Our challenge to Warwickshire homeowners: control the clutter by boarding your loft

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

It’s not quite time for spring cleaning, but during this winter lockdown space is at a premium in our homes. Our houses have become multi-functional spaces. Bedrooms are offices and the kitchen is a classroom. When the living areas are cluttered and everyone is at home vying for a spot to work or follow a hobby, home might not feel like a haven.

Boarding the loft can offer a way to take control again. You could gain an extra 50% of floor space to use as storage. Make good use of that storage and it could transform your home.

We all think that we should have a good clear out, but it’s not always possible, whether for sentimental or practical reasons – there are some items that we use infrequently, but want to be able to lay our hands on quickly should the need arise. Proper storage is the alternative to either looking at items every day or getting rid of them completely.

Truss shelving for loft storage

Recently, we have been creating a lot of truss shelving during loft boarding jobs. A raised board that sits in the V of the trusses, the shelf creates a handy storage area. This allows our customers to keep boxes neatly at the sides, leaving plenty of floor room to access them. No more having to pick a path around a pile of precariously stacked boxes. It’s these details that make the difference between using storage effectively and not being able to find what you need, when you need it.

So control the clutter and take back your home.

Live in Warwickshire or Worcestershire? What to expect when we board your loft

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

Ever thought about boarding your loft, but thought it would be too much hassle? All that dust and disruption, you may have thought. Tradespeople walking mess through the house as the job drags on. If that was your mental image then read on to see that the reality is very different – hardly any disruption or mess and the whole job is normally done in less than a day!

Keeping customers safe during Covid

Now more than ever, you may be nervous about having people in your home. We want to reassure customers that we are following guidelines to keep you as safe as possible. That means wearing masks when we are not in the loft space, hand sanitising before we come into your home and taking away any waste materials and wiping surfaces when we leave. We also recommend opening windows on the floor with the loft access. We are always respectful that it is your home and you need to feel comfortable.

Will you need to see the loft before the job?

Ideally, yes. The price we give you is the price you will pay. As every loft is different we arrange a brief visit before we quote to make sure that it is accurate. This also means that we can make suggestions to help you make the most of the loft space. Perhaps you assumed a wooden ladder would be best, but there is not sufficient space. We can recommend telescopic loft ladders that are strong and easy to use. Or you might find the loft access point tricky, but not have realised that is is a relatively simple job for us to move it altogether.

When will you be able to start the job?

We are a small, family-run business and so we can be flexible around your needs. Generally speaking, we can book most jobs in within a few weeks on a day to suit your schedule.

How long will the job take?

Of course, every job is unique, but we have been doing this for a decade and find that 95% of the jobs we do can be completed within the day. Normally we are done by afternoon leaving you free to start storing items in your newly accessible loft space. There is always the exception and, if you have a very large loft area to board, then we may have to come back the next morning – it will be the next morning as we only do one job at a time.

How much mess will there be?

If we are boarding the loft then nearly all of the work is done in that space, including cutting the boards so that there is little disruption to your living space. If we are fitting a ladder, then we will work around the loft access but this creates no mess. If we are enlarging or moving the loft hatch then there is a little more involved, but we always put down dust sheets that protect your floors. Rest assured we see cleaning up as part of the job. Once recent customer commented that her husband didn’t even notice that we had been there until she pointed out that the loft hatch had changed. But then if we are fitting a new loft hatch, we even paint around it so that it looks as if it was always there!

Customers in Warwickshire maximise loft storage with made-to-measure shelving

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

Truss shelving – not something you’d think that you’d get excited about! You may be surprised because our customers throughout Warwickshire and Worcestershire do.

Bespoke loft storage solutions

Truss shelving is bespoke shelving that we create to fit on the webbing on the loft trusses. It is an optional extra for customers when we board their lofts and one that is very popular. The shelves create room for boxes in what would be wasted space. This means that the floor space is freed up. It is an important consideration to leave enough floor space otherwise accessing belongings becomes difficult. Often you don’t need to bring down an entre box and its useful to have room to comfortably browse and retrieve a particular item.

Skilled carpenters

We are carpenters by trade and so everything we do is bespoke. We don’t use ready-made kits that are one size fits all because houses don’t come in one size. What we leave customers with is tailored shelving that makes the most of the space they have – we all know how precious storage space is in our homes.

Contact us now to find out more.

