When we lived in Texas, we stored a lot of items in our detached garage attic. It was always awkward at best to get items up and down from the attic. I really hated it. Not only was it difficult to use the flimsy pull-down folding ladder, it was unsafe. So unsafe that I actually fell from the attic because of my losing my grip on the ladder. Yes, my head was well into the attic making the fall about ten feet. By the time I stopped falling my head was hitting the floor.
Yes, it hurt like a SOB! But it could have been worse... Much worse.
So when we moved to our new house in Louisiana, I had hoped the garage attic had a better and safer means of access, especially when I found out the climb was three feet more than in Texas. I knew I would not survive falling from this height. In fact, my first time up the ladder was so frightening for me that I was shaking in fear.
So I had to come up with something better.
I looked at making a 'pull-down staircase.' It would be just like a staircase except that it would retreat into the attic until needed. At least I could easily carry boxes up and down a lot more safely than on the rickety fold down ladder.
I show my design to the builder, and although he found my creation 'interesting' he would not build it. So I was on my own.
But then I got to thinking that perhaps there was even a better way to solve the problem. And I started searching 'elevators' and 'dumb-waiters' and 'lifts' to get some ideas. Eureka! I actually found some creative people's videos on YouTube showing their elevators. Not just a 'sling' type lift but an actual elevator.
So I drew some ideas from them and added my own. I knew this would work and I could build it.
As it turned out, my brother-in-law and nephew stepped up to do the difficult work for me. I'm glad they did because I'm clearly getting too old to do that kind of work by myself.
The results were better than expected. We now have an elevator in our garage and we are the talk of the neighborhood.
Take a look at the video I just posted on YouTube.
Leroy's Elevator
Pretty darn cool... But more important, it's much safer than me climbing the fold up ladder. Plus, it allows me to take even larger and heavier items into the attic for storage.
It could not have worked out better.
