Why put up with a loft opening in the wrong place? We move loft hatches for homeowners in Worcestershire and Warwickshire

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There are enough annoying things to put up with in life, so why add one more to the list? If going up to the loft is a hassle due to the loft opening being in an inconvenient place, it is a problem that can be easily sorted by moving the loft hatch all together.

What can seem like a big job as a DIY project is actually something that Stu’s Loft Ladders undertakes regularly for customers when installing a loft ladder or boarding a loft.

Moving a loft hatch can be a relatively simple job and, when our team does it, there is no mess. In fact, before leaving we will paint around a loft opening, so that in many cases, you cannot tell that it was not there all along.

Maybe the options for relocating your loft hatch are limited and it needs to stay where it is. We can extend the opening to make it easier to use, or change its orientation so that the ladders descends in a more convenient spot.

Every home is different and we are more than happy to visit to advise on relocating a loft hatch or enlarging it. Give us a call on 07712 327889 or email stuart@stusloftladders.co.uk

Looking to move your loft hatch in Stratford-upon-Avon? There’s no mess and dust with us

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One of the top reasons people often put off having a job done in their homes, even once they have the funds in place, is the worry about any mess and dust it might create.

We like to reassure anyone thinking about moving their loft opening or enlarging the loft hatch, that we take a particular pride in leaving our working area pristine.

Before and after photos from a job where we enlarged the loft opening and fitted a new hatch

What this means, is that we take away any debris and always use dust sheets to protect carpets. When cutting a new loft opening and plastering around the hatch, we make sure that there is no evidence of the work other than the new hatch itself. Take a look at this genuine customer Facebook review from a job last month,

Definitely recommend Stu & team. We had our old loft hatch in the bedroom boarded and painted like it was never there. They then relocated a new large loft hatch in to the hallway with new ladders and boarded the loft. We have plenty of space! Excellent job, reliable and so tidy. If you want a professional service these guys are it. 

This customer loved the fact that we painted the ceiling, so you could not tell where the old loft hatch had been. We’ve even had one customer tell us that her husband did not notice that the loft hatch had been enlarged for a few days because it looked like it had always been that way. This is exactly as it should be – you do not want to make a feature of your loft hatch – you want it to blend into the ceiling. So we won’t take offence if your visitors don’t notice our work!

To find out more contact us for a no-obligation consultation.

When it comes to loft hatches bigger is better in Stratford-upon-Avon and Redditch

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Do you struggle to get larger items into your loft? It’s frustrating – all that loft space that you could use to get awkward items out of sight in your home, but the loft opening itself is too small.

Don’t panic – give us a call. Enlarging loft openings and fitting new hatches is our bread and butter!

We can fit a new loft hatch

Some houses were built with a small loft opening and many new builds still are. We can remove the old hatch door and surround, open a larger space and fit a new surround. 

We offer maintenance-free, white plastic as well as timber that you can stain or paint to the colour you want. Depending on the loft ladder you choose, we offer hatch options up to one metre in length.

Larger loft hatch means less hassle

It might be that you don’t need to store larger items, but you find it awkward carrying items of any size up a ladder and into the loft. The larger the opening, the more space you have to manoeuvre – the whole process feels easier and you are less likely to injure yourself.

So take a look at our loft hatches page or give us a call straight away on 07712 327889.

Enlarging the loft opening is no problem in Stratford-upon-Avon and Redditch

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It makes sense that the size of your loft opening will dictate the size of the items you can store up there.  What customers don’t always realise, until we enlighten them, is how easy it is to enlarge the loft opening.

New builds may have small hatch as standard

More often than not, modern house builders will install a small loft hatch as standard. In fact, we often enlarge the loft opening for customers in new builds. We can fit a new hatch with insulated surround and door either in maintenance-free plastic or, if you prefer a more traditional look, in timber.

Having a loft opening of 1 metre in length not only changes what you can store, but also how easy it is to carry any items up to the loft. The extra room gives you space to manoeuvre and the confidence that you won’t scrape your knuckles on the sides whilst carrying a heavy box.

Above shows the loft hatch before…
This is the neatly finished job with a larger hatch

We are skilled carpenters and we’ve been fitting loft hatches for more than a decade, so we can ensure that none of your ceiling joists are compromised.  As part of the quote, we will make good the plaster around the new loft hatch and paint around the hatch to ensure that it looks as if it was already there.

