Tag: attic lift

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Attic Elevators: Cost, Safety & Convenience

attic lift or attic elevators carrying tall Christmas decorations

Updated August 19, 2021

Attic elevators, also called attic lifts, come in a wide variety of styles and capacities. This article covers the most popular type. These attic elevators are smaller units meant to carry freight only. No people allowed on board. Instead, these motorized platforms carry storage items and other cargo between floors. Most are installed for home and garage attic storage. Even so, they work equally well for basements. Plus, you’ll find them in commercial settings too. Lifts act like mini freight elevators. They’re dumbwaiters for your stuff. Typical carrying capacity ranges from 200 to 500 pounds per trip.

Attic elevators carry storage items from living spaces and garages into,
and out of, attic storage. (Shown is a SpaceLift™ attic lift. Note attic ladder in foreground.)

1. Cost

Popular attic elevators designed to carry storage items cost from $1,895 to $3,797 (2021 pricing).

On the lower end of the price range is the SpaceLift attic lift. The SpaceLift™ attic lift Model 5222-SC costs $1,895. That includes free shipping and a two-year warranty. The unit is 22 inches wide by 57.5 inches long and 7 inches high.  Capacity is 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet per trip. It comes with two controls, one mounted on the unit and another for wall mounting. (SpaceLift Products offers a second model 28 inches wide with the same length and height for $100 more.)

VersaLift Systems lifts start at $2,597 for the smallest model. That unit is 20 3/4 inches wide by 44 inches long. It carries 15 cubic feet per trip and up to 200 pounds. Its largest model goes for $3,597 for 28.75 inches wide by 69 inches long and 60 inches high. Capacity is 250 pounds and 35 cubic feet per trip.

Also allow for Installation costs. Professional attic elevators or attic lifts installation starts around $500. Moreover, some models like the SpaceLift are often installed as do-it-yourself, DIY, projects. The SpaceLift is designed to fit between floor joists in the attic. Installation requires basic carpentry and electrical skills.

As a side note, there are full-size home elevators that can carry people and freight. But the average cost of this type of home elevator is $10,000 — $40,000. Add $20,000 or more to install it, according to Retirement Living.

2. Safety

2a. Personal Safety

There are many good reasons to install an attic elevator. Firstly, safety is a big concern. Carrying storage items up and down an ladder or stairs is dangerous and difficult. Most storage is bulky: boxes, containers, bins, clothing, furniture and such. Instead, attic elevators carry all those items in and out of storage. The only thing going up and down the attic ladder is the homeowner. Above all, protect yourself.

Moreover, as described in a SpaceLift Products blog on Ladder Safety at Home, half a million people fall from ladders annually. About 400 of those accidents are fatal.

The National Safety Council stresses always maintaining three points of contact with the ladder or stairs at all time. Think of two feet and one hand. Or two hands and one foot. Carrying anything makes it impossible to have hands free for stability and climbing.

Plus, it’s not just falling. Also consider weight and bulk. Ever tried to carry an artificial Christmas tree up the ladder? As Lisa Winkler from Alabama, said, “SpaceLift saved my back.”

Then, there are some items impossible to carry on the ladder. For example, more and more homes include utilities in the attic. Imagine lugging a hot water heater up the attic ladder. Other people use attic storage for heavy tools. For example, Bill T. uses his attic lift to store a portable, but heavy, table saw in his attic. Bill lives in The Villages retirement community in Florida. Safe attic storage helps him “age-in-place.”

2b. Safe Operation

Secondly, safe operation is critical. Some attic elevators like the SpaceLift attic lift have built-in, computer-controlled, safety features. SpaceLift smart attic lifts detect any obstruction to movement and stop. They also detect if there’s too much weight on the platform and will not operate. This way they protect you and your appliance.

To clarify, not all attic elevators stop automatically if something – or worse yet someone – is in the way. One company’s user manual warns of broken bones and amputation danger.

In the same vein, not all attic elevators detect load weights beyond motor capacity. Overloads can damage or burn out the lift motor.

The essential challenge: moving items in and out of attic storage safely and conveniently. Carrying on those rickety attic stairs is not the safest choice.

3. Convenience

While function of all attic elevators is similar, designs vary a lot. Some lifts have high loading platforms. You must lift storage items up onto, and again out of, the lift. All but the SpaceLift have framing or straps protruding into the attic space. In turn, this limits your attic lift location choices. Attic roof pitch affects available height above the attic floor.

3a. Overhead Bar

VersaLift uses a platform topped by a four-post upper frame. That is then connected to a center overhead bar.  Two cables on either end of the center bar pull it into the attic. Plus, in the attic is a larger receiving frame protruding into the attic space. It houses the motor. You need attic ceiling height of 49 to 60 inches above the unit, depending upon model.

