elements are recommended to be indicated in separate footnotes;
• metal parts are displayed with diagonal lines, wood - with curlicues (imitation of wooden "rings").

After preparing the drawing, the necessary materials are purchased. When everything is ready, it is worth preparing the toolkit. So, for work you will need:

• electric or hand saw;
• drill;
• drills of various diameters;
• wood screws.

For the manufacture of metal stairs, the following tools are needed:

• welding machine;
• hacksaw for metal;
• drill with drills for metal;
• fasteners.

In order for the structure to fold, it is necessary to purchase metal card loops.

Execution of work

The manufacturing and installation process itself is quite simple. For example, a two-section folding attic ladder is made as follows:

1. load-bearing beams are divided into 2 parts (and lengths) and connected using metal loops;
2. grooves for steps are made in each carrier beam;
3. steps are inserted into the holes made;
4. rubber pads are put on from below the bearing beams;
5. a wooden block is attached to the wall under the opening to the attic;
6. the upper part () of the structure is connected to the bar with the help of loops;
7. the lower part () is pressed against the wall and fastened on a hook.

Making a folding ladder

1. the first bowstring is rigidly fixed to the wall at the required angle;
2. the first step is marked on it (12 cm wide);
3. 2 lines are drawn parallel to the faces of the carrier beam;
4. a line is marked perpendicular to the end of the first segment;
5. from the perpendicular mark, an indent is made to the right by 1 cm and a vertical line is drawn;
6. the marking made marks the beginning of the second step (the following steps are marked in the same way);
7. the markup is transferred to the second string;
8. with the help of loops, the steps are attached to the supporting beams (on a stationary bowstring they should rise, on a movable one they should go down);
9. a loop is attached to the movable bowstring and a hook is installed for it in the appropriate place on the wall.

An example of a folding ladder to the attic

Access to the attic (loft) requires a ladder. Since my attic room is not residential, i.e. "cold attic", then a stationary staircase was not supposed from the very beginning of construction.

However, access to the attic is necessary and this requires a hatch to the attic.
Having studied the proposals in the form of ready-made solutions in Moscow, I came to the conclusion that it is best to make a hatch to the attic with your own hands - it will be much cheaper.
A folding ladder with a hatch to the attic costs just not real money - compared to its cost price, it's just something ...

Trying to find information on the Internet, to my great surprise, it did not lead to anything - in the search results for queries:
- do-it-yourself hatch to the attic,
- do-it-yourself attic stairs, etc. opens a bunch of sites that contain almost the same article with an overview of stairs.
Or a reprint of an article published on the ForumHouse website by a user Alli58ru- "Do-it-yourself folding stairs to the attic" and the same picture is given:

I also came across one article where a man made a hatch to the attic with his own hands using barn hinges as hinges.
But this option does not suit me, like the one described in the article Alli58ru, since in these options there is a fairly large gap between the hatch cover and the box on the hinge side. Although in the version with barn loops this gap is smaller ...

I wanted to make such a hatch to the attic with a folding ladder so that:
- it was insulated (hatch thickness from 50mm,
- so that the hatch has a vestibule that would go a quarter in the hatch bun
- so that there are no gaps along the perimeter of the hatch, i.e. so that the hatch finish (in my case it will be either lining or imitation of timber) would go a little beyond the hatch on the sides.

In this case, the hatch should open normally.

To realize the normal opening of the hatch, which has a rather large thickness, you need to choose the right hinges for the hatch to the attic itself.

Alli58ru I used these loops:

By the way, on some sites they reprint the same picture with the dimensions for this loop - and the dimensions are not accurate.!

Having looked closely at the hinges on the factory attic hatches with stairs, I noticed such hinges:

Decided to experiment with them.
In theory, the following logical schemes for the operation of loops are obtained:

For samples, I collected several hinges from hardboard and wooden blocks.
Dimensions can be viewed directly on the hinges themselves.

1
In this embodiment, the manhole cover will bite right away - such a loop is not good ...

2
This is the option considered Alli58ru

3
This is the option I've settled on for now.

To test the operation of the attic hatch hinges, I whipped up an attic hatch box from a defective 90x60cm imitation timber.
The cover for the hatch was also assembled from the same imitation of a bar and fixed it on bars 30x40mm. The lid turned out to be crooked, but I didn’t care - I still had to check the operation of the hinges first.

Here is the hatch box. Inside the box, I screwed the strips that form a quarter to which the hatch cover should be pressed.
Laid the thickness of the hatch in 60mm:

I also made the hinges for this hatch from wooden blocks of this type:

I screwed these hinges to the hatch cover and to the sides of the box with self-tapping screws:

I installed the resulting test hatch to the attic on four legs 150 cm high.

View of the hatch from below. You can see the 30x40mm bars framing the hatch where you can place a heater to organize an insulated hatch to the attic.
Screwed the lock of the hatch in the closed position.

A box with a hatch to the attic is installed on legs.

Fully open sunroof:

Side view

Here you can see how far the back of the hatch recedes from the edge of the box forward when it is fully opened.
If the opening is limited in length and in the place where it will open, this must be taken into account.

