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Why have a loft ladder installed?
Date Posted: 08 March 2016Why have a loft ladder installed?
You have probably thought of having a loft ladder fitted every time you have entered the loft, and realised that you could do with one. You have probably had to rummage around your garage or your shed trying to free your stepladder from all the stuff that is piled up on top of if just to get to it. You then had to carry it up the stairs and probably scratched the walls on the way up. Finally you had to lift yourself up into the opening as your step ladder is just that little bit too short, and that is only if you could be bothered to use all that empty space inside your loft and not just opted for the easy option and just stored whatever it was that needed to be stored on top of the pile that’s in your shed or garage!...sound familiar?
Having a loft ladder installed enables you to access your loft and utilize the vast unused space that you have which is an ideal place for storage, having a loft ladder installed is your first step to creating a new additional room in your house.
Why not have a loft ladder installed?
You have probably contemplated about having a loft ladder installed but not got around to it. Perhaps thinking maybe it’s too expensive or too much hassle and it’s just easier to get a pair of steps, on the other hand if you had a loft ladder installed it would be much more convenient and easier to enter the loft, it would be safer and it doesn’t have to cost a huge amount.
Having a loft ladder installed makes it easier for trades people to access your loft, more and more people are opting to have their gas boilers installed in the loft. Gas engineers will only enter your loft to carry out repairs if there is a fixed loft ladder installed otherwise they will refuse to carry out any repairs due to health and safety.
When customers visit us to view our vast range of loft ladders with a view to having one installed, I always ask them a few basic questions. Firstly do they require a loft ladder for basic storage use, is it just to be used occasionally? Are they looking to install the loft ladder into their existing loft opening or are they looking to extend the opening?
If your answer is yes for just basic storage use and you do not want to extend the current loft opening, then based on you floor-ceiling height I would advise to have either the 2 section Spacemaker or the 3 section Easiway installed they are both very light and easy to use.
If your property was built after the 1960’s then generally the Spacemaker ladder would be more than adequate, it’s a 2 section light weight sliding aluminium loft ladder which will fit into a minimum hatch opening of 406mm x 457mm and it only requires a clearance in the loft of 1245mm (49”).
However if your house was built in the 1900’s, 1930’s then due to the height of your ceilings you would require the Easiway 3 section loft ladder, the Easiway ladder will achieve a greater ceiling height than the Spacemaker loft ladder, it also comes as standard with a handrail which can be installed on either the left or the right side of the ladder, whichever is more convenient. The Easiway also has a v-bar at the top of the ladder that is attached to the floor in your loft this acts as a counter balance spring which enables the ladder to be stored away easily, and in turn makes it easier to pull the ladder out of the loft, the minimum hatch opening required is 432mm x 508mm and it only requires 1050mm(41”) clearance once inside the loft.
Once the ladder is installed we reverse your existing hatch then attach hinges to the hatch door so as it swings down and insert a lock on the door, which can be, operated by the pole that is provided to operate the ladder.
In summary for a loft ladder that is required for basic storage use and can be installed into the existing loft opening, you need look no further than the Spacemaker or the Easiway, they are the most cost effective way for quick and simple loft access.
What if I wanted to extend the opening?
Then I would advise that you look at a timber loft ladder, we have a vast range of sizes and models to choose from, the 3 section timber loft ladder comes complete with a hatch box frame and insulated door. The 3 section folding timber loft ladder is the ideal solution for accessing your loft regularly, they offer a generous amount of space within which to walk up the ladder as well as being able to take large objects into the loft, the larger the hatch installed the easier it is to take larger objects into the loft.
The most popular size that we install is the 1200x600 loft ladder this offers you a large opening and is very easy to operate with its counter balance springs, making it effortless to store small and large objects into your loft. This loft ladder can be fitted in just a matter of hours.
Once installed this ladder will give you ease of access, safe entry to the loft with its slip resistant wide treads and you are on your way to creating another usable room in your property.
What if I can not extend the opening and I don't have enough space inside the Loft for an Easiway or Spacemaker Loft Ladder. Are there any other options?
We can offer the Telesteps, or the concertina ladders these ladders are designed to store within the loft opening and are ideal for limited access.
The Telesteps are flexible comfortable and easy to use they also take up a minimum amount of space in the loft and only need a small loft opening, we offer 2 sizes if your ceiling height is up to 2.45m the it will fit into a hatch size of 520x600, however if your ceiling height is greater than 2.45mm then the minimum opening required would be 520x920mm.
We can also offer the concertina without hatch and frame this is designed where space limited inside the loft the ladder will store within the loft hatch opening and can be installed in opening as little as 600x500mm.
The loft shop offers a wide range of loft ladders from the basic Aluminium range to the 3 section Timber and Steel complete with hatch box frame with insulated doors, as well as our Electric motorised range of loft ladders, we also offer a range of Flat roof access ladders and wall access ladders you can see our vast range by simply going to our website, wwww.loftshop.co.uk or visit our dedicated fitting website www.loftladderfitter.com here you can also see photos of previous installations by clicking onto the fitting of the week. With nearly 30 years’ experience of installing loft ladders and roof windows, you can be assured that you will be receiving the best