Above all, that overhead bar restricts how high a load the user can stack on the lift. Something tall like an artificial Christmas tree or clothes rack will not fit. Load height limitation on the most popular model is 39 inches. Yet at just 29 inches the four sidebars begin to bend toward the center overhead bar. That encroaches on the available cargo space. It also uses a chain around three sides of the frame to contain items. Working around the fixed frame restricts loading and unloading the unit. Access is from one side only. By comparison, you can load a SpaceLift from any side.

3b. Four Corner Pull

By comparison, SpaceLift attic lift offers an elegant, concealed design. Its compact housing fits between attic floor joists. It rests flush with the attic floor. Poly-web straps rated at 500 pounds pull from all four corners. The microprocessor-controlled motor balances the load. It comes in two sizes, 18 and 22 inches wide, both 57 ½ inches long. Unlike others, the box housing motor and computer controls is just 7 inches high. Its low profile means there are many placement options in your attic.

The SpaceLift attic lift has no vertical height restriction for loading storage items. Stack items as high as your ceiling clearance allows. As noted before, its low profile loading platform can be easily accessed from all four sides.

SpaceLift attic elevator drawing showing entire mechanism. Motor and controller fit between attic floor joists.

Other Attic Elevators:

Aladdin Storage Lift has a very large raised deck with a metal box frame around the bottom. The attic opening required is 82 by 46 ½ inches. It pulls from all four corners with cables. In the attic space, one must install ceiling support straps. The motor box sits above the attic floor. It has a high deck and side railing. Loading and unloading items requires extra lifting. Aladdin even sells a loading ramp as an accessory.

The Attic Lift Company makes semi-custom lifts. Most are larger sizes and capacities. Models use either steel frames or posts that protrude into the attic space. They have only one side open for loading a high deck platform. In fact, some come with a built-in loading ramp.

References:

SpaceLift Pricing
https://www.spaceliftproducts.com/shop/

VersaLift Pricing
https://versaliftsystems.com/pages/pricing

Retirement Living Home Elevators Guide:
https://www.retirementliving.com/home-elevators

SpaceLift Blog Ladder Safety
https://www.spaceliftproducts.com/ladder-safety/

Aladdin Storage Lift
https://www.aladdinstoragelift.com/shop/

The Attic Lift Company
https://theatticlift.com

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Customer Letter

We don’t usually devote a blog post to a customer testimonial. However we were so delighted to receive this letter from Gary Carlson of Massachusetts that we felt it worth sharing the whole letter. On our Testimonials page we’ve included some snippets of what he writes below. Thank you Gary for the very kind words. And thank you to his wife Donna who purchased the lift for him. Here’s their SpaceLift attic lift success story . . .

Gary’s Customer Testimonial

We are extremely happy with our SpaceLift.  From start to finish it has been a great experience.

Ordering the unit was extremely easy. We couldn’t believe how fast it came. We completed our order on a Wednesday evening and we received it on Friday the same week…awesome!!!! All our communications with the staff were quickly responded to, with knowledgeable and very courteous answers.

SpaceLift attic lift installed with 12-foot ceiling

We installed the SpaceLift ourselves. We completed the installation of the SpaceLift in one weekend. The unit came in two well-packed and organized heavy-duty cartons. All parts were well marked. The pre-site documentation was invaluable in selecting an optimum site to install the unit. (Site Guide) The Installation documentation was very clear and concise, leaving no guesswork. (Installation Page)The hardest part of the installation was framing in the opening for the SpaceLift as our garage has 12-foot-high ceilings with 2×12 joists. After that was done, it was a breeze to install and setup the unit. After installing the hardware, the setup of the straps to the platform was easy as well. There were detailed directions about how to first start up the SpaceLift and how to calibrate the upper and lower limits, with key points highlighted to help avoid any issues.

If you look at the top of this photo you can see the 12-foot high garage ceiling. Fortunately, the SpaceLift attic lift has 15 feet of travel.

The SpaceLift has made our life so much easier with getting heavy awkward crates, furniture and other difficult items up to the upper level of our garage. We would otherwise have to carry these items up a set of long steep stairs that have been difficult and even somewhat dangerous at times. We have been using the lift at least three to four times a week, with multiple lifts during each use. The quality of the SpaceLift is exceptional, constructed of heavy gauge steel, quality bearings and pulleys and all other components. We really liked the convenience of the wall mount control unit. Using a CAT-5 cable was ingenuous and simple to install.

We are looking forward to many happy years of use of the SpaceLift!!!

