Modern homes have attics that have mainly been designed for insulation and as storage spaces. The air in the attic is effectively stopped from entering the home, thereby leaving the rest of the house nice and warm. The fact that it spans the length and width of the house and can hence be used for the storage of all kinds of junk, which in turn further insulates the property, is just an added bonus. The problem is, however, that gain access to an attic safely can be quite difficult. Luckily, you have a wide variety of aluminum ladders available to you that can help you get the access you need. Best of all, you can install these ladders easily as a DIY project in just a few hours.

Types of Ladders

Some people choose wooden ladders because they are rustic and feel homelier. However, they are also more expensive and simply not as convenient because they are heavy and not as easy to store. Aluminum, by contrast, is far more durable, far stronger, and can carry greater weights. Because it is so strong, it is far more capable of carrying a heavy load, which is important with attics since people generally also take things up to the attic and back down, and that is all added weight. Regardless of which ladder you end up choosing, you do have to check this maximum weight so that you don’t accidentally go over.

Installing an attic ladder is quite easy. Usually, an aluminum ladder fits snuggle between your attic floor’s trusses. Sometimes, you will have to widen the opening that exists in your attic so that the ladder fits, however. This is because most homes were built when wooden ladders were still the norm and their one key benefit is that they are often narrower. If you are not sure about what you’re doing, or if you definitely have to enlarge the entrance hole, do make sure that you speak to a professional about that.

This is mainly due to the fact that your attic floor, which is also your ceiling, is also home to various utilities. Your gas, water, and electricity cables and pipes may well be running through it, so you can’t just simply take a saw or a sledgehammer and hope for the best! Attics are also usually home to the air conditioning unit as well as the hot water heater and regular water tank. This can be a bit of a problem in terms of deciding where to place your ladder. Plus, you need to make sure that the bottom of the ladder is positioning somewhere that still allows you to safely climb on it, even if you are holding something in your hand. Basically, you need five feet of clearance all around the ladder in order for it to be safe.

The installation of the ladder should be completed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once it is there, you will have quick and easy access to a fantastic storage space. Aluminum ladders are definitely the best choice out there, being safer and more convenient than extension ladders or step ladders, as well as much easier to deploy. Furthermore, their angle is usually not as steep, making it easier to use them.