Garages of New Build Properties in Warwickshire lend themselves perfectly to loft boarding

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

It’s not just lofts in houses that we board, but also garages and summerhouses – if it has a loft we can board it!

We are being asked to board and fit ladders to a garages quite a lot recently Typically, these are on detached properties with a separate garage, often on new build developments. The style of garage being built by householders at the moment lends itself perfectly to boarding with apex roofs that allow plenty of space for storage.

Use the space you have

With more and more people working from home or running their own businesses with stock and paperwork to store, using the space they already have makes perfect sense.

Garage loft boarding in Stratford-upon-Avon

The photo below shows a job last week in Stratford-upon-Avon. Here the owner of a new build property on the south side of the river wanted to realise the potential of storage space in their garage. We completed a full board, cutting the floor to fit neatly around the roof supports and up to the eaves.

In most cases the space is not the issue but access is. The loft hatch fitted is too small to allow for larger items to be stored, or even for smaller items to be taken up without it being awkward. This was the case at the job shown below, where we fitted a new hatch and ladder. With a sturdy timber ladder, the customer is now able to take up heavier items with comfort.

Enlarging garage loft hatch

We are always happy to quote, so contact us now by using our contact form or call us on 07712 327889.

Full board or half board – either way goes for loft improvements in Wellesbourne and Stratford-upon-Avon

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Full board or half board? Not the choice you make when booking your next holiday, but the decision on whether to create storage in your loft by using all, or some, of the space available to you.

The choice is individual to the home and homeowner as illustrated perfectly by two loft boarding jobs that we carried out this week in the vicinity of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

Part loft board in Wellesbourne

The first was in Wellesbourne, a village between Warwick and Stratford, where the owners wanted a part-board of their loft. They decided that for their storage needs and budget, a partial board was adequate and we were happy to oblige.

Before and after – you can see the difference boarding makes

Full board in Stratford-upon-Avon

Later that week we were in the town of Stratford itself, carrying out a full board of a garage on the south side of the river on the new development at the top of Loxley Road. The owner wanted to maximise the storage potential available in this sizeable area. They were delighted with the neat finish around the roof supports. The continuation of boarding up to the edge of the loft means that any unsightly insulation is kept out of sight, making the loft a nicer environment without those prickly fibres.

If you are unsure about whether to board the entire loft or only a part of it, we are always happy to provide a quote for both options. Contact us now to find out more.

Why we depend on customer recommendations for loft boarding and ladders in Worcestershire and Warwickshire

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The past year has been tough on small businesses. Although we were allowed to continue working with precautions during the second and third lockdowns, anxieties around Covid-19 have impacted on our work and we are as delighted as everyone to see a return to normality.

We only share genuine recommendations from our loft improvement customers

So more than ever, we are thrilled when customers take the time to share their experiences of booking us to board their lofts and fit their ladders. We, like many independent family-run firms, don’t have a big budget for advertising and rely on word of mouth. Direct recommendation also benefits our customers reassuring them with real-life examples of loft installations. It can be unnerving to entrust work within your home to a firm that you have not used before and, as most people only have their loft boarded or a ladder fitted once, we work with new customers on every job!

So, to every customer who has written a review on this website, our Facebook page or their own social media accounts, we want to extend a massive thank you. Your recommendations have kept us going through this pandemic!

Recent reviews from customers in Warwickshire and Worcestershire

Here are a selection of genuine customer recommendations for loft boarding and fitting loft ladders taken from our Facebook page:

“Brilliant team of lads. Polite, reliable and hard working. Stuart even called to start work earlier than planned. Very professional and would recommend. Thank you Stuart and team for giving us a usable loft and more storage space,” Mr & Mrs Hunt, Stratford upon Avon.

“We had our loft hatch relocated and new ladders. Really lovely guys. On time, neat and tidy, and great job on where the old hatch was. Thank you!” Louise Walker, Redditch.

“What great guys – turned up on time and were friendly but professional and did a cracking job – so pleased with our new loft ladder and installation – I would definitely recommend them and they even cleaned up after themselves – if you need a loft ladder these are the guys to choose!” Heather Porter, Worcestershire.

Loft Boarding Installation

Looking for storage in Warwickshire and Worcestershire? Why boarding the loft and fitting a loft ladder could save you money

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

The cost for us to fit a quality loft ladder starts from £295. This might seem like a considerable outlay, but if you are thinking about paying for storage, then you really should consider it. Having a sturdy and easy to use loft ladder means that you will be able to safely access your loft.

Compared to storage facilities, a loft ladder could pay for itself in six months

Storage in a dedicated facility comes in at around £50 per month for a 5ft x 7ft area or £85 for 6ft x 10ft. Some facilities may cost less, but sting you with an access charge every time you want to put something in or out.  Based on the lower of these two figures, a fitted loft ladder would pay for itself in six months. Of course, you would also have the benefit of it for as long as you need.

Every m2 of loft boarding is less than a month’s storage

The same is true of loft boarding.  Every job is different, but as a guide you could think about paying £35 per square metre with Stu’s Loft Ladders.  So, you could look at it, that every square metre is less than the cost of one month in storage. You could board an area of 10m2 and fit a ladder for around £650 total and, compared to the cheapest storage costs, break even in a year. To boot, you will have gained more storage space at home than that cost would have bought elsewhere with all the extra convenience.

Boarding the loft could add value to your home

Boarding the loft could add value to your home. As a job that many homebuyers think of doing, having a loft that is already boarded could help your home to stand out for practical-minded house viewers.

Unless you are storing large items such as bulky furniture, boarding the loft is a great alternative to paid-for storage. Think about it. Your loft is secure and you can access items whenever you need them. You can also store them indefinitely without the costs racking up as they would in a storage facility.

Take a look at our services page to find out more.

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

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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.

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

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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!

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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?

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 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

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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

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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.