Attic ladders are retractable ladder

Ladder

A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...

s that are installed into the floor of an attic

Attic

An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...

 and ceiling

Ceiling

A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limit of a room. It is generally not a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the floor or roof structure above....

 of the floor below the attic. They are used as an inexpensive and compact alternative to having a stairway

Stairway

Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...

 that ascends to the attic of a building

Building

In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...

.

Typical models have a drawstring that hangs down to allow the ladder to be extended. Attic ladders are usually made of wood, metal, aluminum, or fiberglass.

An attic ladder can also refer to a firefighting tool

Glossary of firefighting equipment

- A :* Adapter: plumbing accessories for connecting hoses and pipes of incompatible diameter, thread, or gender. See also reducer, increaser, double male, double female, water thief. May contain combinations, such as a double-female reducer...

. It is a narrow collapsible ladder used to access an attic space via a scuttle hole; which are often found in closets and other narrow passages. It is also known as a closet ladder, a pencil ladder or a folding ladder.