Loft hatch in the wrong place?

If the hatch is in the wrong place entirely, we can move it. Check out this review left earlier this month by a happy customer who asked us to move his loft opening.  You’ll notice that he was very pleased on the tidiness of the job!

Hatching loft improvement plans in the West Midlands

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Loft hatches – you might not spend much time thinking about yours, but if it is in the wrong place, then it could be preventing you from accessing the storage potential in your loft.

Moving the loft hatch

We regularly move loft openings for customers to more convenient locations. In older houses loft hatches are often in bedrooms – problematic if it means shifting heavy furniture out of the way in order to gain access. It is also not very handy to have a loft hatch in a child’s bedroom – with a small child evening trips up to the loft are out of the question and with a teenager you will have to negotiate a path through their floordrobe.

Change the direction of your loft opening

Most loft hatches are on the landing. However, if your loft hatch is too near the stairs, it could be unsafe for you to access it and you could think about making a change. That doesn’t have to be a complete move, it could mean simply changing the orientation. People imagine that this will be a messy job, but we live up to our promise to leave your home as neat and tidy as we found it.

Energy efficient loft hatch

If you live in a period property, an ill-fitting loft hatch could be a cause of heat loss in your home. An insulated, tight fitting loft hatch could help you to save energy. You can choose from timber or U-PVC, the latter in a white finish suiting most paint schemes.

Loft hatches – bigger could be better

The other option that you might consider is enlarging the loft opening. It’s obvious – the size of the loft opening dictates what you are able to store. Too small and negotiating larger boxes into the loft will be tricky. Enlarging the loft hatch is one of the most common add-on jobs that we do when fitting a loft ladder. This is particularly the case in new-build properties, which have smaller loft hatches fitted as standard. Again, we leave your ceiling looking as it did before, plastering and painting around the new loft hatch so that it looks as if it was always that way.

No obligation quote

Call us now to get a quote on 07712 327889.

Customers Ready to Embrace Loft Storage in Redditch and Studley

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Customer confidence grows for home improvements with social distancing

It’s good to be busy. For any small trader getting through lockdown has been hard and the return to a new normal has been a nervous time for both customer and business owner. We have been delighted to see trade pick up from the start of July as customers show confidence in having us work within their homes to improve loft storage.

“Over lockdown everyone has been stuck in their homes, with time to think about what they could improve,” commented Stuart Dyson, owner of Stu’s Loft Ladders. “Creating accessible storage in the loft through boarding and fitting a fixed ladder can be a small change, but one that allows homeowners to transform their living space. No more infrequently used items taking up valuable space in rooms and garages, instead they can be carried safely and easily up to the loft. Boarding also means an end to precarious balancing between joists.

“To start with trade was slow but steady; now customers are regaining confidence and want to get on with jobs.” 

Last week our team quoted on seven jobs, six of which are set to proceed. The legacy of lockdown is that customers want to think for longer before proceeding. In these strange times, we all want to be sure that we are doing the right thing. 

“Post-lockdown, people are definitely taking longer before they decide to proceed,” explained Stuart. “Normally we give customers a price when we visit and they make a decision whilst we are still there. If they say they want to think about it, it usually means a no, but that is not the case at the moment, as customers are calling back after a week and wanting to go ahead.

“We are able to reassure customers that we take social distancing very seriously and that the job is nearly always completed within the day.”

Loft boarding, ladder fitting and new hatch in Redditch 3-storey home

This week we have helped homeowners in Redditch to gain full access to their loft with the holy trinity of loft improvement: enlarged hatch, fixed ladder and boarding. In a modern property we enlarged the loft opening to fit a standard plastic surround, which leaves a neat finish on a landing where space is tight. The customer chose a lightweight, easy to operate, aluminum three-section ladder – again a great choice where space is limited.

Studley traditional semi-detached is perfect for loft storage

The enlarged loft hatch and as it was when we arrived

We also completed loft improvements in Studley in a 1930’s semi-detached with lath and plaster ceilings. This traditional style property is perfect for creating storage space as the triangular structure without additional trusses leaves a large area. In this case, we fitted a fixed ladder and loft hatch, leaving the customer the option of completing the boarding at a later date.

