Best Pull Down Attic Stairs
When moving into a new home, you may need to buy a new set of attic stairs to help move items into your attic for storage. In this article, you will find the best pull down attic stairs to suit your specific needs. That’s why first you must overview the different types of materials available, and key features of pull down attic stairs that you’ll need to take into consideration.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Attic Ladder
These are the different factors you must take into consideration when looking to buy the best pull down attic stairs for you.
Ease of Installation
Installing pull down attic stairs isn’t exactly something you do every day, so the instructions of installation provided by the manufacturers must be clear and concise. It is essential you’re able to install your pull down attic stairs correctly, as if anything is in the wrong place, there’s a high risk of the stairs collapsing while you’re on them. This could cause your serious injury.
Dimensions and Weight
This is an important factor to consider before buying the best pull down attic stairs. You must measure the distance between your floor and your ceiling, to make sure your attic stairs won’t be too long, or too short. You would hate to purchase and install them before realizing they’re not the right size!
To measure the height between your floor and ceiling, ask a friend or family member to hold one end of the measuring tape on the floor, while you take the other end to the opening of the attic.
In regards to weight, a general rule of thumb is to install pull down attic stairs that are capable of holding the heaviest person that’s going to be using them. You might want to make sure the attic stairs can hold a little bit extra weight though, as the heaviest person may be carrying heavy items to and from your attic.
Safety Features
Going up and down attic stairs can be dangerous. Especially if you’re handling heavy, or awkward to carry objects. If you consider yourself as a clumsy person, getting pull down stairs with a handrail is probably a good choice.
The best pull down attic stairs also have non-slip steps to help prevent accidents from occuring. Another safety feature of pull down attic stairs are locking latches. These are put in place to keep the stairs in place when they’re pulled down.
Material
Pull down attic stairs can be manufactured from a wide range of materials, with each material having its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The most common materials used for pull down attic stairs are aluminum, wood, fiberglass and steel. Here’s an examination of each:
Aluminum
Aluminum pull down attic stairs are lightweight, sturdy, and corrosion-resistant, making them a popular choice for many homeowners with an attic. They are easy to install compared to other materials. and require little maintenance. However, aluminum attic stairs tend to be more expensive than different materials, such as wood, but they have superior durability and resistance. They are the perfect material to use if you live in a humid climate, as they won’t rust or corrode.
Wood
Wooden pull down attic stairs are more of a traditional choice and are known for their aesthetic appeal. The wooden material means your attic stairs blend in with your home’s interior, and provide a warm, natural look. However, wooden ladders can be heavier than other materials and may require more maintenance, as they can be susceptible to warping, rotting, or insect infestations over time. Wood is also less resistant to moisture, which can affect its durability. If you maintain your pull down attic stairs, and take good care of them, you shouldn’t have many issues though.
Steel
Known for their strength and durability, steel pull down attic stairs are an attractive option for people with an attic in their home. One positive of buying attic stairs with this material is they can support more weight than wood or aluminum ladders. This makes them ideal for moving heavy items and appliances to and from your attic. Steel ladders are usually covered with a protective layer to prevent rust and corrosion. However, steel ladders can be quite heavy and may be more challenging to install. If you have issues with this, you could always hire a professional to install your pull down attic stairs for you.
Fiberglass
This type of pull down attic stairs are strong, lightweight, and are also immune to rust, rot, and insect infestations, making them a low-maintenance option for you to consider. The only issue with purchasing fiberglass ladders, is they can be more expensive than wood or aluminum options. Your budget may be too low to afford a high quality set of fiberglass attic stairs, but their durability and safety features may be worth the investment.
It makes sense to invest in the best pull down attic stairs, as cheap and tacky options will only cost you more money to repair in the long term.
Types of Attic Ladders
Below are the most common types of pull down attic stairs.
Folding pull down attic stairs
Installing folding pull down attic stairs can be more difficult than scissor or telescoping ladders. However, they’re more robust than most types of attic stairs. The nature of folding pull down attic stairs means they take up a lot of space in your attic when it’s closed. This means when storing objects in your attic, you must ensure there’s still plenty of space for this type of pull down attic stairs.
Scissor pull down attic stairs
This type of pull down attic stairs get their name from their scissor-style rungs. Because of this, they only take up a small amount of space in your attic, and they don’t come out your attic too fast when you open the hatch. However, the convenience and safety features of scissor pull down attic stairs usually come at an expensive cost.
