Hi, all.

Our basement has a crawl space that we use primarily to store holiday decorations. I'd like to build a set of removable stairs to access it, making life easier. The opening to the crawl space is about 61" off the ground, and there's a horizontal 2x10 laying flat across the opening.

I was thinking it would be nice to simply use a pair of 4-step or 5-step stringers, either wood or metal, and somehow be able to hook a bracket over the flat 2x10, thus making the stairs secure but also easy to remove and store away when not in use.

I am just not sure if that type of bracket exists. I have superior walls in my basement so there's only a thin wood stud meant for hanging drywall, so there's no readily-available way to mount anything. That's why I was thinking hanging that bracket over the opening may work. Just wondering if you may have some suggestions or if anyone has made something similar.

I could always just purchase a set of folding steps, but I'd like these steps to be about 4 feet wide with the treads about 8-10" deep, and be able to go completely up against the wall, unlike the usual folding step stool.

Thanks for your time!

Chris

A French cleat?

A picture if possible would help..

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
A picture if possible would help..

Sure. Good idea. Here you go...

To this engineer, the crawl space opening is all wrong for stairs to the opening ledge. If you climb stairs up to the ledge, your head will hit the basement ceiling.

If you would have to "vault" that wall to get on the ground in the crawl space, even more excitement.

Hard to say for sure, but if that wall has any height over the ground on the ground side, you could revise it first. Make the opening fit the actual dimensions.

Once the opening is bigger, then you can attack the storage goal. Get lights in there. USB rechargeable LED. Magnetic attachment, with magnets on the floor studs above the crawl space. Motion activated.

With lights, move dirt as required. Can you create a good storage platform? Can you use discarded 4 x 4 pallets? You want the decorations off the dirt.

Lots of possibilities !

Yes, the opening is about 1.5 feet above the ground on the other side. The floor is finished nicely, and there are lights. I just didn't turn them on for the picture. I'd estimate the total height of the crawl space is about 4-4.5 feet or so.

I completely agree that the builder should have made the opening bigger to start with, level with the crawl space's ground level. No idea why they didn't. This crawl space is underneath our family room. If I had built/spec'd this house myself, I would have made that area a full basement too.

I did not know that the opening could be made bigger. That would be great if it's possible. I was concerned about the integrity of the wall itself.

That stub wall is not load bearing so cutting it down would not be a problem. I would also consider removing the board at the of the opening as well to give you more access.

Short ladder ?

I have a similar opening for a crawl space under my addition and use an aluminum step ladder.

I drop it in when I want to use it and store it in the garage when I want it out of the way.

I could leave it in the opening, under the hatch, but I use it for other things.