Cutting Rafters For Attic Stairs

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Cutting rafters for attic stairs.

Modifying floor or ceiling joists rafters for access. Replacement of these furnaces can be difficult and sometimes cannot be done without cutting or modifying a truss. Home owners sometimes will cut trusses to make more storage space in the attic or to do other modifications or remodeling. Cutting and or removing joists to provide an entry or access can be the most difficult part of the overall project.

Cut a 2 by 4 to fit horizontally from rafter to rafter on each truss. Furnaces are often located in attic areas. Instead you should place the cutout opening inline with the ceiling joists rafter ties. Set the framing square on top of the rafter beam with the tongue facing the top of the rafter.

Choose which end of your rafter you want to be the top. This is done to hold the bottom chord from pushing the wall out. Figure 1 shows the floor or ceiling joists after the access hole has been cut to install a new flight of stairs or provide an attic access. Mark the plumb cut at the top of the rafter.

Cut the ends to the same angle you used for the pony wall studs. You potentially compromise too many of the rafter cross ties by doing that. Most common attic trusses for homes and garages are made with 2x4 s. Lay a 4x8 3 4 sheet of plywood on each end of the truss on the bottom chord spanning to the two trusses on each side of the one to be cut.

Nail them to the rafters and angle nail the center support to the top edge of the horizontal brace. Your parents roof rafters were probably made from 2x8 s and could have been 2x10 s or. This way you only need to cut one of them to make the room for the rough framing opening. I would not put the attic stairs ladder assembly opening at right angles to the ceiling joists.

This completes the reframing process. The plumb or ridge cut is made at the top of the rafter.