Hinge with sunroof fully open

Front view

The beginning of the opening of the hatch. It can be seen that the hatch begins to open in such a way that it does not interfere with the outer skin and the box.

In this implementation, I found a problem, namely:
When opening the hatch, the hatch lining is biting against the box and the hatch does not open completely.
Perhaps this is due to the insufficient length of the levers in the hatch loop. Don't know.
The photo shows the problem area:

If the hatch lining is moved so that it is flush with the box, then the problem is solved. in this case, on the back side of the hatch (one hundred sides of the hinges), when it closes, there will still be no gap, as well as in the front, but in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe hatch is fully opened, it will either be necessary to cut the frame of the hatch or somehow "play" with the loop and look for a way out. ..
While I have no solution - I had to leave the dacha.

I also figured out the moment for the attic hatch opening limiter at the desired angle.
So far I have made such a "crane":

In principle, you can make it so that it folds along the hatch box, and not on top. Until I finally decided.

In this loop, the load on the hatch that holds the weight of a person on the stairs is transferred to this node, and in the case of implementing the hinge for the hatch of the proposed Alli58ru there is a limitation in the loop itself. Those. the load is more distributed.

On the other hand, many factory attic stairs have this kind of hinges.

The next step I made this type of metal hinges.
It turned out this:

I will write a separate post about their manufacture a little later.

And finally, a few videos that I shot during testing:

This is the same hatch only with metal hinges (no sound):

Update:
I think that the problem with biting the outer trim of the hatch on the edge of the box can be solved precisely by lengthening the levers in the loop.

I "played" a little with the cardboard and the size of the levers in the loop and sort of found a solution.

Here's what happened:

Here I used a hatch pie like this:
- plywood 10-12mm
- on it a bar 40 mm high - then a heater there ...
- we fill the outer trim on the bar
I also immediately considered the option of using a 50mm bar instead of 40mm - it seems that it should also work as it should.

When opening the attic hatch, it turns out like this:

As can be seen from the figure, there should not be any biting between the trim and the bottom of the box. In theory for now.
It is also seen that with the hatch open, the ladder will move forward from the edge of the hatch by about 14-15 centimeters.
For small hatches, this can be critical.

Side view is like this:

And this is on cardboard:

And here I put this loop on cardboard on a sheet of paper to illustrate how the loop should behave when opened:

The new dimensions of the hinge arms are visible in the picture. It turned out that the dimensions were increased by only 10mm.

PS
But I have not yet been able to find a normal spring. Everywhere you can only buy springs 30cm long - like for doors - I don’t know if they will go for the hatch or not.

Are there any options at this moment? Are they sold somewhere?

I made new hinges from metal with slightly changed dimensions.
During testing, the outer finish of the hatch now does not touch the lower edge of the box.
Here's a video:

In a country house, the space under the roof is often a useful area and is actively used, so a do-it-yourself attic staircase with a hatch will be useful.

Types of stairs for access to the attic

Stairs have always been used to communicate between floors, and the last, uppermost level, the attic or attic, is no exception. The ascent to the under-roof premises can be included in a single marching complex, that is, the ceiling located below will serve as a platform for the next flight of stairs. But access to the attic can be organized in two ways - through the door from a small platform where you can climb the stairs from the residential floor, or through the hatch, directly to the upper floor.

Now let's talk about the design of the flight of stairs. It can be stationary with steps, or descending directly into the hatch, being fixed on its cover. The second option is more compact, but more difficult to implement, the first requires a significant area, even for. Separately, it is worth mentioning a folding ladder with rungs, which is fixed to the wall when not needed. Movable models look the most practical: folding, telescopic, sliding and scissor.

Often in search of information about folding models, you can find mention of sectional, articulated, folding stairs. All these are different variants of the same type - folding, since this is the principle of the design. We do not confuse sectional folding models with spans of the same type, but with bowstrings as a basis. The latter are ordinary steps, fixed on hollow bars, which are called bowstrings, one of which is rigidly fixed to the wall, and the second rises on the hinges of the steps.

Folding ladder - design features

To begin with, let's look at folding models that are made of both metal (aluminum, stainless steel) and wood in combination with steel parts. Regardless of the height of the ceiling, even if you can reach it with your hand, a folding staircase to the attic will always consist of at least 3 sections, both purchased and made by yourself, the drawings rarely differ in this regard.

The fact is that the supports of the lower section must necessarily rest against the floor, and if only 2 long knees are made, the attic hatch will have to be greatly extended in length. This, in turn, will take away some of the useful attic space. When you should take into account its slope to the floor, it is never installed strictly vertically. Accordingly, the lid should fold down not at a straight line, but at an acute angle of about 70-75 degrees. In this case, the hinge between the two upper sections becomes the center of the arc that the folding knee describes, and therefore the hatch must be such that the lower part of the second section does not touch its edge.

The line between the supports resting on the floor is 20-30 centimeters further than the edge of the attic opening, which provides a fairly comfortable angle for the position of the stairs. The last factor is also true for telescopic or scissor designs. The topmost section of the folding model is usually attached directly to the manhole cover so that opening it simultaneously begins to feed the folded sections down.

