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The 2002 Remodelers' Show

Interesting products and impressive speakers make the Indianapolis trade show well worth the trip

by Kevin Ireton and Tom O'Brien
Interesting products can also make a show worth the trip, and there were a few on display in Indianapolis. Here are the ones that stood out for us as we walked the floor.

An attic stair like no other
Maybe it was the bright blue color, maybe it was the unusual design, but the Rainbow Attic Stair caught my eye from across the exhibit hall. Up close, I learned that the treads are supported by a pair of scissor-like mechanisms, made of powder-coated steel. It turns out that the bright colors (yellow, orange, blue, green, red) are used to distinguish the various sizes/models. But the design isn't just eye catching, it also makes sense. The steel construction means a load capacity of 350 lb. And the scissor mechanism makes the stair self adjusting for ceiling height, so you don't have to trim this stair the way you do conventional attic stairs.
Rainbow Attic Stair
 
The Rainbow Attic Stair may be the next best thing to a full-sized stair case.
Other features of this stair include a 4-ft. telescoping handrail, a pair of safety handles at the top and steel flange around the opening that eliminates the need for casing. But even more appealing, the integral door is insulated with 2 in. of foam, for an R-15 rating, and there's a double row of vinyl-bulb weather-stripping around it. The stair even comes with four adjustable hangers that make installation as simple as tightening four nuts.

Admittedly a full-sized staircase would be the safest, most comfortable access for any attic, but since that's just not an option in most homes, the Rainbow Attic Stair may be the next best thing. It comes in three rough-opening sizes and extends from 7 ft., 4 in. to 11 ft., 6 in., depending on model. For more information, visit the manufacturers Web site at www.shelterproducts.net.
-- Kevin Ireton

Kevin Ireton is Fine Homebuilding's editor in chief; Tom O'Brien is an associate editor.

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Getting Up to the Storage Space
That Awaits in the Attic

By Mike McClintock

Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, January 2, 2003;
Page H02

When you run short of storage space, you could evict the car and use the garage as a giant closet. But if your house has some sort of peaked roof, the attic is a better bet. Many attics offer voluminous storage space, even when there isn't enough headroom for living space.

There are two main requirements for this otherwise underutilized space: construction that can support the weight of storage, and a convenient way to get things in and out.

Attic construction

In many older homes, attics were built with the same timbers used to frame the living spaces below. These spaces may have rough walls and plain plank floors, but they still were built with the strength to support people and furnishings, and more than enough capacity for storage.

In many newer homes, however, the attic space is designed only to support the roofing above and the drywall ceiling below. The floor was never intended to carry people or the piles of stuff they accumulate.

Planning attic access

Some houses have a small access hatch built into a closet ceiling. You can climb a stepladder and poke your head through for a look, and maybe haul yourself through as well. But it's not a very convenient or safe route in and out, especially if you are maneuvering boxes of stuff.

There are better options: a fold-down attic stair, a one-piece stair that slides into the attic (both of these are widely available from home improvement stores), and more unusual designs, such as the Rainbow Attic Folding Stair made by Shelter Products LLC in Mamaroneck, N.Y. (To locate a dealer, check the Web site at www.shelterproducts.net.)

This unusual scissors-action stair pulls down from a ceiling panel like other attic stairs but unfolds step by step, like an accordion. The scissors part comes in five colors that indicate the size. The stairs are made of steel, with treads rated at 350 pounds and there's an insulation-core ceiling panel with an insulating value of R-15, a telescoping handrail along one side and hand grips at the top step.

Shelter Products LLC • Phone: (203) 322-0009 • Fax: (203) 322-0023 • E-mail: info@ShelterProducts.net

Attic Stairs • Stair Parts • Acrylic Glass • Decorative Shelves