Wall-mount ladder for attic access

[MNSI]

x-no-archive: yes

Someone I know lives in a house designed by a genius -- the attic access is placed right above a water heater and some HVAC machinery in a room/closet. Needless to say, getting into/out of the attic is tricky at best, even with the help of a portable ladder. We talked about mounting a short ladder to the wall right below the attic access. But before we reinvent the square wheel I thought I'd ask the experts whether that's the right solution and whether there are products on the market suitable for the purpose. Any advice?

[N8N]

Is there another more suitable location for access to the attic? i'd be tempted to just cut a new hatch.

nate

[DerbyDad03]

My first question is "Why is attic access required?" or, more to the point, "Will there be a need to carry anything larger than a flashlight into the attic?"

For the occasional inspection of the space, I'd say the wall mounted ladder would be fine, but if the "someone you know" needs to carry stuff in and out of the attic (i.e. storage) then a vertical ladder is going to be a real pain and probably unsafe.

I'd strongly suggest looking for a more convenient location for a pull- down staircase if storage is planned.

[Robert Neville]

Why don't you just relocate the access? It's not that hard to cut drywall between some rafters.

[MNSI]

To the second question, it's safe to say that the answer is no -- I don't think you can store anything large in that attic, much less fit it through the attic access.

Any idea where you can find a short wall mounted ladder?

[pipedown]

Build one yourself just use a hard wood for the rungs. Good for light duty inspections. Dosen't sound like it will be used more than once a year or for a project like installing lighting cables.

As for where other than the internet. Maybe a camper supply store or an industrial warehouse equipment or fire safety company.

[HeyBub]

Take out the sheetrock between two studs. Mount rungs on the studs.

Cover with a curtain. I prefer the beaded curtains you find in movies about North Africa.

[John Grabowski]

A wall mounted ladder is more difficult to climb than an A-frame ladder or a ladder leaning against the wall. I vote for relocating the opening or perhaps making it larger. It is not unusual to see a hatch in a clothes closet or a hallway ceiling.