Willow and Hearth

Louisville Ladder is recalling about 1.77 million attic stairway ladders in the United States and roughly 13,054 more in Canada after the bolts holding the ladders together were found to snap during use, according to the CPSC’s recall notice. The company has received 11 reports of bolts breaking, including one injury involving the neck, head, and back.

The recall, announced August 6, 2026, covers ladders sold under four brand names over nearly 14 years, so the odds that one is sitting in your attic hatch right now are higher than usual.

Key Points

• The defect: bolts can break mid-use, causing the ladder to collapse or fail while someone is climbing, according to the CPSC.
• Eleven incidents of bolt breakage have been reported so far, one of which sent someone to the hospital with injuries to the neck, head, and back, per the recall filing.
• The ladders were manufactured in Mexico and sold nationwide from November 2012 through July 2026, according to the CPSC notice.
• The fix is free: Louisville Ladder is shipping a repair kit at no cost rather than requiring a return, per the agency.

What’s Affected

• Attic stairway ladders sold under the Louisville, Featherlite, Lite, and Century brand names, in 22.5″, 25.5″, and 30.0″ widths, as identified in the CPSC’s product description.
• Sold between November 2012 and July 2026, at prices ranging from about $170 to $600, according to the recall notice.
• Sold at The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Do It Best, Orgill, and Amazon.com, per the CPSC.
• Roughly 1,770,000 units in the US and about 13,054 units in Canada are covered, as noted in the filing.

What Homeowners Should Do

• Stop using the ladder immediately if it matches the brand names and width sizes above until the repair kit is installed, the CPSC advises in its recall guidance.
• Check the ladder’s brand label and width where it folds down from the attic hatch. If you’re unsure, treat any Louisville-manufactured attic ladder installed since 2012 as suspect until confirmed otherwise.
• Contact Louisville Ladder at 888-679-5132 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday) or through Atticstairwayrecall.expertinquiry.com to request the free repair kit, according to the CPSC’s contact information. Consumers can also visit louisvilleladder.com and click the “Urgent Recall Notice” link.
• The kit includes two replacement ¼-inch spreader bolts, washers, and lock nuts with installation instructions, per the remedy details. Follow the printed instructions exactly, since improperly torqued hardware is part of what likely contributed to the original failures.
• Keep the ladder folded up and out of use for the household, including kids, until the repair is complete.

Attic ladders tend to get their heaviest workout during fall cleanup and holiday-decoration storage, which makes late summer and early fall a good time to check one you already own before it sees regular traffic again.