Regards,
Gary Carlson
Massachusetts

(Thank you Gary for the wonderful customer testimonial.)

customer SpaceLift attic storage lift loaded with furniture
SpaceLift installed with furniture aboard ready to move into the attic. A lot easier (and safer) than carrying up a stairs.
customer SpaceLift attic storage lift loaded with storage containers
Carlson SpaceLift attic lift with containers ready for their trip to the attic.
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You may not think of it this way. But one of the best ways to do a thorough spring cleaning is to start in your attic. Spring cleaning includes refreshing your living space. Moving items into storage opens up more living space. It can remove clutter and help you better organize. For most homeowners that means trips to the attic or basement. And that’s why first addressing your storage space is the secret to successful spring cleaning for your living space.

A clean attic lets you to put your great attic storage ideas into action. The attic is the perfect space for seasonal storage of items like holiday decorations and summer sports equipment. It’s great for long-term storage for little used but important items like tax records, family memorabilia and future hand-me-downs like baby clothes. Convenient access is key to making storage work.

In addition to making room for more storage, clean attics equal healthy homes. Consider that attic allergens and irritants seep into your living area through ceiling hatches, doors, recessed lights, heating and cooling systems. Irritants such as dust, dander and mold can wreak havoc for allergy sufferers. They could irritate your family’s lungs. From the time of its invention, spring cleaning includes thorough dusting and sweeping.

1. Remove all items

Take all boxes, furniture and other items out of the attic before starting to clean. If some items are too difficult to move out of the attic, pile them in one corner. Cover them while you clean the remaining space. Spring cleaning is a once-a-year opportunity cleaning areas rarely reached by your vacuum. Same as in your living space.

Having an attic lift makes the physical labor of moving items in and out of the attic much easier. Our lift is one of the best, SpaceLift™ attic lift. An attic lift is like a mini freight elevator. It transports items so you don’t have to lug them up and down the attic stairs or ladder. It’s like a dumbwaiter for your storage items. Storage lifts are popular moving items between home living and storage spaces. They work for attics and basements.

2. Spring cleaning tips

The following spring cleaning tips apply equally well for attics, basements and living spaces. Before beginning the process of cleaning or moving items consider a dust mask. It’s especially important if you are allergic. Where possible open a window or vent to circulate air. Replacing that stuffy winter air with outdoors fresh air is always welcome. And it is a big reason spring cleaning waits for warmer days.

San Francisco Gate published an article “How to Clean an Attic Space”. You find it full of tips and ideas to keep in mind when tackling the task of cleaning your attic. The article suggests dusting with an electrostatically charged feather duster. Wipe wooden beams, walls, baseboards and window frames to collect dust and dirt. After dusting, sweep the floors, corners, cracks and crevices with a vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming rids your space of dead insects, dust mites, dander and potential allergens.

3. De-clutter your space

While you are moving items during cleaning. Now is a good time to assess what you put into storage over the last year or years. Do you still have use for it? Did you forget about it entirely? Would someone else be able to make better use of it? Evaluate whether to throw away, donate or keep items. Do this before reorganizing your storage space. You’ll have less to organize. Clutter is not limited to trash and useless items. Clutter can be anything.

Home Storage Solutions suggests a list of five guidelines to use in determining if items are clutter. Get ready to make difficult decisions you may have been putting off for a while. Not wanting to make the decision could be why you stashed these items away in your attic to begin with. At SpaceLift we are all in favor of you keeping the stuff you want. Even so, those “wants” are worth reevaluating from time to time. Spring cleaning makes the perfect excuse.

4. Categorize storage items

Once you’ve gotten rid of clutter, the next step is to clean items going back into storage. Dust all furnishings, containers and boxes. Clean the corner where they were temporarily placed. Finally, reorganize remaining items. Retrieving items in the future is far easier from an organized storage space. “Categorize all the items you wish to store in your attic and divide them into groups. For example, holiday decorations, family heirlooms, out of season clothes, old baby clothes, etc.,” said Jane Blanchard in an article on Modernize.com.

Place items you will not frequently need toward the back of the attic. Organize stuff you might need more often near the door for easy access. If you have miscellaneous loose items, use a clear storage bin to keep them together and create more room. As you categorize, keep in mind new items you may want to move into storage. Chances are you’ll uncover more storage needs during your downstairs spring cleaning.

label storage bins for attic storage

You don’t think you’ll forget, but you will. Label boxes, storage bins and containers as part of your storage organization ritual. This is good for spring cleaning and any other time!

