Very heavy trap door...need help to open.

I have a very heavy trap door in my hallway floor
which goes to the basement. It is 8 ft. long and 32
inches wide, and weighs about 100 lbs. The
contractor installed a "ring" to pull it up, but it is
still very difficult, and as I get older, will become
more and more diffcult. Pulling it up the first 8-10
inches is the hardest. My question is: "is there any
kind of spring hinge or anything that will make this
daily task a little easier???"