Just looking for general advice with the following, fitting the loft
ladder isn't a problem.

A client has asked me to fit a loft ladder. No big deal. But I
understand that the loft hatch is possibly one of those new fangled
jobs which is a thin plastic tray filled with polystyrene. I've got
one of those in my own house

With typical loft ladders you are supposed to add hinges and arrange
the hatch so that it swings down, away from the ceiling, so that the
loft ladder can be pulled down.

Anyone got any suggestions about how you arrange this with one of
those modern loft doors?

Andrew

Do you need a handyman service? Check out our
web site at http://www.handymac.co.uk

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 12:00:53 GMT, "BigWallop"
wrote:

http://www.gcdewey.co.uk/html/loft_ladders.html

You've been a busy boy

It's not the fitting of a loft ladder that is the issue, it's the
rather flimsy loft hatch that needs to be modified (or potentially
replaced). Just wondered if anyone had had any success with a loft
trapdoor which defied simple modification

Andrew

Do you need a handyman service? Check out our
web site at http://www.handymac.co.uk

"Andrew McKay" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 12:00:53 GMT, "BigWallop"
wrote:

http://www.gcdewey.co.uk/html/loft_ladders.html

You've been a busy boy

It's not the fitting of a loft ladder that is the issue, it's the
rather flimsy loft hatch that needs to be modified (or potentially
replaced). Just wondered if anyone had had any success with a loft
trapdoor which defied simple modification

Andrew


Hi Andrew,

I know you can get a concertina style ladder that extends to about 2.5 mtrs,
I think it's shown on one of the links, that fits between two of the main
joists and doesn't really need anything more special than hinges fitted to
keep the hatch cover from falling away from the opening. This give freedom
to hinge the cover one way and pull the ladder down from the opposite side.
It may be one to look out for.


---
BigWallop

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I"Andrew McKay" wrote in message
...
Just looking for general advice with the following, fitting the loft
ladder isn't a problem.

A client has asked me to fit a loft ladder. No big deal. But I
understand that the loft hatch is possibly one of those new fangled
jobs which is a thin plastic tray filled with polystyrene. I've got
one of those in my own house

With typical loft ladders you are supposed to add hinges and arrange
the hatch so that it swings down, away from the ceiling, so that the
loft ladder can be pulled down.

Anyone got any suggestions about how you arrange this with one of
those modern loft doors?

Andrew

If I understand correctly what you are saying. I have done this three
times. Remove the hatch door and surround (usually held with 2 screws
per side into the joists). Use suitable timber (eg. 4" x 1" PSE) to
line the opening. Make good the ceiling opening by means of mitred
architrave or similar and carry on as normal making the hinged down
door etc.

HTH

John

On Mon, 14 Jul 2003 12:41:37 +0100, Andrew McKay
wrote:

Just looking for general advice with the following, fitting the loft
ladder isn't a problem.

A client has asked me to fit a loft ladder. No big deal. But I
understand that the loft hatch is possibly one of those new fangled
jobs which is a thin plastic tray filled with polystyrene. I've got
one of those in my own house

With typical loft ladders you are supposed to add hinges and arrange
the hatch so that it swings down, away from the ceiling, so that the
loft ladder can be pulled down.

Anyone got any suggestions about how you arrange this with one of
those modern loft doors?


Have a look at this type of ladder.

http://tinyurl.com/gw27


This is one example, and there are several other manufacturers of this
folding idea. Basically they differ in price by size, features and
quality.

I fitted one of the Lux types a few years ago and it works well.

I had previously had one of the plastic tray affairs and with that had
replaced the tray with a piece of ply hinged to drop down and then a
catch to secure it. An aluminium loft ladder could then be pulled
forward and down. However it was never satisfactory and the ladder
wasted a lot of space.

I figured out that by the time I had messed around with making and
fitting a suitable casing to improve it, it was easier, quicker and
cheaper to just buy the whole thing ready to go. Plus the function
and operation is better than can be achieved from making something.

Fitting these is a doddle. Basically you remove the old hatch and
extend the cut out in the plasterboard. Most ladders of this type
have a casing which matches the joist pitch.
I then removed the ladder from the casing assembly to make it easier
to lift. I fitted some 100mm wide battens between the joists as
temporary support, flush with the ceiling. I lifted the casing into
the loft and dropped it into place. It needed a couple of packing
pieces but then it's simply a matter of screwing through the sides of
the casing into the joists. The battens can then be removed and the
ladder fitted. Finally, the ceiling can be neatened with some
architrave mitred for the job.

A wooden ladder is much more comfortable to climb than an aluminium
one and a lot more stable. The extra weight is handled by the gas
struts very effectively. You also get a properly sealed and
insulated cover and the other big advantage is that it all folds up
within the footprint of the casing

..andy

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