5. Storage Ideas

For larger attics, it’s a good idea to invest in such storage solutions as shelving and large clear plastic bins. This article explores what storage containers are best for attic storage. The website, Do It Yourself, offers three tips for storage solutions. Work with what’s already in your attic. Use exposed wood frames to support shelves made from wood. It’s your attic. So any wood will do, even cheap plywood. Freestanding shelves can be made out of any cheap, strong wood and L-brackets. Alternately, just purchase utility shelving. Stackable containers are perhaps the easiest way to add space. Clear bins allow you to view what’s inside without moving them to open. Before buying plastic storage containers, check out the list compiled by The Spruce of the six best to buy in 2021.

Start the process of claiming more living space in your home this spring by cleaning and reorganizing storage items. A SpaceLift™ attic lift makes this tedious task less labor intensive. It makes attic storage enjoyable for the whole family, and for years to come. SpaceLift lifts feature computerized smart controls with built-in safety features. It has no restriction on how high you can stack items. Its low profile base makes loading and unloading easy. The lift carries up to 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet of cargo per trip. Transferring items to the attic and back down takes the push of a button. Travel time is three inches per second. It installs between attic floor joists. Installation is easy requiring basic carpentry skills. Many SpaceLift attic lifts are installed as DIY, do-it-yourself, projects. We can also recommend local installers if you want to go that route. Just contact us!

https://cleancrawls.com/clean-declutter-attic-7-simple-steps/

https://www.doityourself.com/stry/3-storage-shelf-ideas-for-your-attic

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/clean-attic-space-25834.html

https://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/clutter-buster.html

https://modernize.com/homeowner-resources/other/attic-storage-101

https://www.thespruce.com/best-plastic-storage-bins-4154995

A Spring Cleaning Checklist to Increase Your Overall Productivity
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Bust clutter. Getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home. It can reduce asthma and allergy triggers, according to The American Cleaning Institute. “For many people the conundrum is: do they have too much stuff or not enough space?” said Dave Berliner, inventor of the SpaceLift attic lift. His invention solves the problem of using your attic for storage by creating easier and safer access. Even the famed clutter buster Marie Kondo says, “The aim of storage is to give every item a home – a designated spot for it to rest and recharge when not in use.”

“Many organization gurus tell you to purge, get rid of your stuff. I disagree. It’s your stuff. There’s likely a good reason you kept it in the first place. Busting clutter may simply be a matter of moving some of your stuff out of your living space and into a convenient storage space,” Berliner said, “This is especially true for seasonal items like decorations, patio furniture, tools and toys. These items ‘spark joy’ in their season. Meanwhile, you protect your investment by keeping them safely stored. Storing them in the attic, not your living space, makes more room for you. It helps you get, and stay, organized.”

Place for Stuff

WebMD suggests 8 common clutter “hot spots” you should address.

  • 1 = There’s the entry hall dump. (Here in New England we have mud porches.)
  • 2 = Next is the overstuffed pantry. Better organization helps. Install a back-of-the-door rack.
  • 3 = Then there’s that mail pile. Usually in a public place. You plan to handle that paper. But don’t. And the paper pile seems to grow all on its own. A basket helps keep mail neat. Maybe try paperless bill pay?
  • 4 = Refrigerator door clutter? Not sure we agree with this one WebMD. It’s is your personal choice. One person’s cluttered refrigerator door is another’s treasured collection.
  • 5 = Certainly on the list is the bathroom counter. All those potions and lotions tend to spread. The Container Store has a variety of clever solutions. Organizers help you go from “sloppy to serene,” the article says.
  • 6 = Garage clutter. Did you know one-in-four homeowners say they can’t fit their car in their own garage? If you have an attic, SpaceLift attic storage lifts offer an elegant solution. A beautiful garage starts with a good storage system.
  • 7 = Junk drawer. Admittedly, some of us love our junk drawers. But it can take forever to find an AAA battery that you just know is in there! There are many excellent drawer organizers. The Spruce rates the 9 best ones.
  • 8 = Kid clutter can be a challenge. Toy boxes help. But only if you use them. This is a great opportunity to teach your children clutter busting.

Bust Clutter with Storage

“Lack of space” was cited as the biggest challenge to improving organization by 32.9 percent of consumers surveyed by NPD Group for HomeWorld Forecast Consumer Survey. “Yet most homes have lots of available storage space in attics above the house and garage. Access is generally the limiting factor,” Berliner said. “Attic ladders or pull-down stairs can be tough to negotiate. They are downright dangerous when carrying storage bins, boxes or other items. There is a risk of falling, or hurting your back, or damaging your items,” he added, “Easy attic access is the key to attic storage solutions.” (Read our blog about Ladder Safety at Home.)

