No loft hatch in Stratford-upon-Avon?

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In older properties, there may be no access point for the loft, which poses a problem if you would like to board your loft or fit a fixed ladder.

Indeed in houses built more than 150 years ago, it is common to find no loft opening. For customers in this situation, our team of trained carpenters can carefully assess where to create an opening so that it is convenient without compromising the roof structure.

Often older houses, particularly Victorian and Edwardian, have large loft areas with good head room which is ideal for storage and access. However, they also often have small loft hatches which can be inconvenient for storing large items. We regularly enlarge existing loft hatches for customers in this age of property.

Whilst we complete most jobs in one day, the installation shown above took two days as the customer wanted a large area boarded, plus the installation of a timber ladder and the creation of a loft hatch where there was none. The customer was delighted with all the new storage possibilities.

To find out more, call or text us on 07712 327 889 or email stuart@stusloftladders.co.uk

New hatch, no mess in Redditch

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Did you know that we can replace your old loft hatch with no mess?

The two photos above are from a recent job to replace an existing hatch. As the ‘after’ photo shows, the new hatch looks as if it was always there.

A new insulated loft door means less heat loss, which with today’s energy costs is a massive benefit.

In addition, many properties have small loft openings, which are not well suited to using the loft for effective storage. The whole experience of accessing the loft space is made far easier when there is room to manoeuvre when carrying up boxes or other items.

We regularly replace loft hatches when fitting loft ladders and are happy to quote on including this service as part of a loft ladder package. Contact us to find out more by emailing stuart@stusloftladders.co.uk

Keeping busy boarding lofts and fitting loft ladders in and around Alcester

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It’s spring and we’ve been busy. Maybe it’s the good weather or maybe just the time of year, but we have been particularly busy this April, boarding lofts and fitting loft ladders in Alcester and the surrounding Warwickshire towns and villages.

The photos below are from a job which shows what we do best: creating functional, easy loft access with no mess to clean up afterwards. For this customer, we fitted an aluminium loft ladder and enlarged the loft opening. The new larger hatch is ready insulated and closely fitting, so no more losing precious heat up to the loft cavity. It leaves a neat finish that blends in and looks as if it were always there. 

Our next job was a loft ladder installation and part-board for a customer in a new-build property in Alcester. Their preference was for a wooden ladder, which, as the photo shows, stows neatly away in the loft space. Part boarding is a popular option as it creates storage space without committing to boarding right up to the eaves, making it more economical.

Wooden loft ladder and part boarding in Alcester

In this third job, our experienced team moved the loft access from the bedroom to the landing. Not only was this a more convenient location, but we were able to ensure that the loft opening was larger than before, making it so much more useable. No more moving beds out of the way and then squeezing through a small loft opening for this customer.

All in all, three happy customers, even more so as all our work is guaranteed

Call us now on 07712 327889 for a no-obligation quote on loft boarding or fitting a fixed ladder. Or email us at stuart@stusloftladders.co.uk

We also move loft hatches and can advise on the best option for your home.

Three Steps to (Storage) Heaven for homeowners in Warwickshire and Worcestershire

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We like to keep things simple! When it comes to how to improve your loft, there are three main things to consider:

  1. Boarding
    This is the game changer! No more wasted space and no trying to precariously balance things, or worse yourself, on joists. With boarding costing around £35 per square metre, it is good value for money in relation to the space you will gain. If you are thinking about boarding the loft yourself, read our blog post first to check that you have the necessary skills and tools for the job. We get it done in less than a day and clear away all leftover materials and any mess. 
  2. Fixed Loft Ladder
    Make using the loft safe and make it easy. A fixed ladder means that going up to the loft is a breeze. If you already have a fixed loft ladder, but it is a bit heavy and clunky, why not change it for a modern, light version. Life is too short to dread going up to the loft!
  3. Loft Opening
    Is the hatch in the wrong place, like a bedroom or over the stairs? If it is in the right place, but awkward to get to and use, we can enlarge the opening or change the orientation to be more convenient. Changing the loft opening so that it is not over stairs is a job that we do quite often. We can fit a new hatch and surround and leave the ceiling looking as if the new hatch was always there!

