Ahhhhh, it’s here! I can’t believe I’m about to share this with you! We’ve been planning this for YEARS. I mean I’ve literally had the hardware in my back storage room for over a year long. It was just a question of when did we truly have the time to dedicate to this project. And when we did it, I knew we needed to have new couches. My vision wouldn’t be complete without them, and once we had them (I reviewed them here) we were ready to start the sliding library ladder!
I call this a library ladder but it doesn’t really belong in a library. That’s just the type of style the ladder is, and so it rolls back and forth, accessing the nook above our living area. Price these out online and you’re in for some sticker shock. The tracks alone are about $500+ and then for a ladder that you still need to assemble, you’ll be paying at least $1500+. I knew there had to be a way we could do this on an extreme budget, yet come up with a quality ladder system.
The Track
Screaming deal alert! I found this track on Amazon for $99! Compared to the $500+ price tag I was seeing, I was willing to take the risk. It came with directions, all the bolts and screws, the metal track, and the track wheels with a 10 degree angle on them suitable for a ladder. You do have to buy the wheels for the bottom of the ladder separately. Do not try to make your own. These are quiet glide and specifically made for this application and only $55!
Hubby installed this first on the header just below the nook. This should always be your first step, because you’ll be using the measurement of the height of this to determine your ladder length and cuts. Make sure to install it in a stud, or at least make sure the majority of the bolts are in studs. This took us about two hours because we wanted to ensure it was level and sturdy. You don’t want your ladder sliding sideways because your track isn’t level.
The Ladder
Like I said, due to high price, we decided to DIY our own wood ladder for this. Hubby drew up a quick drawing and I threw together a sloppy graphic. You’re welcome.
WOOD
We actually had the wood milled at a local saw mill. Nathan is friends with the owner and actually got to be there when our wood was milled and capture it on video. It was pretty cool to see our lumber being made from an actual tree and create a ladder from it.
We purchased (3) 2×3 inch rough sawn boards, 12′ in length for about $60.
PLANING THE WOOD
Once we got these home, Nathan planed them using a planer to get them nice and smooth. Enjoy the commentary on this next video, haha! It does show a good example of him planing the boards though!
And of course he documented all the saw dust it created! Basically it helps even out the wood into a board with exact thickness everywhere. As if you were to buy the wood at a hardware store, but better! It will be completely flat on all sides, eliminating any rough spots or leftover bark from the milling process.
CUTTING YOUR BOARDS
This is where you’ll want to get the height from you ladder bracket you installed inside. Measure from the top of the bracket to the floor. Remember this measurement!
Ours was 101″.
He first measured a 101″ line (yours will be whatever your measurement above is) just for a reference line on the ground and snapped a chalk line. Once his chalk line was snapped he used his 2′ framing square to measure another line to create his right angle, which would ideally be our floor inside.
He then used a speed square to find the angle created by the brackets, by laying the wood on the chalked lines as so.
Once you have the length of your ladder, cut two of your pieces of lumber to this length. Ours came out to be about 102.25″. Then cut the last piece into 16″ pieces for your ladder rungs.
DRILLING & SECURING LADDER
Once your rungs are cut, drill a pocket hole into the bottom of the rung, on each side. This is where you will hide your screws, so they are not visible when the ladder is up. Put them into place between your two vertical pieces of lumber. We had also already installed the upper ladder hardware at this point.
Mark where each ladder rung will be at. You can see the pencil marks below where we has marked where each ladder rung will be located and centered. Then use this to drill your 5/8″ holes, where you will also hide support screws.
Then use clamps to hold your ladder rungs into place, and use 2 3/4″ screws to secure the rungs in the kreg jig holes you drilled previously. At this point you’ll want to take your ladder inside and hang it on the track. While it’s hanging, level your steps using a small level, and using 4″ screws, secure them in place through the 5/8″ holes you drilled on the side.
PLUGGING HOLES
Using a 5/8″ dowel rod, plug your holes by gluing them with wood glue. Then cut the excess off, and sand flat.
WHEELS
Once you’ve finished this, you’re ready to add your wheels. While your ladder is on the track, place your wheels next to it, and mark where you’ll want them so that they are touching the floor. Your ladder should not be touching the floor! All hardware comes with explicit instructions on where to install these, and the tools needed. You will have to remove the wheels from the hardware with an allen wrench provided to install them, then place them back on.
FINISHING
It is really up to you how you finish the wood on your ladder. You can leave it bare, stain it, oil it, paint it, etc. I decided to oil mine as it’s quick and easy, and hardens the wood from the inside out. I used a dark walnut tinted danish oil and just rubbed it on using a cotton cloth. It deepened the wood just a tad, giving it that rustic look I was going for. Since this is a DIY, it’s up to you to make it yours!
BUDGET
For expecting a $1500+ price tag originally, we spent $150 on the track hardware, $60 on the wood, and I had the oil left over to finish it. $210 all in for this sliding library ladder! And we now have a functional access to our loft in our living area which we just replaced the floors in. Can’t wait to share that with yall!
After – Sliding Library Ladder
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