An attic ladder (US) or loft ladder (UK) is a retractable

ladder A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps used for climbing or descending. There are two types: rigid ladders that are self-supporting or that may be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rollable ladders, such a ...

that is installed into an

attic An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...

door/access panel. They are used as an inexpensive and compact alternative to having a stairway that ascends to the attic of a

building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and fun ...

. They are useful in areas with space constraints that would hinder the installation of a standard staircase. Attic ladders typically consist of a ladder with wider steps and a steep slope. A drawstring will hang down to allow the ladder to be manually extended. Attic ladders are usually made of wood, metal, aluminum, or fiberglass. Also,

fire departments A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...

carry attic ladders on

fire apparatus A firefighting apparatus describes any vehicle that has been customized for use during firefighting operations. These vehicles are highly customized depending on their needs and the duty they will be performing. These duties can include firefighti ...

for use to locate and extinguish fires in attic spaces. They are in a single ladder that is often used by

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

s for interior attic access and have hinged rungs, which allow them to be folded inward so that one

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...

rests on the other, with the rungs hidden away in the middle. This compatibility allows it to be carried in attic scuttle holes, narrow passageways, and small rooms or closets. Folding ladders are usually found in lengths between , while the greatest length is usually . These ladders must also have footpads attached to the butt end in order to prevent slipping on hard and soft surfaces.IFSTA, 2008 p. 1327.

Gallery

Image:Attic ladder closed.jpg, A retractable attic ladder in its closed position. Image:Attic ladder opening.jpg, A retractable attic ladder halfway open. Image:Attic ladder open.jpg, A retractable attic ladder fully extended.

References

Sources

*IFSTA (2008). "Essentials of Fire Fighting and Fire Department Operations 5th Edition" Architectural elements Firefighting equipment {{Firefighting-stub