Basement stair access hatch in floor
timberline
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I am trying to access the basement/crawl stairs from the middle of a floor with a door that can be opened but when it is closed it will function as the floor and will have wood flooring on it and be flush with the rest of the floor. This is new construction so I have more opportunities to do it right. What i am trying to figure out is if there is a hinge system that would not have the hinge sticking up into the floor to stub your toe on or a rolling system or something that would allow all this to happen. Something like the disapearing attic stairs but for the basement stairs.
Edited 9/18/2003 7:59:12 PM ET by Timberline
Replies
That would be fun. Where are you?
Ditch
Boulder, Colorado
The first thing I thought of was a decorative hatch.
Maybe do a 3" Brazilian Cherry floor with heavy bevels, ala yacht deck, and celebrate the hatch. Nice frame, curved corners, recessed nautical pull.
You could do a patterned door.
Something like this:
Ditch
....or a medallion:
http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/whyMedallions.aspx Ditch
I asked the same question. I did not get any good answers. I used a piano hinge because my access door is in a corner and I used vinyl flooring. Hope you have better luck.
Tim
Edited 9/19/2003 8:19:16 AM ET by tim
Have you concidered Soss hinges? There are several sizes. These hinges should suit you perfectly.
F
I don't see the need for a hinge. I see a lot of these hatches, usually old laundry chutes. The hinges always eventually fail.
I typically build new doors, picture framed, that simply lift out.
Ditch
Soss hinges would fill your need. Check out their web site. They have some very big ones intended for big architectural doors.
If you can arrange it, try to set the hatch so that there is doorstop molding on all four sides that supports the hatch when it is closed -- rather than expecting the hinge to support people or pianos or whatever is placed on the hatch when it is closed.
Have you thought about counterbalancing this hatch? It is going to have a flooring layer, probably on top of a subfloor layer, probably with some framing. It may weigh enough that a counterbalance will help you open it. The counterbalance can also be set up so that it holds the hatch vertical when it is open.
I wonder if some of the types of hinges that are commonly used for kitchen cabinets might also (as an option to Soss hinges) do the trick as long as your door isn't too heavy. I am thinking of the types that are used for frameless cabinets. The nice thing is that they can typically be adjusted to get the door to fit perfectly. They also do not have any part of them showing when they are closed. I agree that you should have a ledger to support the door when closed so you do not have to rely on the hinge for that - just to support the door while open.