Loft boarding transforms space in Bidford-On-Avon

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

We love a before and after photo. If you follow us on Facebook, you will see that the photos we share on our page show the difference that loft boarding really makes. Over the course of a day, customers see one level of their home transform from wasted space to useable storage.

Wasted space to useable storage

These photos show far more vividly than we could ever describe the incredible change. In the scheme of home improvements, boarding the loft is relatively inexpensive, but the options it gives you are immense.

Loft insulation is marvelous stuff, but trust us, as people who spend their days working in enclosed environments with it, it is not something you want to get on your clothing or transport back down to your living areas.

New build in Bidford-On-Avon

This particular job was in a three-bedroom, semi-detached property in Bidford-On-Avon, Warwickshire, an area where we often work. It was a new-build home, so high levels of insulation – fantastic news for heat preservation, but not so good for storage.

If you look at the after photo you will see that we completely tidied the loft area. No more scratchy and unpleasant insulation fibres to worry about, only a neat area for boxes and room to move about whilst accessing them.

The result – another delighted customer!

Message us now for more information.

Lockdown January 2021 – we are still providing loft improvement services in Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

Like everyone else we waited for Boris to deliver his latest briefing last night. Like everyone else we groaned at the idea of another lockdown, whilst recognising why it is needed. As an independent business, we wondered what this would mean for tradespeople like ourselves.

The detail published today on the government website makes it clear that tradespeople working in other people’s homes can continue to do so. Customers of Stu’s Loft Ladders can rest assured that we want to keep you safe and we will be doing everything we can to protect you whilst boarding your loft or fitting a new loft ladder.

The nature of our trade means that we are working most of the time in a separate space. The majority of a job is spent in the loft space itself. When we need to be on the level below, as when fitting a loft hatch, customers can socially distance on another floor and keep the area well ventilated.

What we are doing to keep customers safe:

  • Wearing masks when in your home
  • Hand sanitising before entering your home and during the job
  • Asking customers to maintain good ventilation
  • Cleaning work areas after completion
  • Removing all waste at the end of the job.

So, contact us now. We are more than happy to discuss Covid-safe working practices to put your mind at rest.

When it came to loft boarding in 2020 Warwickshire homeowners wanted to just get on with it!

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

We won’t reflect on the general twists and turns of 2020. It has been the year that kept on giving and, as an independent family-run business, we have certainly felt its impact.

However, in the last few months, we have been as busy as we have ever been. Once lockdown eased, our phone was buzzing with calls from people asking us to quote on loft boarding and ladders with a view to starting straight away.  It turns out that, in a year when people had to postpone most things, they wanted to get on with what they could. 

From boarding lofts to fitting fixed ladders and enlarging loft hatches, we have been working across Warwickshire and Worcestershire. In new builds and in period properties, customers have all wanted the same – to start the job as soon as possible! That is great news for our team, who were all champing at the bit to get back to work.

Boarding the loft is a small but impactful improvement

Changing the loft is a relatively small job – we can complete most projects in less than a day. But it is one that has a big effect on the way customers are able to organise their homes. As we clear the dust sheets away, they are eager to start storing belongings, using the extra space we have created, and made accessible, to free up congested areas.

We expect to be as busy during the first months of 2021 and we are not complaining. With holidays still not possible and plans hard to make, thinking about how to improve their homes is a welcome relief for many people.

Happy New Year to all our customers – past, present and future, Stu and the team.

Warwickshire and Worcestershire loft improvement – How much of the loft should I board?

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

 Some customers know straight away that they want to board out the entirety of their loft, preferring to maximise every inch for the storage possibilities. More often than not, these customers think along the lines of, “whilst I have the experts in, I might as well have the whole lot done.”

Other customers seek our advice on how much to board. Either, like most of us, they have budget constraints or a large loft where they might not need all the space accessible. 

Our answer involves posing another question first: how much you want to store? If it is just Christmas decorations and the odd box, then think about doing a portion of the loft nearest to the opening. One caveat is the need to consider the accessibility of items where they are up there. If you only board out a section large enough for the boxes you wish to store, you will make accessing them quite a chore. It might be better to continue the boards further under the eaves so that you can neatly line boxes up there with labels facing outwards. This means that you can then leave an area clear in the middle of your loft for moving about up when retrieving or storing items.

It’s not just what you do, it’s the way that you do it

It might not just be a case of how much you board, but also how you do it. To make the most of the space you have when boarding, the boards themselves should be cut to fit exactly around the loft struts. This can make a big difference to usability. 

