Attic Stair Installation in Wilmington, DE
- Folding Ladders in Wood or Aluminum
- Hatches Turned Into Stairs
- Worn Pull-Downs Replaced
estimate is free and starts under the attic opening you have now.
Getting into the attic shouldn't mean balancing on a step stool under a hatch with a box over your head, or climbing a pull-down that flexes and creaks at every hinge. A well-fitted attic stair unfolds to the floor at the angle it was built for, stands on flat feet, and folds back up behind a ceiling panel when you're done.
We put attic stairs into hallways and closets that only have a hatch, and we replace pull-downs that have worn out and come loose. From the hall below and the attic above, Jimmy Grubb and his son fit each unit to the ceiling height below and the framing above.
Insured Work in Your Hallway Ceiling
A square, sound opening
The opening is sized and squared to the unit before it goes up.
Sized before it is ordered
The unit is matched to the opening and the ceiling height before anything is bought.
A fixed stair where it fits
Treads and a handrail for anyone who finds a ladder hard to climb.
Which Attic Stair Fits Your Ceiling?
An attic stair is a ladder hinged to a door panel, which sits in a wooden frame that fills a hole in the ceiling between the joists. The size of that hole and the direction the joists run set which units can fit, and how much framing the opening needs before one goes in.
Folding attic ladders in wood or aluminum
A folding attic ladder comes in three or four sections hinged together. Closed, they fold onto the back of the door panel; pulled down, they unfold into one straight ladder, and the hinges lock in line under your weight. Werner and Louisville both make them in wood and in aluminum. Aluminum sections are lighter to pull down and won't swell or shrink with attic humidity. Wood stays warmer to the hand in a cold attic. Each unit carries a load rating from the maker that covers the climber and whatever they carry.
Replacing a pull-down that has worn out
An old pull-down loosens at the hinges and the springs over years of use, and a ladder whose bottom section never matched its ceiling height puts strain on those hinges with every climb. If the old opening matches a current unit size, the old ladder comes out, and the new one goes into the same frame. If it doesn't, the opening is made larger, or framed down smaller, to suit the new unit. Hinges, springs, rails and steps all arrive new together, which is the point of replacing the whole unit.
Fixed attic stairs
A fixed stair stays down all the time, with treads and a handrail like a short staircase. It is the easiest way up for someone who finds a ladder hard to climb, and the hardest to fit, because it needs floor space at the bottom for its full run and enough headroom where it rises through the ceiling. A fixed stair goes in where the house has room for one, such as a spare room or the end of a wide hall, and Jimmy will tell you at the estimate whether yours does.
Sizing a unit to the opening and the ceiling height
Folding units are sold by rough-opening size and by ceiling-height range. One standard rough opening is 22.5 inches wide by 54 inches long. Ceiling joists set 24 inches apart leave a 22.5-inch space between them, so a unit of that width can drop straight in. Joists set 16 inches apart leave about 14.5 inches, so one joist has to be cut and the opening framed with headers that carry the cut joist's load to the joists beside it. The joist spacing is checked before a unit is chosen.
Height is the other measurement. The ladder's bottom section is trimmed on site so that, with the ladder open, each section lines up straight and both feet sit flat on the floor. A ladder left too long bows at the hinges; one cut too short leaves gaps at the hinges, so the hinge hardware takes the climber's weight. The unit also needs room to move: clear floor in front of the foot of the ladder below, and enough height above the opening for the folded sections to swing up into the attic.
Hallway joists in a Claymont ranch
In a one-story ranch home near Claymont, an attic opening in the hallway ceiling provides a narrow space to work with in both directions. Whether the joists cross the hall or run along it changes the job. Running along the hall, the long side of the opening can sit between two joists. Crossing it, the long side cuts across several joists, each of which has to be headed off. Below, the foot of the ladder needs to land in the hall itself, clear of bedroom and bathroom doors that swing into it. Above, the low roof pitch of a ranch can leave little height over the opening for the folded ladder to swing into, so that clearance is measured from the attic side.
In a plaster ceiling, the outline of a new opening is scored before it is cut, and the casing trim around the new unit covers the cut edge.
plaster ceiling repairThe Install, Worked From Both Sides of the Ceiling
Where the opening is, or should be
A text or call to (302) 321-3577 is the start: say where the attic opening is now, whether it's a hatch or an old pull-down, and roughly how high the ceiling is. A photo helps you describe it, but the price comes from the visit.