Control Clutter with a SpaceLift Attic Storage Lift

Berliner’s answer was to invent an attic lift. “It is like having your own mini freight elevator to carry storage into your attic in just minutes. It’s a dumbwaiter for your stuff,” he explained.

Designed to fit between attic floor joists, installation is easy requiring basic carpentry and electrical skills. Many are installed as do-it-yourself projects, Berliner said, or the company can help with local installers. It sells directly on its website, www.SpaceLiftProducts.com. A short video on the website shows how the lift works. Prices start at $1,895 with free shipping and a two-year factory warranty. SpaceLift™ Products are assembled in the USA, in Stratford, Conn., by Redco Home, a division of Redco Audio, a family-owned company.

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Get organized month makes sense for January. It’s a month of resolutions and renewal. There are lots of reasons why you should get better organized. Ever wonder how much time you lose trying to find misplaced possessions? Tired of navigating through canyons of storage bins? Is your car stuck outside because there’s just too much stuff in your garage? January is national “get organized month,” as declared by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

The average American spends one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items, according to U.S. News and World Report. A Newsweek article stated the average American wastes 55 minutes a day (roughly 12 days a year) looking for things they own but can’t find. This article estimates the cost to U.S. households is $2.7 billion annually.

Getting better organized is a New Year’s resolution many of us deem worthy. But like most changes in behavior, keeping the process simple is critical to year-long success. We all know resolutions stick easier when they’re easy to implement.

Finding more space is key.

Lack of space was cited as the biggest challenge to improving organization. So say 32.9 percent of consumers surveyed by NPD Group for HomeWorld Forecast Consumer Survey. That may be why the self-storage industry is booming. It is expected top $39.5 billion in revenue in 2021. That’s up from $36 billion in 2016, according to IBISworld. The U.S. Census Bureau records a spike in self-storage construction spending. See chart.

get organized month has multiple options for success, this chart shows growth of self-store units construction

But self-store units are a hassle. You have to load up your car or SUV and drive your stuff to a rental storage unit. Then when you want an item, you have to drive back over and load up the car again to bring it home. Plus you pay monthly storage fees. Check out our blog post, “Have You Done the Self-storage Math?“

Where to put all our stuff? Half of homeowners rate their garage as the most disorganized place in the house, according to NAPO. A U.S. Department of Energy poll found 25 percent of homeowners with two-car garages have so much stuff stored there they can’t fit even one car inside. Yet above most garages is a spacious attic. Read our blog “Benefits of Parking Your Car Inside.”

get organized month should include your garage shows car covered in deep snow parked outside garage
Don’t treat your car as a second-class citizen. Use your garage attic and a SpaceLIft attic storage lift to free up enough space. January is a tough month for cars. It is also get organized month.

Easy access is the secret to storage success.

Going up and down those pull-down attic stairs or ladders is pretty dicey. It is especially scary when carrying storage containers and boxes of stuff. It’s nearly impossible with bulky items. Imagine storing four snow tires in your attic. How about patio furniture? Attic storage is perfect for large, but infrequently needed tools.

There’s also the risk of falling or hurting your back carrying on the ladder. Ladders take a lot of time too. Even if items are small, you are very limited how much you can carry per trip. (Check out our blog on ladder safety.)

A SpaceLift™ attic lift offers easy and fast access to your own home and garage attic space for safe and convenient storage. It is a motorized platform lift system capable of transporting up to 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet of cargo per trip from your living space to your attic. It moves at three inches per second. All with the push of a button. It is like having your own mini freight elevator to carry storage into your attic in just minutes. It’s a dumbwaiter for your stuff.

Manufacturer Redco Home invested seven years of engineering development and more than $250,000. The result is our patent-protected lift. It offers superior capability. It incorporates critical safety features not found in other lifts.

SpaceLift attic storage safe and simple

One key benefit is no limitation on vertical stacking. The computer-controlled lift pulls evenly at each of the platform’s four corners. This leaves open all the space above. It also stops automatically for obstructions. It will not lift if cargo weight exceeds 200 pounds. Low profile design makes it easy to load and unload. Slide your best storage containers, boxes, heavy items and more off of the platform and onto attic flooring systems with ease. Protected by two U.S. Patents. Our storage lift launched in 2009. It is now installed in hundreds of homes and garages nationwide. (Plus, we shipped a few internationally.)

Designed to fit between attic floor joists, installation is easy requiring basic carpentry and electrical skills. Many are installed as do-it-yourself projects. Redco Home can also help with local installers. It sells directly on its website, www.SpaceLiftProducts.com and through a network of 30 nationwide vendors. A short video on the website shows how the lift works. Detailed installation instructions and videos are also on the website and available for download. Also available is a siting guide. We even offer CAD files.

