To save free space in a private house, an auxiliary device such as a retractable staircase to the attic is often used, which is removed at the right time, freeing up the area of \u200b\u200bthe room. The design of such devices may differ in the principle of assembly, in the size and structure of the materials for their manufacture, but, nevertheless, they all serve the same purpose.
Below we will talk about such devices and their use, as well as watch the thematic video in this article.
Types of structures and their characteristics
Space saving
- The possibilities that retractable attic stairs open up, or rather, their use, are quite extensive, but for some reason they are used extremely rarely, in any case, less than 70% of the population living in the private sector and having an attic. Moreover, when the entrance to the attic or attic is carried out from the street and, as a rule, along the side ladder for the roof, then it remains most of the area of \u200b\u200bthe upper room is unused - most often there are some things that you can do without at all.
- At present, when people's wealth is growing, but the price of housing is growing much faster, it is very reasonable to use every square meter for its intended purpose, without leaving it empty. Therefore, in such premises it is possible to equip rest rooms, studios and even increase living space by supplying heating there. All this is possible if the entrance upstairs is carried out not from the street, as is often the case, but from the apartment, that is, the attic will become a continuation of your home.
- Also in the attic, you can equip a warehouse for those things that we do not need for permanent use - these can be various fishing tackle, a bicycle, skis, and so on.. The staircase leading to the attic does not have to look like something extraneous - manufacturers specially develop designs taking into account this or that interior.
- To bring the device into working condition, it is usually sufficient to use a special tool open the hatch and attic stairs either it comes out by itself, or you need to pull the ring attached to the bottom step again.The mechanism is also assembled without any problems, and all these actions occur smoothly, without the slightest threat to the health (probability of injury) of a person. Upon purchase, an instruction is attached to the mechanism, which will help not only to understand the operating modes, but also to properly maintain it.
Specifications
Unlike folding, sliding attic stairs take up much less space, and all this is due to the peculiarities of their design. The fact is that when folded and unfolded, they act like a tram or trolleybus pantograph, and when folded, they practically do not need additional space, but are placed on the hatch cover.
It turns out that such structures require much less space than folding ones, which means that the opening in the ceiling does not need to be increased, focusing on the dimensions of the mechanism, but only on its slope, according to GOST 26887-86 and 24258-88.
But for such devices there are restrictions on materials, so if folding products can be made of steel, aluminum or wood, then retractable attic stairs are limited only to metal, although wood may be present there as decorative elements.
The surface of the metal is treated with powder paints, which make it possible to give it almost any color according to the RAL table, which makes it possible to combine it with any interior. An important feature is the fact that even elderly people with disabilities can push such an accordion apart.
The maximum load per step that a sliding attic ladder can withstand is usually up to 150 kg, and this is the weight of a very overweight person. But this does not mean at all that such a mass is the limit - the manufacturer, as a rule, uses a stock of at least 30 to 50 kg, although it should not be concluded from this that the structure can be constantly overloaded.
Recommendation. If you want to make your own folding or even sliding design of the attic stairs, then you have to calculate the length of the hatch.
It should begin where the distance from the ceiling to the step decreases to two meters.
Structural elements
An important place in the design is occupied by the manhole cover, which is usually made of chipboard or OSB materials, glued on both sides with fiberboard or polyurethane. The thickness of such an assembled plate usually ranges from 15 to 20 mm, but there are also insulated options, where polyurethane foam or extruded polystyrene foam serves as thermal insulation, and then its thickness reaches 32 mm.
In regions with a particularly cold climate, additional insulation can be ordered for manhole covers, the thickness of which will be no more than 30 mm.
The documentation indicates the length of the stairs and the height of the room for which it is suitable. If you make a mistake in choosing the length, do not be discouraged - if the design turned out to be larger, then it can be cut, and if it is smaller, then add elements to the floor.
Recommendation.If the passport does not indicate the dimensions of the hatch to be made in the ceiling, but only the parameters of the box, then add 10 mm to them on each side and get the perimeter of the opening you need.
Conclusion
Such structures do not have to be used exclusively for attics - they can become a fire exit or stairs to the next floor. It should also be borne in mind that a sliding device in most cases will cost you less than a stationary one.
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