Therefore, the suspensions holding the sash must be strong enough, they are best chosen based on a load of 150 kilograms. Do-it-yourself attic stairs should be made with a large margin of safety, if it is actively used during frequent visits to the attic, best of all - from metal. An exception may be steps, they can be made of wood so as not to make the structure too heavy. Sections are connected by conventional one-piece articulated or lever hinges.

Telescopic attic ladder - buy or make it yourself?

Retractable telescopic sections seem to be a very difficult device to manufacture at home, and many people buy ready-made along with an attic hatch. However, you can get by with the purchase of only a retractable ladder, which is often found in hardware stores next to tools. Its distinguishing feature is aluminum sections and plastic elements for fastening the crossbars.

Such a staircase to the attic is mounted with your own hands on the hatch, the thinnest part above the hinges of the lid that folds down. It will not be possible to fix it rigidly on the latter due to the fact that the telescopic knees are rather short, and fixing at least one, in addition to the top one, will prevent the ladder from moving forward.

Before you make and install such an attic staircase with your own hands, you need to carefully measure the distance from the floor to the ceiling of the upper residential floor. If the fully extended knees are too long even when the structure is tilted, 1-2 upper sections can be rigidly fixed to the hatch in a semi-extended or folded position. Worse, if the ladder supports do not reach the floor, in this case it will be necessary to mount it on lowering hangers without mounting to the edge of the hatch opening, the cover of which will be held by separate levers.

When self-assembling the mechanism for lowering the entire structure down, it is better to fix the hangers on the ladder racks with steel clamps, possibly with their through bolt fixation to the support. The telescopic ladder can be kept lowered by both purchased crank arms and conventional cables. For the hatch cover, in addition to suspensions, springs will be needed, which, in addition to holding it in the closed position, will allow it to be lifted without much effort. However, the upper pull-out sections of the ladder can also be equipped with such springs (even blocks are used for such an operation, which will be discussed later).

Sliding sectional structure for access to the attic

Many people think that a retractable telescopic ladder to the attic is identical to a sliding model, but the difference between them is quite significant when making it yourself. If in the first variant the sections of the length of the rack between two crossbars are extended one from the other, then in the second case they consist of 5-6 steps and slide one along the other along the outer guides.

In other words, the telescopic design is more compact, but the sliding one is easier to do on your own. After all, it is easier to assemble sections moving along a sled than to pick up pipe sections of different diameters, not to mention fixing these sections so that they do not fall apart when extended. As for the assembly of sliding stairs, they can be different. The simplest option - all sections of the same size and stacked one on top of the other, with a connection on a skid with rollers.

Another type - the lower sections are narrower than the upper ones and are located one inside the other, according to the principle of a fire escape. In this case, the supports of the upper knee should be wider than the lower one so that the section easily fits over the crossbars, while the sled is located on the inside of the uprights, and the rollers on the outside. For such a model, the uppermost knee, regardless of the type of construction, must be rigidly fixed on the hatch cover, equipped with strong suspensions and springs.

Scissor attic ladder - advanced technology

This option is perhaps the most interesting, since it makes it possible to climb into the under-roof premises along full-fledged flat steps of sufficient width to comfortably place the sole of the foot. At the same time, the ladder folds as compactly as the telescopic ladder. This design has one indisputable advantage: if you attach a spring to at least one section, pulling it up into the hatch, the tension element will fold all the knees, which are interconnected levers.

The whole design resembles several dozen scissors, which are hinged in pairs with rings and knife tips. Steps are always mounted at the intersection points of the metal strips, where the scissors have a screw. At the same time, they are rigidly fixed in relation to the axes, which have a rotation limitation. It is not difficult to make such attic stairs with your own hands, you just need to have 100 metal strips available for 25 steps, preferably made of durable stainless steel.

Each 2 strips are connected with a bolt exactly in the center, and then the resulting X-shaped elements are movably attached to each other using short bushings. Steps are installed at the crosshairs. At the same time, so that they do not sway, you need to either hang them a little lower on the corners, or make limiting protrusions on opposite metal strips.

Attention - when folding the scissor sections, be careful not to pinch your fingers between the planks.

Folding ladder fixed on the wall

There are 2 ways possible here, how to make a ladder to the attic. At the very beginning, we mentioned that two-section folding ladders are impractical if the hatch is small. However, such a model can be mounted on the wall if the opening is located at the edge of the ceiling. In this case, we make 2 sections, short and long, and we fix the second one under the very hatch, with loops on a thick beam attached at the top of the wall. The second knee is made longer than the remaining distance to the floor, and is hinged below the beams of the first, so that in the folded position it is between the wall and the long section.

Another do-it-yourself folding attic ladder is made on inclined bowstrings with full steps instead of rungs. One board is rigidly fixed on the wall, as we have already mentioned above. Loops are screwed to it for mounting movable treads, to which, in turn, also on hinges, we fasten the second bowstring, even with railings on rod balusters. In the upper part, under the opening, we make an emphasis for the descending bowstring board. In order for the whole structure to be kept in a tilted up position, it must be hooked to a metal loop specially attached to the wall.