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As topic title tbh. We have a loft accessed through a hatch via a step-ladder I have to lug upstairs every time I want/ need to get into the loft. So I figure that one of those clever retractable stowable telescopic ladders would be just the trick. Looks simple enough on YT, sounds simple enough according to Screwfix. We already have an opening. I'm a bit uncertain if it's possible to properly insulate the hatch/ trapdoor once the ladder is fitted.
thanks for any and all advice 🙂
Not fitted one, but my parents have one that is a hinged "Z" design that you raise and lower with a rope, it's a right pain the arse to use. The typical sliding/telescopic style one they had before was much better!
As an alternative, we keep on of those telescopic jobs in a cupboard near our loft hatch and just push it up when needed. Our hatch is quite small and, from previous experience, the fixings for a "stowed" ladder take up room in the hatch space, making it more difficult to squeeze in.
Fitted one of these at my mother in-laws. Was straight forward.
https://www.ramsayladders.co.uk/i-original-ramsay-loft-ladder-al.html
Replaced a piece of shit B&Q knock off that collapsed underneath me.
Fitted one along time ago, extended the loft hatch at the same time. Easy enough job. Never did get around to insulating it properly. Lift hatch is hinged so it opens downwards. Ladder is screwed to the boards in the loft. Need a pole to pull it down but a piece of string would do as well.
We've got one of those Ramsay Ladder affairs that slides up and into the attic away from the hatch when not in use. The hatch to the attic is loose and pushes up and to the side to allow access to the ladder. No issue with insulation this way, but if it was a hinge down into the room affair then I can't see how it would work.
@TheFlyingOx Something like foil covered polyurathane board glued to the hatch in our house (originally we had 4" of polystyrene but that kept loosening from the hatch.
One of these?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/fwDufjSjBigU3Ept6
As long as there is enough depth between the downstairs and the loft it is simply 6 screws. I screwed a plank to mount it against so it had a flat surface but not sure if that was required.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/JeFKU72nRBZNpn9q7
Does not take up much room on the loft floor when collapsed. Less that my forearm.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ibgvjGH1cu5nZj5q6
I use mine all the time to get to my art studio in the attic and it is great.
I fitted a fold-in-four kind of one a while ago. Door itself is supposed to be insulated - it certainly doesn't seem any colder in the house for it. It was a all in one unit, so included the door and frame. Wasn't too bad to fit, but would have been easier with a helper. Would have been a lot easier if the loft hatch wasn't over the stairs. If I was doing it again, I think I'd fit one of the ones with a telescopic ladder.
Cheers folks 👍🏻😊
We just got a ladder to leave in the loft. Lift the hatch and grab the end left sticking out over the opening and pull it down.
We do however have a low ceiling and not the space or inclination to extend the opening (old building) so most folding combinations weren't going to fit.
When fitting a loft ladder remember that you've just formed a larger hole in the loft and don't step back through said hole before fitting the stairs....
Much bruising ensues....
We had one that you pulled down with a stick. Was a pain to operate, not great to climb and took up space in the loft. I changed it for one that sits on the door and it is loads better. You can open it and extend it one handed (I'm usually carrying something if I'm off to the loft) and the stairs treads are wide and flat so you can use it in socked feet. Like this:
I’ve fitted several and one of the real difficulties can be working out whether you have the necessary clearance above as you push it up and it pivots to lie flat on the loft floor. If you are working in line with the rafters it’s usually fine but if it’s a hip roof it can be difficult. Try and purchase one that doesn’t attach to the door as that limits insulation opportunities, I raised the head off the loft floor so when it was stowed there was space for 100mm of insulation attached to the hatch door.
I was looking at this myself and eventually settled on a telescopic stowable ladder instead. Getting something that fitted the existing hatch/aperture and also played well with the space available and allowed insulation and also just generally worked well was a pain (especially with a fairly high ceiling- my brother's place has a loft ladder that you need a tall step or short ladder to get up or down!) So I just cut the knot in the end.
Oh yeah a mate installed one and while it's a good install and a really nice ladder, it's also quite bulky and now it turns out he has stuff in the attic that he can't physically get down again without removing the ladder first! Though that's probably a bit of an edge case, it can reduce usability a bit.
A really good, well fitting, usable loft ladder is a brilliant thing mind you, especially if you've got a brain like mine and even a little bit of faff can feel like the end of the world, making access low effort can really make an irrationally big difference to how you use the space.
I've got one like nickjb's pic. Easily, fited, not insulated because the roof is. The only hard part was fixing the lat and plaster ceiling after instalation - tedious, time consuming and dusty.
A workmate had a folding ladder he kept in a cupboard and just leaned against the edge of the loft hatch to use. Worked well until the carpet on the upstairs hall got replaced by laminate flooring. When he was halfway up the ladder he found the new flooring was considerably slippier than carpet as the ladder feet slid away.
Broken leg.
We’ve got the type that concertina up into the loft away from the hatch, the hatch is a plastic hinged job that opens down the way. For insulation I’ve got a loose bit of loft insulation inside a bin bag cut to the right size that it friction fits into the opening and can remain in place until the hatch is closed
one down side is I boarded the bit of the loft around where the hatch is with these loft legs (which are great) but because the floor of the loft to the ceiling below is now about a foot and a bit, there isn’t really sufficient length in the loft hatch to accommodate the angle of the ladder and a person on the ladder whilst carrying a box, so that’s something to watch out for if that’s your setup
A really good, well fitting, usable loft ladder is a brilliant thing mind you, especially if you've got a brain like mine and even a little bit of faff can feel like the end of the world, making access low effort can really make an irrationally big difference to how you use the space.
Totally agree. With our old ladder stuff would sit on the landing ready to be put away for ages. I work from home and now and I have moved a load of my work stuff up there, instead of it filling up the office. I can easily grab whatever I need.
I fitted one of the pull down with a stick type.
https://www.ladderstore.com/products/werner-easiway-aluminium-loft-ladder-3-section
biggest part of the job was modifying the hatch from a lift-out to hinged pull-down type. Ladders is pretty solid and opens and closes no problem.
Slight hijack...
Does anyone know of a loft ladder that can be stowed vertically against the trusses?
Due to a terrible layout, that's about my option for a pull down ladder. The hatch is right next to a truss meaning that a ladder which lays flat on the loft floor won't work.
What's wrong with one that sits on the hatch (like I posted above)? They take up no extra space in the loft, just the hatch footprint. You do need a reasonable sized hatch but that is a good thing to have anyway.
My previous place had an aluminium one which was a doddle to use. In the new place I've had one fitted that's the same as the pic posted by nickjb. Whilst it's undoubtedly solid and secure (hatch was made bigger) it is very heavy to use due to being wood. That may or may not be a consideration.
What's wrong with one that sits on the hatch (like I posted above)? They take up no extra space in the loft, just the hatch footprint. You do need a reasonable sized hatch but that is a good thing to have anyway.
Those types need a hatch that's longer that my roof will accommodate. Because the hatch is right at the end of the landing, the ladder can only extend down along the landing. With it facing that way, there's a truss in the way. The hatch is only ~500mm wide. It's longer than it is wide and the ladder would need to fitted to the narrow bit.
If there was a ladder that I could mount to the truss, it would fold out the right way. If I put it in any other direction, it'll hit a wall. I might be able to move the hatch over a couple of joists but it's a lot of faff.
I have a feeling that I might be in the same situation as you 😞Slight hijack...
Does anyone know of a loft ladder that can be stowed vertically against the trusses?
Due to a terrible layout, that's about my option for a pull down ladder. The hatch is right next to a truss meaning that a ladder which lays flat on the loft floor won't work.