Review of the Werner Televator Telescoping Attic Ladder (AA8 or AA10)
A few years ago when I bought my house the real estate agent who showed it to me described it as "charming". That was actually just her fancy way of saying "incredibly tiny".
After living here for a few years now I can say for certain that space is at a premium so I’ve been looking for ways to add some extra storage. The house was built in the early 1900’s and it has a tiny little access hole to the attic in a narrow hallway between the kitchen and bathroom.
The hallway is too small to easily haul a ladder into and I definitely don’t have room for attic stairs but I’d love to be able to use the space in my attic to store stuff that I don’t use a lot like my Christmas decorations.
Long story short, that’s how I wound up researching attic ladders. After tons of research I’ve finally settled on the Werner AA8 Televator Telescoping Attic Ladder (the photo on the right shows one that’s been installed so you can see what it looks like).
What I like about it is that not only is it the perfect size for a small space, but it’s affordable, easy to install and can be operated by one person. I’ve written up some of the key points about it below.
Things You Need to Think About When Buying an Attic Ladder
I didn’t realize quite how many things there were to consider before buying an attic ladder until I started researching them. The main considerations you need to keep in mind are:
- How big of a space you have for the ladder including the size of your attic hole as well as the size of the floor space where the bottom of the ladder will come down (called the "landing space).
- How easy it is to install (What tools do you need? Do you need any special skills? How many people does it take to install it?)
- How easy it is to use (Can one person get it down easily on their own or is it a two-person job?)
- How much weight it can hold.
- Safety features (Slip-resistant steps, wide rungs, etc.)
So without further ado let’s take a look at how the Werner Televator measures up to other attic ladders.
Size Requirements
One of the biggest considerations for me was the size of the attic hole. I couldn’t picture myself wielding a saw around cutting through ceiling joists trying to enlarge my attic access hole without destroying my house. So I wanted to find a ladder that would fit the hole that was already there which was about 24" square.
Two of the options that I looked into were folding ladders and disappearing stairs. Unfortunately both were too big for my space.
Most folding attic ladders require an opening that measures at least 22″ by 54″ and disappearing attic stairs require an even larger opening - at least 30 inches by 8 feet in most cases. Besides needing a larger hole, they also require a lot more landing space on the ground which wouldn’t work with my tiny hallway.
That’s why I was thrilled when I found the Werner Televator. It’s a telescoping ladder so it takes far less room than either folding ladders or stairs. In fact, it has one of the smallest attic access requirements available since it only needs an attic hole that measures at least 22″ by 22″. Perfect! Plus, the bottom of the ladder only needs 35" of landing space. So not only will it fit my attic access hole but it will fit easily into my little hallway as well.
To see if it will fit in your space I’ve posted the full size requirements for both the 8 foot and 10 foot Televator ladder as well as a diagram showing where you need to measure:
| Floor to Ceiling height | Landing Space | Minimum Opening | Ceiling thickness | Attic Height | |
Werner 8 ft.Televator Attic Ladder (AA8) |
7′4" - 8′4" | 35" | 22" x 22" | less than 1.5" | 30" |
Werner 10 ft. Televator Attic Ladder (AA10) |
7′4" - 10′3" | 41" | 22" x 22" | less than 1.5" | 30" |
Here’s a little diagram of how you should measure to be sure it will fit your space as well as a diagram showing how the ladder looks when it is stored away in your attic (click on either image to see an actual photo of the ladder extended or folded up):
Installation…Just How "Handy" do You Have to Be?
Another major benefit of the Werner Televator over other attic ladders is how easy it is to install.
You know how sometimes companies "say" their product it easy to install but in reality it is a nightmare? Apparently that’s not true with this ladder. According to the customer reviews on Amazon it really is as easy to install as they say it is.
For one thing, it only takes one person to install it which is really nice if you live alone or if you are planning on installing it by yourself. Every other type of attic ladder takes at least two people. With this one, though, it’s just a matter of screwing some brackets and a mounting plate into your attic hole and then attaching the ladder to the brackets. You can get a pretty good idea of how it is mounted in this video:
The other cool thing about the Werner vs. other ladders is that you don’t need a lot of special tools to install it. All you need is a carpenter’s square, a drill, some drill bits, a hole saw, masking tape, a pencil, scissors, a couple of wrenches and a couple of screwdrivers. I am by no means well-stocked when it comes to tools, but even I have all these things in my little tool aresenal.
How Easy is it to Use?
I’m pretty lazy so if something takes a lot of effort I won’t use it. That’s why one of my favorite parts about this ladder is how easy it is to use. I love the idea of not having to lug a big old ladder though my house. I also love that one person can pull it down easily on their own. You just hook a little rod into it and whip it down and it’s ready to use. When you are done it folds neatly away - no struggling. Awesome!
Safety First!
There is nothing easy or safe about teetering you way up a ladder to a tiny hole in your ceiling while holding onto a giant box of stuff you are trying to store. Step ladders are particular dangerous for this since they can easily tip over if you lose your balance. The good thing about the Televator
One thing you should note is that it has an upper weight limit of 250 lbs. And remember, that includes the weight of the person along with the weight of whatever they are carring. Most attic ladders fall in the 200-250 lb weight limit range so this one is on the upper end.
What Do Other People Think?
Well, if you can’t tell I’m pretty excited about this ladder and think it has lots of great features. I’m not the only one who feels that way, either. It’s got a ton of reviews on Amazon
- "The ladder installation was simple. The instruction were great (and I am not a handy person)…."
- "Finally–a pull-down attic ladder for homes with small attic openings!!!"
- "Before we had an opening that was too heavy for me to open and insulation fell down each time. Now I have a nice door with a pole to easily gain access and a ladder that is so easy to pull down and push up."
- "This ladder is absolutely fantastic. Easy to install by one person."
- "We now have access to plenty attic storage that we did not have before."
- "I’m glad to see that the USA can still design and manufacture a great product, for a good price."
- "My wife and child could both operate the ladder with ease using the the included pole. No more chairs or ladders to carry up from the basement!"
Any Downsides?
The only complaint I could find about this particular attic ladder is that it doesn’t come with a door. However, it does come with all the door mounting hardware. All you need is a piece of 1/2" cabinet grade plywood cut slightly wider than the opening to make the door. One easy and cheap way to get this is to head to a home improvement store like Lowe’s or Home Depot. Take the measurements of your attic hole with you and they’ll actually cut a piece of plywood to the exact size for you. Then all you need to do is screw on the mounting hardware and you are good to go. Easy-peasy! And cheap, too.
Where Can You Buy The Werner Televator?
Right now you can get these ladders on Amazon with free shipping
Want to Read More Reviews?
The best place I found for reviews was on Amazon. There are quite a few of them and some of them are really detailed. It’s great to hear from people who have actually used the ladder. Click here to read some more reviews
Filed Under Home and Garden