Loft boarding

[SylvanasWindrunner]

Has anyone had LoftZone or similar installed in their loft to increase surface space for storage? Was it worth it?

We have a big loft but not much of it is boarded currently, so considering whether it would be worth something like this to give us more room for storage.

I really do think that a useable, well lit and boarded loft space is indispensable.

what are the dimensions of the "joists" of your loft floor, and what is their longest span between supporting walls?

Can you see the underside of the slates or tiles; or there there black felt or a grey membrane?

Under the insulation, is there clean grey plasterboard, or thin wooden laths with broken plaster pressed between them?

Is the insulation yellow fibreglass?

Those are all very good questions that I don't have the answer to as I've never been up there It hasn't got a proper ladder yet so we only have a stepladder, and I'm too short to haul myself up. It's always DH who goes up there as he's tall and can just pull himself up. I will ask him when he gets home from work though.

The house is only 10 years old so I imagine it's fairly 'standard', if there is such a thing.

Massively useful to have a properly boarded and easily accessible loft. It's like having a whole new room which you don't have to feel guilty about using for storage because there's nothing else it can be used for. We manage to maintain an uncluttered and minimal house because all the clutter is kept up there! Things like suitcases, cat carriers, Christmas stuff, skiing stuff, stock of paper for the printer, box for important documents, sentimental old letters and photos that would otherwise need chucking out. We have two brick walls between us and the houses either side and we have shelves on them too keep weight of the floor itself. It's important to have a decent loft ladder, because if getting up there is a pain you won't use it.

Thanks, that sounds great! We do need a new ladder for sure as I'd like to be able to take stuff up there myself instead of waiting for DH to get annoyed at falling over it and do it. We did have a garage that we converted to a playroom so we could use somewhere to put, as you say, stuff like the Christmas decs, cat carriers, etc.

I think I'll get someone out to have a look.

only 10 years old means it most likely has trussed rafters (in a "W" shape) which are calculated to hold the weight of the tiles and the plaster ceiling, a modest layer of snow, and not much else. You mustn't cut any of the timbers out of the trusses or you will weaken them and your house will fall down

I would not go for "loft legs" but for counterbattens, which run crossways to the trusses, and spread the load across several. When screwed down tightly, they improve the rigidity, but not the overall strength.

Loft conversion floors are much stronger and more expensive.

some example loft ladders

the wooden ones are more rigid than the aluminium ones, but heavier.

It is essential to have them safely fitted by somebody compent. Try to go to a shop that has some demonstration ones you can use.

Depending how old and how grand your house is, the floor-to-floor height will usually be about 2600m or about 3200mm. It is more than the floor-to-ceiling height. A taller ladder may be in three sections.

The person fitting it needs to know how much extra height your new floor will add (or measure and fit it after the floor)

A modern house may have insulation about 250mm or 300mm deep, which will bury the joists and may need to be changed before flooring.

Thanks, that's all very helpful! I've spoken to a specialist loft boarding company and they're sending someone out next week to do a survey and give a quote so we'll see what they come up with. I shall report back ...

We converted our garage and had part of our loft boarded out to compensate, and it's a god send. For sentimental junk and all the bits and bobs like Christmas bits, holiday bits etc. Having an easy to use ladder though is crucial, I'm in and out of the loft more than DH now but I physically couldn't get into it at our old house so always had to wait for him to have time to do it, meaning piles of stuff building up. Now it just goes straight up no bother. Definitely worth it!

some example loft ladders

the wooden ones are more rigid than the aluminium ones, but heavier.

We got that first one on the list (Youngman Deluxe) because we've got unusually high ceilings and that seemed to be the only one with a big enough drop. I really recommend it, very sturdy (although aluminium, so not too heavy) and more like a steep staircase than a ladder.

@SylvanasWindrunner

Thanks, that's all very helpful! I've spoken to a specialist loft boarding company and they're sending someone out next week to do a survey and give a quote so we'll see what they come up with. I shall report back ...

See what they say, but you may be able to find a competent handyman do the job for a better price

This is what I had done & prices:

• larger hatch built £100 (it was about 1.5 x 1m)
• boarding (a 3 bed victorian terrace standard size) - just boards from Wickes £300 plus whatever the boards cost
• lights installed with a switch next to the door plus - retractable ladder fitted £100 ladder, £100 labour

My prices are going back a few years, Friends had same job done by same person & equally happy, they def paid in the hundreds not 100s & it was done in 1-2 days - its not a massive/very specialist job

That said, if you are not meant to put loads of weight up there, stick to the xmas decs & light things like clothing, duvets etc , still incredibly useful to have that storage