Telescoping attic ladder
This set of ladders are ideal if the entrance to your attic is either in a tight corner, or based in a cupboard. They’re completely different to most other types of ladders, as they fold into themselves, making them really easy to store. However, telescoping attic ladders typically have a lower weight threshold compared to other types of pull down attic stairs. If you rent your property, these attic stairs will be perfect for you, as you don’t need to permanently attach them to your attic hole.They’re also easy to transport.
Let’s get into the 10 best pull down attic stairs!
1. FAKRO LST 66823 Insulated Steel Scissor Attic Ladder – Best Scissor pull down attic stairs
One customer of this FAKRO product described it as the Mercedes/Cadillac of attic ladders. They’re practical, sturdy, and are aesthetically pleasing in your home.These attic stairs fit ceilings that have heights between 7ft 6 ½ in to 9 ft 2 ¼ in. However, if the length between your floor and ceiling is higher than this, you can purchase up to two additional steps and add these to your ladder to increase the length.
Customers of these pull down attic stairs are seriously impressed with their engineering, and if you buy this set you will be too.
2. Yvan Telescoping Ladder
These ladders are ideal for people that don’t use their attic too often, so don’t want to spend too much money on pull down attic stairs. They fold down into a really small size, so are easy to store too.
These ladders are multi-purpose, so you can also use them for other house duties, such as painting walls, cleaning windows, and cleaning out gutters. They have a maximum height of 12.5ft, and are rated 4.4 out of 5 stars for maneuverability.
3. Louisville Ladder AA2210 Elite Aluminum Attic Ladder
The steps are about 3/.25 inches deep, making it safe for anyone to climb. It also has an opening that’s bigger than many other attic stairs. There is so much space which means you can move almost anything up to storage.
4. Century WL2211L Attic Ladder – Best Budget Choice
The stairs have a maximum load capacity of 250 lbs, so make sure to take this into consideration before purchasing these stairs. The wooden material means if you use these stairs while being over the capacity, there’s a chance your foot could go straight through one of the wooden steps. The Century WL2211L Attic Ladder is Amazon’s choice, and is an excellent option if you’re looking for high quality attic ladders on a tight budget.
5. LITE Aluminum Attic Ladder w/Aluminum Frame
One customer described these attic stairs as easy to install, and also open and close without any effort. This shows this is a great product for you if you don’t have much DIY/handyman experience.
The rough openings for these pull down attic stairs are 22 ½ x 54 inches, so make sure this will fit the hole in the attic.
6. Werner W2508 250-Pound Duty Rating Wood Folding Attic Ladder, 8- Foot
These Werner attic ladders can hold up to 250 pounds in weight, and are perfect for any home with a ceiling height between 7ft and 8ft 9 inches.
Customers of these attic ladders say they’re sturdy, easy to install, and are delivered quickly. However, if you’re not satisfied with these pull down attic stairs, you can get a return, replacement, or refund within 30 days of receiving your receipt.
7. Telescoping Loft Ladder Extension Ladders – Cheapest Option
Each step has anti-slip sleeves to prevent you from falling off while climbing up and down your attic, but there is no handrail to support you when on the ladder. Instead, there’s a grip handle which gives you something to hold onto while carrying items up to your attic. Customers of these attic stairs have rated it 4.1 out of 5 in terms of ease of use, which shows these ladders are great for people that haven’t used attic stairs before.
This set of telescoping attic ladders extend up to 10.5 Ft in length, which should be more than long enough for your attic.
8. Louisville Ladder 6-Foot Fiberglass Step Ladder – Best Fiberglass ladders
The ladders have features which allow them to be durable for years, but if you’re still unsure, it also comes with a 1 year warranty.
Customers have rated these ladders at least 4.5/5 stars in sturdiness, maneuverability, and stability. These are all essential factors you need to consider when purchasing ladders. They’re even Amazon’s choice!
9. FAKRO LMS Insulated Metal Attic Ladder
The wooden door frame is insulated, which keeps heat in your home, and therefore helps keep energy bills as low as possible. The door opens and closes easily with no sudden movements. The steps also have grips which ensure you won’t slip when climbing to and from your attic.
10. VEVOR Attic Steps – Best Heavy Duty Ladders
Another benefit of purchasing these pull down attic stairs is that they have a maximum length of 11.2ft, which is one of the highest on this list.
The only issue with these ladders is that they don’t come with a set of instructions. However, you can print these off the Amazon website.
Attic Stairway Insulation Cover
They’re Amazon’s choice, and most customers have given this product a 5 star rating in terms of ease of use.
So what’s the Best Pull Down Attic Stairs for me?
If you live in a small place with little storage, you should look at getting either telescoping or scissor attic ladders. However, if you will be using your attic stairs regularly, and potentially moving heavy objects, the FAKRO or Louisville ladders are definitely your best options.