There are two models, different in their width, selling for $1,895 and $1,995. This includes free shipping. A two-year factory warranty is standard. SpaceLift™ Products are assembled in the USA. They are manufactured in Monroe, CT, by Redco Home, a division of Redco Audio, a family-owned company. A lift is installed at the Redco facility and you are invited to stop by to see it.

Get Organized Month every month?

To be sure, January is fine. But every month should be get organized month. Why wait? Resolve to get organized, reduce clutter, claim more living space and get your cars back in the garage. A SpaceLift™ attic lift will help you claim more storage space in your own home.

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Using your attic for seasonal storage? It’s a great place for things you need infrequently. Does some of your best stuff come out just once a year? Or maybe you need it once a season. Holiday decorations. Seasonal clothing like winter coats and summer frocks. Attic storage is also great for “outgrown baby or kids’ stuff, to be used again when the next child is old enough,” writes Home Storage Solutions 101.

Sports equipment changes with the seasons. Attic storage is perfect for snow skis or snowboards (boots, poles, pants, helmet, etc.). In summer bring down the camping equipment. Use your attic for seasonal toys like snow sleds, bicycles and summer lawn toys. Protect your investment in summer porch and patio furniture by overwintering it in the attic. Store snow tires; you can stack all four on at once on a SpaceLift.

Rotating seasonal clothing using a SpaceLift attic storage lift and a portable wardrobe lets you nearly double your closet space. See our “Clone Your Closet” post.

Decorating for the holidays is something you want to look forward to. If it’s too much work to haul out the Christmas tree, decorating becomes a dreaded chore instead of a cherished tradition. Let alone Hanukah decorations, Easter baskets, Halloween pumpkins, and so on.

shows customer's Christmas trees on her SpaceLift attic lift using her attic for seasonal storage
Customer Lisa Winkler from Alabama sent this photo of her Christmas trees loaded on her attic lift. “SpaceLift saved my back!” is her simple testimonial. See more here.

Organize Storage Items by Season

Group attic storage items by season or occasion. When you can, consolidate items into fewer, larger storage bins. This means fewer trips up and down from the attic. Big bins make it easier to find what you want. With an attic lift, you can use much bigger storage bins than you could carry on the ladder.

Label each container, bag or box so you can easily find them next year. Super organizers create a master list of the containers and items, sealed in a plastic bag and placed on top of the seasonal grouping because they know it is hard to remember what went where 12 months later. One organizing trick, especially for the attic, is to create signs on strings. Then hang them from the roof rafters to make it easy to spot your seasonal groupings.

Attic Storage for Infrequently Used Items

Attics are great for storing seasonal — or infrequently used — tools. Change your snow shovels for garden shovels. Or perhaps you own a valuable tool that you need only once in a while. Our customer Bill T. owns a portable table saw. He moved to The Villages Florida retirement community. His home has limited storage space and no basement. So he installed a SpaceLift attic storage lift for attic access. He’s getting older and wanted a better alternative than using the pull-down stairs to access his garage attic. And with the SpaceLift’s 200-pound per trip capacity, he discovered he could move his table saw to the attic too. Oh and he still uses his attic for seasonal storage, even in Florida. After all, he decorates for halloween and Christmas. Even in Florida, people have sweater collections to store. You can read his story here.

not just attic seasonal storage, this photo shows a large table saw being carried into the attic by a SpaceLift attic storage lift
Portable table saw on Bill T.’s SpaceLift attic lift in his garage at retirement community The Villages, Florida. Hauling that up and down an attic ladder would have been impossible. His lift makes it easy with up to 200 pounds per lift capacity.

Claim More Living Space

A huge benefit of using your attic for seasonal storage is claiming more living space. Move seasonal items out of your living space and into a convenient storage space. This reduces clutter and frees up more space in your home. Wouldn’t it be nice to fit the car back in the garage or not have to navigate canyons of stacked storage bins?

Another organizing idea is to purge after each season or occasion. If you did not haul out a particular item this holiday, will you really want it next year? It’s just good clutter control.

Easy Access Key to Using Attic for Seasonal Storage

Attics are often underutilized. That’s largely because they can be a pain to access. Moving items in and out of the attic up and down rickety, narrow attic stairs, steep pull down steps or ladders is a real challenge. For one thing, you are really limited in how much you can carry in each trip. You also risk straining your back or even worse, falling. Your storage items can be damaged when carried or, heaven forbid, dropped.