Having removed the old surround, we enlarged the hatch and fitted a fixed aluminium ladder

As we started by saying, it’s good to be busy. We’ve been delighted to receive four glowing reviews in two weeks on our Facebook page. For independent traders, the upside of customers homeworking is that they are at their computers ready to post reviews! 

 

Loft opening too small? How we fixed the problem for customers in Stratford upon Avon and Evesham

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In planning to improve access to your loft you have to look at the whole package. You might fit a new ladder and even board the loft, but if the loft opening itself is too small, then getting up there is still going to be a hassle. This is a particularly important consideration if you plan to store larger items.

As part of a loft improvement job we often enlarge the opening and fit a roomier hatch and surround.  It might seem like an additional expense, but if you are spending money on a ladder and boarding you might as well spend the minimal amount extra and make the whole experience of accessing your loft much easier.

This was the case at two jobs this week –  very different properties, but with a need for easy loft access in common.

New build loft boarding in Stratford upon Avon

We fitted an aluminium ladder and boarded the loft of a new build property in the Arden Quarter, near the railway station in Stratford upon Avon.  This is a new development close to the historic town centre.

In a two-bed terrace, the loft offered valuable storage and so we boarded all of the 5m by 2.5m space. As with all new builds, we first raised the level of the loft boards to accommodate the existing insulation.

On our advice, the young couple chose to open up the loft hatch by about 5 inches and we installed a plastic insulated loft hatch.

Wooden loft ladder option in Evesham

Our second loft hatch enlargement of the week was to a 1970s four-bedroom detached in Ashton Under Hill, a Worcestershire village near to Evesham. For these customers, space in the house itself was less of an issue and the budget was larger. However, in common with our earlier customers, the existing loft hatch itself was small. The customer explained that they needed to access the loft frequently and found it rather awkward. We enlarged the loft opening by 12 inches and fitted a wooden loft ladder making the whole process stress-free for them.

“Many customers if they are choosing to improve the loft decide it is worth spending a little extra to enlarge the loft opening itself,” explained Stuart Dyson of Stu’s Loft Ladders. “We see this a lot with customers choosing a wooden loft ladder which is already a more expensive option. They are committing money to gain better loft access and so would rather complete the improvement.”

Wooden Loft Ladders proving popular in Warwickshire and Worcestershire

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Five years ago our customers were shying away from wooden ladders, preferring the more cost-effective aluminium option.  Recently this has changed, so that in 2019 we have been installing more wooden loft ladders than any other kind. This shift in customer choices led us to wonder,  why the change?

In uncertain times we all know that people favour staying put and investing in what they have rather than moving house. In what has been a turbulent 2019 this must surely be a factor in people committing to top of the range ladders.

Add to this the fact that homes are getting smaller, particularly when you compare the living space in new build homes today with that of previous decades.

Whatever period of house we live in, we all have so much more stuff.  Most customers who contact us want to clear their loft to create more storage space and streamline their living spaces.

For many people this concerns items that they only use at particular times of the year or equipment for occasional hobbies. Some customers like to swap over their winter and summer clothes to create wardrobe space. When it comes to carrying heavy items up to a loft people prefer the sturdiest timber ladders.

Wooden Loft Ladder in Warwickshire

This was the case at a recent installation in the Bridgetown area of Stratford-upon-Avon, where we boarded the loft of a detached 1970’s family home. At 35m2, this was a larger than average installation taking two days in place of the usual one.

Storage space at a premium in Stratford

The customer planned to  move items from both the garage and bedrooms freeing up valuable space in the home – at a premium with three children. The family enjoys camping in the summer along with all the equipment involved and planned to store items in the loft.

In order to comfortably and safely take larger items up to the loft, their preference was for a wooden ladder.

Timber loft hatch

To further ensure easy access, we enlarged the loft opening fitting a new timber hatch.

The customers were delighted and as soon as we finished were planning to spend the weekend de-cluttering and creating more space in their home.

“On average a wooden loft ladder costs £180 more than an aluminium option,” commented Stuart Dyson, owner of Stu’s Loft Ladders. “Whilst there are jobs where a lightweight aluminium or telescopic ladder are the best option, many customers, particularly those with larger loft areas, are choosing wooden. Fitting a loft ladder is something that you will most likely only do once whilst you live in a property and so people want the quality and strength of timber.”

We are always happy to advise on the best loft ladder for your home and to provide a no-obligation quote. Call us on 07712 327 889 or message us.