I built my shop into a hill and it is two stories. The lower level is a garage for lumber storage and misc. stuff. I enter my shop by going out the back door and straight into the shop as the upper level is at ground height. It's perfect for my situation. Here's my problem. I built stairs between the levels and a trap door for access. The shop is heated, the lower level is not. The trap door weighs 114 lbs. and is 41"x 101". It is hinged at the 41" end. My plan was to install gas springs to ease the lift, but the company engineer that I have been dealing with said that it was too long and heavy for their product. This is not my area of expertise, but I figure there has to be a solution. There must be a lift mechanism for this application. If anyone has experience or any ideas for me, I would love to hear from you. I really don't want to have to design a counterweight system, as it would take up valuable room. Thanks for reading my ramblings. Charlie