LoftSteps.com
Loft Ladders
Below is a general guide to loft lighting , but for a detailed quote or advice please contact us on 01274 412 168 or 0771 397 5739, we will be happy to provide advise and assistance.
A loft ladder can usually of course only be used if you are using your loft as storage. An inhabitable room will need permanent staircase access. Our range of loft ladders these high quality products are manufactured in Sweden and are reputed to be the best on the market. Loft ladders are constructed in aluminium / steel or wood. The alloy ladders are usually the cheapest to buy but if you’ve never used an aluminium ladder you should be aware that they are very noisy when a person uses them. Timber ladders are quieter but tend to be more expensive, though many people prefer them to alloy. The main types of ladder are:
The folding loft ladder.
Does what it says on the tin. Or rather the rung. The unit folds up, usually into three sections stacked on top of each other, and is a great space saver.
By far the most popular, and practical, option with the wooden variety being in the most common usage.
All types must comply with British Standards of which there are two. BS 7553 – G for occasional use BS 7553 – H for heavy use
Which type of ladder you go for depends on personal preference, the space available and how often you are going to use it. In most cases it would be advisable to plump for a ladder that can handle heavy use – even if you aren’t planning to use it too frequently. Remember that it isn’t just how often you will use the ladder that you have to think about – its also the weight of any loads you will be carrying up to the loft.
Sorry if this is stating the obvious but – your current loft flooring will not be adequate for your new conversion project.
The joists in your loft at the moment are only designed to withstand very light loads or ceiling boards and even the most basic of storage solutions will need added strength in the flooring.
The joists in the roof space are ceiling joists so they are obviously not suitable to suddenly become floor joists when you convert your loft. Sometimes the existing joists can be utilised by ‘sistering’ with new joists – basically doubling up to add strength.
Depending on the type of conversion and the strength of the supporting walls reinforced steel joists may be needed but your structural engineer will be able to advise on this.
Steel beams which support the new joists must not bear into chimneys and they must be fire protected according to the thirty minute standard as laid down in the building regulations.
When installing new joists electrical cables and water pipes should be positioned before any insulation and floor covering is laid taking care to ensure they are in their designated place as shown on your plans.
At this stage some useful advice is to ensure that cables and pipes are protected against accidental damage when laying the floor by adding a protective cover.
Once the joists have been put in place it is important that they are checked with a spirit level to ensure they are level. If any joists are badly out of true because they are warped they will need replacing.
Before laying the actual loft flooring the energy saving insulation must be put down along with any sound proofing materials - if needed.
And, if your new loft conversion is going to a children’s playroom or teenagers chill-out room then, believe me, sound proofing is required. The loft insulation itself will act as a barrier but for better results sound reducing materials can be applied directly to the joists.
The loft floor covering itself will usually be either chipboard sheets or timber floorboards. Chipboard sheeting is the usual solution in UK loft conversions and is quick and easy to use with the sheets also being available in a tongue & grove style.
Putting the chipboard (or sometimes plywood) loft flooring down is a quick process with the only real note of caution being to ensure that when two sheets butt up against each other, they do so directly above the centre of a joist.
A final point is to remember to treat any new timber against rot or insect damage before use. Failure to do so will cause horrendous problems in years to come.
One way we can all utilise our roof space is by laying down loft boarding. Creating a basic loft storage solution is very easy and quick and you certainly don’t need much in the way of DIY skills to do the job.
The first thing to determine is the area of your roof space to see how many sheets you will need. Measure the depth and length and then multiply to work out the area. If you are laying the loft boarding simply to provide secure storage then it may be wise to just board the middle without trying to reach the awkward area under the eaves – you won’t lose much space and the job will be completed much faster.
Before laying the boarding the joists can be raised, levelled and strengthened by laying timber battens across them (minimum 2”x1”). This also a good idea if you have electrical cables running on the top of the joists.
If you aren’t adding some strengthening (i.e., you will only be using the loft for very light storage) ensure you have an electrician re-route the wiring – don’t be tempted to cut into the joists to ‘bury’ the wiring, this will weaken the joists too much.
Once the extra joists have been added simply butt the loft boarding against each other making sure they join in the middle of a joist, and then fix with a 1.5” to 3” screw. If using longer screws make sure they are not so long that they will go through the timber and into the ceiling!
By the way, don’t nail the loft boarding down. Using screws enables the boards to be easily taken up at a later date if necessary and hammering nails in the loft could cause a plaster shower in the rooms below!
When working in the loft do take care not to step off a joist and wear suitable clothing. Goggles, hat, mask and gloves are important and make sure your arms are covered. The fibres on the loft insulation are horrendously irritating if they make contact with your skin and, of course, the mask is essential so that you don’t inhale any of the dust which will envelope you as you work.
When screwing the boards to the joists take extra care to avoid electrical wiring. Each board will probably only require two screws to be made secure.
Simply using loft boarding in this manner will not require planning permission or building regulations approval but if going any further, fitting a roof light for example, then contact your council’s building control service to confirm you do not have no make a building regulations application.
Using large tongue and grooved sheets of chipboard for boarding a loft is both quick and easy and can quite comfortably be accomplished by someone working on his own.
Packs of flooring grade chipboard are readily available from most DIY stores or independent joinery shops and are usually supplied in lengths of approximately 8’x2’.
To work safely when boarding a loft use one or more of the lengths of chipboard as a mobile platform instead of trying, and inevitably failing, to balance on the joists.
'''Using Chipboard''' The chipboard is fitted directly to the joists but, when boarding a loft, ensure that the lengths of chipboard are laid at right angles to the joists, i.e., across a number of joists and not laid astride two of the joists. Laying the chipboard across the run of the joists will of course add plenty of strength.
Starting in one corner lay the first board onto the joists ensuring the tongue is nearest to you, i.e., furthest away from the wall. Screw the boards into place making sure you are not driving the screw anywhere near to cabling or piping and that they are not closer than a couple of inches to the edge of the board.
Once the first board is secured run PVA clue into the end groove of the next board. Push the second board flush with the first ensuring the joint is tight by tapping with a hammer. Complete the first row in this fashion, cutting the final board to length if required.
The next row is begun by running the PVA into the full length of the groove on the first board before pushing the board flush into the already secured first row board. Then simply carry on the same procedure with the rest of the boards remembering to run the PVA into the full length of the groove as well as the butt end of the board. The final piece of boarding will probably need to be cut to size and forced into position with a prybar.
When boarding a loft in this fashion you may to consider cutting an access hole in one or more of the boards to allow easy access to cabling or piping.