DIY wrote:
"Sam" wrote:
Hi,

I would like to replace our loft hatch. I know you can get some ready
assembled plastic ones but I'm not sure about locking them. They seem
to have a plastic latch that you turn through 90 degrees to lock the
door closed. The problem is: how do you reach it to turn it when it's
eight foot high?

I wondered about making my own from wood as the existing one is rather
tatty. At the moment it is a push-up type and I'd like to replace it
with one on hinges to lower down, with a retractable ladder.

Do I use mdf or do I get "real wood" in tongue and groove form and
join that to make a hatch?

I suppose the only problem with sliding the ladder up after use is
that it will squash the insulation.

Is there anything else I need to think about before I start?

TIA.

I recently converted my loft hatch from a push up to a pull down. The catch
is operated by a hook on the end of a piece of dowel, as is the pull down
loft ladder. Due to lack of space in the loft I installed a concertina
ladder which is held up by springs above the hatch opening when the ladder
is in the up position. You can prevent a slide up ladder from squashing the
insulation by fixing a wooden rail to the joists. The original hatch was MDF
which I cut down to fit the smaller opening. In my experience a push up
hatch gives a much better draught seal than can be achieved with a pull down
hatch. If you use tongue and grove be aware that it may be heavier than MDF
or a sheet of plywood.


IME blockboard is the best material. Takes screws well on the edge and
is a good deal lighter than mdf.
The key thing to remember is that you make the frame with the door as a
freestanding item and then fit it to the joists. Trying to fit a door to
an existing frame can be frustrating to say the least.