Measuring from both sides
This part happens at the house, first from below, then from the attic side. The ceiling height and the opening are measured, and the joist spacing, joist direction, and clearance above are looked at from up there. Below, the floor space and the doors that swing near the foot of the ladder are noted.
Choosing the unit
Wood or aluminum, and a size and load rating that suit the opening and the people who will use it.
The unit goes up
The floor below is covered, and the old unit comes out. The opening is sized and framed as needed, and the new unit is lifted in, shimmed square, and fastened through its frame to the surrounding framing.
Opened, then folded away
The stair is opened with each hinge locked straight and both feet flat on the floor, then folded away so the door panel sits flush with the ceiling.
Included With a New Attic Stair
| Item | Included? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Old pull-down ladder | Taken out | Hauling it away is covered at the estimate |
| New attic stair | Yes | Werner or Louisville, wood or aluminum |
| Opening sized to the unit | Where needed | Joist headed off if the unit is wider than the joist bay |
| Unit fastened to the framing | Yes | Shimmed square in the opening |
| Bottom section cut to length | Yes | Set to your floor-to-ceiling height |
| Casing trim around the opening | Yes | Left ready for paint |
| Ceiling patch around the opening | Where needed | Plaster or drywall |
| A unit you bought yourself | Installed if it suits the opening | Warranty covers labor only |
| Attic insulation | Not included | Not a service we offer |
| Painting the trim or door panel | Not included | Left for your painter |
We don't do attic insulation, and we don't paint walls, ceilings or trim.
Attic Stair Install Cost
- Install
Attic stair installation
Price$1,200 to $2,000
Swapping a worn pull-down into an opening that already fits a current unit is a matter of one ladder out and another in, while a new opening cut through the ceiling, with a joist headed off and casing trimmed around it, is a framing job as well. The unit itself counts too: wood or aluminum, its ceiling-height range and its load rating. So does the ceiling, since plaster and drywall are opened and patched differently.
Jimmy prices every project in person at your home, never from a photo or a text. Project estimates are free and are usually scheduled in the evening.
Our warranty
Our work carries a one-year workmanship warranty, dated from the day the job is finished.
What Wilmington Customers Tell Google
More reviews from our customers, straight from Google.
Attic Ladder Fine Print
Look for the load rating printed on the unit's label. It counts the person climbing plus whatever they carry, so a rating that only just covers your own weight leaves nothing for the box of decorations. Choose the rating for the heaviest person who will use it, loaded.
It can, if the closet ceiling sits under open attic space and the closet floor has room for the foot of the ladder. Shelves and a hanging rod under the opening obstruct both the ladder and the climber, so a reach-in closet may lose its shelf on that side.
The door panel is thinner than the insulated ceiling around it, and gaps at its edges let air through. Some units come with weatherstripping around the panel and an insulated door, which is worth asking about when you choose one.
Each unit is made for a range of floor-to-ceiling heights, printed on its box. Measure from the floor where the ladder's feet will land up to the ceiling at the opening, not the height you think the room is, since a thick carpet or a floor that dips changes the number. Give a rough figure; the exact one is taken at the estimate.
Some makers sell a handrail that bolts to the ladder's side rail, so there is something to hold on the way down, when you are facing the steps with your back to the hall. It has to suit the model, so it is worth asking for when the unit is chosen rather than added later.
Only the area around the opening, so the folded ladder has room to swing up and the frame can be fastened from above. Boxes stored right over a hatch are worth moving before the install day.
Where Is Your Attic Opening Now?
Say which you have: a bare hatch, an old pull-down or no opening at all. Add the floor-to-ceiling height under it if you know it, and send both to (302) 321-3577 by call or text.
Precision Home Worx · Based in Claymont, DE · (302) 321-3577 (call or text) · Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Delaware business license #223872998 · General liability insurance and RLI surety bond #LMS1971327
Serving Wilmington, Claymont, North Wilmington, Hockessin, Pike Creek, Greenville, Newark, New Castle, Bear and the rest of northern Delaware.
Related services
The main service
Custom carpentry and built-insRelated work
Where we work
Around the opening
Where we install attic stairs
Attic stairs installed in Wilmington, Claymont, North Wilmington, Pike Creek, Newark, New Castle, Elsmere and Bear.
