Attic Stair replacement (pull down style)

Jim Mattheiss

Member
Messages
467
Location
Long Hill Township, NJ
Hello All:

I was pulling down the attic stairs today and looked up. The articulated arms with the "Helper" springs were mangled on one side. I straightened them out to open the stairs but don't feel comfortable keeping them. They are riveted to the frame so they are not replacement items. Not having attic stairs is a showstopper, so I need to get cracking on replacing them.

I'm looking for recommendations on replacement brands. This set was a Werner Model WH2508 with a 300# Capacity. I did NOT lubricate the pivot point so this failure might be my fault.

Anyway - who makes a good set of pull down attic stairs for 8 foot ceilings?

Cheers.

Jim
 
Years & years ago one of the silly spring struts in my attic pulldown did that & it scared me witless for a minute. I straightened it carefully & mindfully, and it's been fine ever since - even with quite a lot of attic activity.

I'm not trying, necessarily, to talk you out of that replacement... yours may've gotten hurt worse than mine did, or you just might want a better pulldown than you now have. You MIGHT still be fine, though.
 
No - the L-Shaped piece of metal that applies the tension via the spring is seriously bent. It's putting a lot of pulling/twisting tension on the rotating pin in the frame. It might not need to go TODAY, but it's not gonna be around for much longer.

The LOML uses these stair more than I do and she wants a new set - so in the interest of safety and marital bliss they will be replaced. Tomorrow is our 17th Wedding Anniversary. I wonder if she will let me buy her a set of attic stairs as an Anniversary gift?

Cheers

Jim
 
I might be ok . . .

3 or 4 years ago on MOTHER'S DAY I was tearing out the concrete block retaining wall by our driveway. Some of the courses had that wire "grid" between them for longitudinal strength. She ran to the local lumberyard/hardware store and bought a set of bolt cutters. The guy working was so surprised he gave her a discount!

I finished the final plantings on the Saturday before the NEXT Mother's Day. Even my then 6 year old son was teasing me that it took 364 days to finish the project.

Jim
 
I can't remember if it was on "Cool Tools" but thinking it was because the host is a little heavy, and he bounced on the steps to show their rigidity. Anyway, it was a pull down attic stairway that was more like the sliding ladder, used less space, easier to use and was quite well built. Don't know if it is something you are looking for, but at the time, I thought it was what I would use if I had something like that in my home.

http://www.wernerladder.com/catalog/results.php?category_id=1&type_id=3

This is similar or possibly what I saw. :dunno::dunno::dunno:
 
Top