There you have it – three steps to maximising your loft space. Contact us now to arrange a no obligation quote, or take a look at our services page for more information.

Loft improvements in Warwick, Redditch, Bidford and Stratford-upon-Avon – all in a week’s work for Stu’s Loft Ladders!

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June is generally a busy month. We are not yet into summer holidays and people are getting on with home improvements before they go away. This year, the effect of coming out of lockdown and people feeling more confident about having work done in their homes, means that our diary is packed. We are certainly not complaining, as we love to be busy! Last week’s loft improvement jobs show a good range of the services we provide.

Boarding in Warwick

First up was a loft boarding job in Warwick, boarding around central roof supports, but leaving the area up to the eaves. We also fitted an aluminium ladder, creating an easy loft access and storage solution. A happy customer and our week was off to a good start!

Partial loft board in Bidford-On-Avon

Next we visited Bidford on Avon for a boarding job. The customer only wanted a partial board, so we created a storage area in the middle section the loft. Another happy customer!

Loft boarding and timber ladder in Stratford-upon-Avon

On to Stratford-upon-Avon. Here we turned wasted space into functional storage with a timber ladder.  Again, the customer wanted boarding to the middle section only, but in this large loft, this still created a large amount of storage potential.

Redditch boarding to middle section of loft

Later in the week we were in Redditch. Again creating a useable storage area with a board to the middle section of a loft. 

Enlarging and moving loft hatches

Our next two jobs were all about loft hatches. In Bidford, we enlarged the loft opening for a client and fitted a new hatch. To finish the week off, we visited another customer to move the loft opening, which had been over the stairs. This is a common location for hatches in older houses and not one that is very safe. We turned the loft around to run the other way on the landing and fitted an aluminium ladder and plastic hatch. 

Get in touch for your loft improvement quote

As you can tell, we specialise in loft improvements and we stay busy through customer recommendations. We are taking bookings now for the rest of June and July. Get in touch if you need some help to unlock the storage potential of your loft! Or still not sure? Check out more pictures of these jobs and others on our Facebook page.

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.

Enlarging loft hatch opens up possibilities in Shipston-on-Stour

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Reasons to consider enlarging the loft hatch

If you are considering boarding your loft and fitting a fixed ladder you might also want to think about changes to the loft opening itself. Many people don’t realise how easy it is to enlarge the loft hatch.

We often see older style hatches which aren’t big enough to accommodate larger items. By enlarging the hatch you create new possibilities about what you are able to store. Suddenly you can take up those bulky items. Even bringing down smaller boxes becomes easier and safer when there is more space around the ladder.

With a skilled carpenter carrying out the installation, the integrity of the timber joists is maintained by inserting the proper supports as we cut a larger space. Re-plastering around the new opening leaves the ceiling looking as if the hatch was always meant to be there.  A responsible contractor will leave the site, painted to your specification and neatly finished.

If your preference is for a wooden hatch surround, then you will almost definitely need to enlarge the opening, as the smallest wooden hatch is 1m long – larger than most people’s current loft hatches.

New loft hatch in Honington

In Honington, a hamlet just outside Shipston-on-Stour, we improved the loft access in a barn conversion with a large attic space.

Half of the loft was already boarded but, as is often the case, the family’s circumstances had changed and they now wanted to board the entire area.

The owner’s elderly father had come to live with them and they required more storage space to accommodate his belongings. As some of these were bulky, we recommended enlarging the loft opening as part of the job, which also included fitting a wooden ladder.

Repositioning loft hatch

Not all properties allow as much space as this barn conversion, however enlarging the loft hatch is not the only option for improving access. Where space is tight, for example on a landing, we can reposition the hatch to make it safer and more convenient to access.  This often involves a change in its orientation so that the ladder descends safely away from the stairs.

Whatever kind of property you live in, we can suggest ways to make the most of your loft. Message us to request a no-obligation visit.