This step by step project will guide you through the process for installing an attic stairway. 
A complete video of this tip is available below. This quick tip will guide you through installing an attic stairway. A stairway into your attic can make the space usable for storage or other purposes. In this guide, we'll show you how to install a pre-built attic ladder. The location for the hole for the attic stairway is important. The stairway folds down in two sections so we need to ensure that the folding sections are clear of walls and other obstacles and that the base of the ladder is in a convenient spot. Before doing any cutting and after determining where the location for the stairs are going to be, mark the location on the floor and on the ceiling. Mark out the dimenstions of the hole you'll need. It's important to look at the hole from the attic side -- you must ensure it's clear of wires, pipes, vents or other obstructions. You can check this easily by making small holes near the corners of the hole you've marked. Into each hole, gently push in a small dowel. This will mark the location of the corner. Once you've done all four corners, you can go up into the attic and take a look at the position. Most ceilings are made of drywall wall board and a small drywall saw is perfect for cutting out the hole in the ceiling. Use a back-and-forth motion to cut the hole around all four sides. Once the cut is complete, remove the un-needed drywall. Next you'll install new braces in the attic, one at each end of the hole. The new stair unit will attach to these later. If the studs in your attic are not ideally spaced for the stair unit, you may have to add additional braces to the sides as well. You'll also want to install some temporary header boards beneath the ceiling -- these will be secured in place with screws temporarily, and will be used as a resting surface for the stair unit while it's nailed into place. Using two people - one in the attic and one on the ground - lift the stair unit into position, resting it on the temporary header boards that were installed. Once the stairs are positioned, insert wooden shims between the frame and the joist so that the stair unit is firmly wedged into place. Nail the stair frame into position, trim the shims and remove the temporary headers. Once you're sure the stair unit is working properly, you may want to add some deocrative molding to make the opening more appealing.