Climbing Up In the Attic

To save space, many homes have a pull down ladder for access to the attic. It might make good sense, since most of us don’t spend much time in the attic. However, when you need to access your attic, a pull down ladder does have some safety issues. It is very important that the pull down ladder is installed properly, and this is not always the case.

The ladder needs to be securely mounted into solid wood with a sufficient amount of large fasteners. If not, it could rip loose when there is a load put on it. It is also possible that the ladder is too long, and thus being subjected to force above its capacity when being climbed. On the other hand, if the ladder is too short, the hinges and mount might be overloaded.

Even a properly installed ladder should be used with care. If you have to move heavy items up into the attic, it’s better to take one extra trip than trying to make it up with a very heavy load, risking breaking the ladder.