Retractable Stairs for Attic Access

We were contacted over the summer by a family located in Apex NC who wanted better access to the storage space over their garage area. They had spoken to several contractors in the area about what they had in mind regarding a full set of stairs that actually retracted into the ceiling when not in use however no one seemed interested in the challenge. That was until us! We knew that it would be a challenge however it could be accomplished with careful planning and design. We started out with a simple stationary set of stairs set in place temporarily until figuring out where cuts and hinges could be done. Once the stairs were cut and folded a whole was cut into the ceiling to accommodate them. Then there came the reinforcements in the structure to hold the additional weight of the lift system and stairs while in the ceiling. Next it was the actual lifting mechanism that raised and lowered the stairs. We threw everything we had at it from pulleys to complex rigging yet failed our expectations due to wanting it to be user friendly for repairs and off the shelf parts availability. The next to final solution now encompasses off the shelf parts sourced from local vendors! Yes.....that's right! No special parts! Finally without further a due here's our end result! Enjoy and check back for updated pictures!