Maximising loft storage space in Shipston upon Stour

The photo used here shows a recent job in Shipston upon Stour in Warwickshire. This was a large loft area and the customer wanted to neaten the loft up and make the most of the full area. All our team are skilled carpenters and so we fitted the boards around the roof supports. In doing this it also made it more unlikely that boxes would pick up fibres from the insulation that would then be transferred into the house. A much neater job all round and one that left the customer very happy. 

This photo shows the area before which was totally unusable.

And this was the finished job…

So, think about the three main points

  • What is my budget?
  • What do I want to store?
  • Is that likely to change? eg family members moving back home. 
  • Could I board half of the loft but make the most of that space by using the eaves ?

Stu’s Loft Ladders are always happy to advise. We prefer to visit to provide a full quote, but we are happy to look at a photo of your loft to advise on how much to board. Contact us by email stuart@stusloftladders.co.uk or  call on 07712 327 889

Loft Boarding Installation

Stratford homeowners ask can you board the loft in a new build? No problem, just call in an expert

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

So, you’ve got the keys to your new build home and you are ready to start unpacking. Anyone who has ever moved into a new build property will know the excitement of thinking that they are the first people to ever live there. But, as you start unpacking, you realise that you are going to run out  of space and start thinking about the loft and whether you can use it to store belongings. You’ve heard something about not being able to board new lofts because of the levels of insulation. So what do you do?

Raising the floor before boarding protects your insulation

The answer is, you call in an expert. You can board the loft in a new build, but you need to be careful not to affect the levels of insulation or to invalidate your NHBC warranty. An experienced loft company, such as Stu’s Loft Ladders, will not board the loft in a new build without first upgrading the floor.  That means that we raise the level of the floor to accommodate all the insulation. What’s even better is that the boards we use will actually add further insulation, making your house even more energy efficient.

In a new build, we would definitely recommend that you use an experienced company who can use their carpentry skills to ensure that the insulation is protected. Whilst we are on the job, we can add a fixed ladder and enlarge the hatch from the standard one fitted to one that allows extra room for storing larger items.

Contact us now to arrange a no-obligation quote.

Warwickshire loft improvement – there’s still time before Christmas

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

With six weeks to go, we are now on the official countdown to Christmas. For most of us that means the annual trip up to the loft to retrieve the decorations. If that idea fills you with dread then maybe you should think about how to improve loft access and there is still time.

We will be working right up to Christmas, helping homeowners make fetching boxes from the loft a stress-free operation.  If you don’t have a fixed loft ladder and use your loft for storage, then you really should think about getting one. We can provide and install a range of ladders to suit your budget. No need to fetch the wobbly step-ladder any more! 

Mess and disruption free

On our Frequently asked Questions page, you will see the question, “Is the process messy?” And in the run-up to Christmas who needs additional cause for stress and disruption? We pride ourselves on leaving loft improvement jobs tidy and clean. It’s one of the reasons why we receive such great customer reviews throughout Warwickshire and Worcestershire. We board most lofts and fit ladders in less than a day. With dust sheets down we leave you ready to get on with making the most of your loft.

So, with six weeks to go, give us a call on 07712 327889.

Loft Boarding in Warwickshire and Worcestershire – why minimalism isn’t the only option for a calmer home

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

Minimalism is all the rage. From celebrity decluttering shows to You Tube channels dedicated to taking control of our homes, it’s easy to feel that we need to live with clear, polished surfaces and no attachment to material objects. 

We get the feeling that the people making some of this content don’t have to deal with the issues many of our customers do, like several generations living under one roof, or partners with hobbies that require mounds of equipment. Not everybody wants to get rid of photos and books that represent different stages of their lives. 

Improving your loft might be the simplest solution

We offer the simplest solution and our customers love us for it. Tidy your stuff into boxes and put it in the loft. No drama, no big decisions. If you decide you need the snow shoes or limited edition picture disk or want to rifle through your photos to find that one shot of you ten years ago for social media then you can go up to the loft and retrieve them.

Loft boarding makes retrieving items easy

The secret is making retrieving those items as easy as possible.  You don’t want to be hunting in the shed for a step ladder and then balancing on the joists whilst going though the boxes. You need to be able to pull down the ladder in one easy motion and organise and find items on stable and secure boarding. 

So next time you read about creating the perfect calm home, why not look up and think about all that space above your head and then call in the experts. Maybe you don’t need a total clear out, you might just need to think about how you store the things you own.