Imagine lugging a full-size artificial Christmas tree box up the ladder. Yet, attic storage is perfect for holiday decorations: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, etc. Attic storage is great for seasonal sports equipment. Water skis and surf boards can overwinter. Meanwhile your snow skis and boards can swap places when winter turns to spring. Camping gear is perfect for attic storage. How about your garden tools? End lawn furniture abuse by overwintering it in your attic. Protect your investment.

camping gear with kids in tent shows attic storage is great for camping families

This is exactly why SpaceLift™ Products created its attic lifts. Working in tandem with your attic stairs, the lift is like owning your own mini freight elevator; it’s a dumbwaiter for your stuff. A powerful motor carries up to 200 pounds and 24 cubic feet of storage items at a time. Its superior design is low profile with no vertical limit. So your Christmas tree box will stand up on the platform then lift into the attic with ease. Heavy items can easily slide off of the SpaceLift™ attic lift and onto your attic, home or garage floor. You get so much more use of your attic storage space when you can move items to and from it with ease. No more fear of injury or damaged items. No more hassle and struggle lugging stuff up and down that scary attic ladder.

Resources:

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Do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage is pretty simple. It requires only basic carpentry and minor electrical skills. First, let’s answer six basic questions. One, can you frame a rectangular opening in your attic floor (aka garage ceiling)? Two, are your attic floor joists 4 to 14 inches deep? Three, is your attic floor no more than 15 feet above the home or garage floor below? Four, do you have an attic floor or attic flooring system over some part of your attic? Five, is your attic a rafter or truss system that will support weight of you and your storage items? Six, is 110 – 120VAC electrical service available to your attic? Yes? Then you are on your way to enjoying the convenience of a SpaceLift attic storage lift.

In most cases, answers are all “yes.” If you’re not confident, this job can be done by any competent handy person with basic carpentry and electrical skills. Or if you wish, hire one of our SpaceLift Products dealers and installers located across the U.S.A.

If you have any doubts about your attic construction and capacity for storage, first consult a structural engineer.

FREE Do It Yourself SpaceLift Attic Storage Resources

Your next step is to consult the SpaceLift Products Page. There you can review the installation requirements and framed opening dimensions.

Our website has numerous free do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage resources:

Download the SpaceLift Installation manual PDF

Choosing a Location for Your SpaceLift

First and foremost, your SpaceLift carries cargo only. No people allowed. Think of it as a dumbwaiter. Like your own mini freight elevator. So while you’re improving attic access for storage items, you also need access for people. Pull-down attic stairs are the most common. Sometimes, older homes have regular stairs. Or you may have a narrow staircase. A simple hatch and extension ladder will do. Once your SpaceLift attic lift is installed, you no longer need carry storage items on the ladder. Lift instead!

Unlike competitors, a SpaceLift attic lift is designed to fit neatly between attic floor joists. No part of the unit protrudes up into your attic. This makes it a lot easier to move around your attic. Our carrying platform is easy to load and unload. No bars or chains are in your way.

Even so, we recommend at least four feet ceiling clearance above the lift. No sense banging your head! In fact, installing your SpaceLift where you have the most ceiling height makes the most sense. Take advantage of one of our lift’s best features: no vertical stacking limit. When considering location, think of putting your fill size artificial Christmas tree, or pop-up tent, or ski bag upright on the lift.

Again, our Do It Yourself SpaceLift attic storage Siting Guide offers more advice.

Making the Cut

If you’re like most do it yourselfers, cutting into your home or garage ceiling can be intimidating. Relax! First, you should know our SpaceLift comes with a white cover. Second, your ceiling cut is less than the size of the cover. So it makes a neat appearance. Some customers, like Bill T. even take the time to trim the ceiling opening. Bill used some moulding for a truly finished look. Read Bill’s letter and see his do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage install.

In most cases, our recommendation is to make the cut from the attic floor side. First, you can even lay the SpaceLift box between the attic floor joists to be sure.

do it yourself SpaceLift attic install shown lifting heavy table saw
Bill T.’s Do it Yourself SpaceLift attic storage. Note the moulding around garage ceiling opening. Bill’s a real DIYer. He uses his lift to store a heavy, portable, table saw in his attic.

A Note about Basements

Far and away, most of our do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage installs are for attics. But if you use basement storage, and are tired of lugging up and down the stairs, our lift works just as well for basements. You simply install the lift in your home floor with a trap door covering.

Do it Yourself SpaceLift Attic Storage Done in a Day

Most do it yourself SpaceLift attic storage installations take half a day or less. Once the unit is physically in place, there are a few simple steps to set up operation. Our programmable lifts make for easy set up.

