Core77

In many suburban houses, the neatest piece of mechanical engineering is the folding attic stairway. It has to be compact enough to fold up out of the way, yet it must be strong enough to bear you and all the boxes of old photos you're bound to carry up it.

Australia's Attic Ladders Ltd. not only makes the common folding wood type, but has a nifty aluminum variant that "accordions" into shape and stays open by means of a spring-loaded suspension system. With anywhere from 9 to 15 steps, it will reach ceilings of virtually any height, and comes in weight capacities of up to 500 kilograms. Check 'em out here.