Then say goodbye to the old household storage hassle on your stairs or attic ladder. The low-profile SpaceLift design is ideal for moving seasonal storage and holiday decorations in and out of your attic space. Up to 24 cubic foot capacity (and 200 pounds per trip) allows you to move more stuff in less time. Consult with your contractor and organize you life. You can do it.

Posted on by spacelift

Convenient home storage has one impediment. Access. Attic access is perhaps the worst. Some have only a hatch. Others have those dreaded, pull down ladders. Older homes may have a staircase. Often attic stairs are narrow and twisty. Convenience is not a term that comes to mind.

Inconvenient home storage access may be why drive-up, walk-in rental storage units are popping up like mushrooms all across America. By the way, investing in your own home is always better than renting. Check out our blog and Do the Self-Storage Math. In the long run, using your own attic is cheaper.

Safety is an even greater concern. Lugging a storage container up that pull-down attic ladder is not just inconvenient. It is downright dangerous. Ladders and stairways are one of the leading causes of home injuries. Each month brings a new holiday. Every holiday is home storage season. Regardless of your age, climbing a flight of stairs with a load of storage presents a challenge. Think about it. Your risk increases significantly when you struggle to move bins and boxes on an attic ladder.

Then there are some things near impossible to lug up a ladder. For example, do you have utilities in your attic? This customer had to replace a 50 gallon hot water heater in his attic. Perhaps you want to store a valuable, but little used tool? This customer keeps his job site table saw up there.

Convenient Home Storage Secret: Lift Don’t Carry

The solution? Install a SpaceLift attic storage lift. With the press of a button those awkward bins and boxes are carried up into your attic storage space. The low-profile SpaceLift design makes it easy to load and unload. Because it pulls from all four corners, there is no impediment to storage stacking height. You can stack storage as high as your attic ceiling allows. Think full-size artificial Christmas tree. Or a 10×10 tent. Or a bag of snow skis. You can use a portable wardrobe and your attic lift to clone your closet, rotating seasonal clothes to attic storage.

Heavy lifting is an advantage over any ladder. Our lift carries up to 200 pounds per trip. Greater capacity means fewer trips.

Install a SpaceLift attic lift and see your attic in a whole new light. You can, at last, clean out your garage. Claim more living space. Reduce clutter. Or as Lisa Winkler from Alabama says, “My SpaceLift saved my back!”

Shows a portable wardrobe with seasonal clothes in and out of attic storage. Convenient home storage is looking up!
Once you install an attic lift, you find all kinds of useful applications! Here a portable wardrobe is loaded on the lift and used to swap seasonal clothing to create more closet space in the home living area.

What is an Attic Lift?

Think of it as a modern dumb waiter with smart controls. It’s a mini freight elevator for attics. The SpaceLift attic lift is electrically powered. Its computer controls offer important safety features. Perhaps the most important is obstruction detection. If the lift is blocked by anything, it stops. Some competitor lifts warn against broken storage items, even broken bones, if anything gets in the way of their lifts.

Also the SpaceLift attic lift protects itself. If you try to overload it with more than 200 pounds, it just won’t go. No damage to the motor.

We invite comparison. If you want convenient home storage, you want to get the right lift. It should be the one that is convenient to load and unload. Easy to use. Safe. And of course, cost is always a consideration.

P.S. Basements for Convenient Home Storage Too

Yes, we say convenient home storage is “looking up,” a play on words for attics. But if you use your basement for storage, there’s no reason a SpaceLift storage lift does not also work for you. It is meant to carry items between two floors in your home or garage. It installs neatly between the floor joists. If your floor joists above the basement are 7 inches deep or more, the lift can be hidden beneath a trap door. (At six inches or less, the unit protrudes above the floor. Four inch deep joists are minimum.) SpaceLift Products has lots of installation support, including free, downloadable guides, videos, even CAD files. Many are installed as DIY, do it yourself, projects.

P.P.S. Commercial Installations

This blog posts cites “convenient HOME storage.” However, SpaceLift attic lifts are robust enough for commercial use. They are installed in warehouses, stores and commercial kitchens. Like a dumbwaiter or mini freight elevator, they are perfect for bars and restaurants. Stop lugging cases of booze and kegs of beer up from the basement! Because our lift has no vertical stacking limitation, it fits a keg just fine. Jon Rocket sells model rockets and parts. Its office is in a loft. The owner calls his SpaceLift attic lift a “trade secret.”

SpaceLift attic lift commercial kitchen installation
Commercial kitchen installation. SpaceLift attic storage lift shown to right of stairs. It carries supplies up and down from storage, instead of carrying on the staircase. This is Tiny Drumsticks in New York City.