Getting a loft hatch installed

d0nkeyk0ng

Got a chap to come round and quote for a loft hatch installation. We already have a hatch to pushes inwards but we then have to get the ladders out. A major hassle just to go up and chuck some stuff in the loft. It's already boarded by the previous owners.

Is there anything we should look out for, or should ask prior to accepting the quote? Or is it all just straight forward?

Aylesbury_Duck

d0nkeyk0ng wrote: »

Got a chap to come round and quote for a loft hatch installation. We already have a hatch to pushes inwards but we then have to get the ladders out. A major hassle just to go up and chuck some stuff in the loft. It's already boarded by the previous owners.

Is there anything we should look out for, or should ask prior to accepting the quote? Or is it all just straight forward?

I'm sure it's a straightforward job but I'm lost. Why do you need a second loft hatch and why would it be any less hassle to climb up into that new hatch than the current one?

d0nkeyk0ng

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

I'm sure it's a straightforward job but I'm lost. Why do you need a second loft hatch and why would it be any less hassle to climb up into that new hatch than the current one?

We don't need a second hatch. Installer is going to use the existing hatch. The new hatch comes with a fold out ladder which is a lot easier than having to go to the garage, bring the ladder up the stairs without damaging the wallpaper, set up the ladder, do what i need to do, and then put everything away again.

Schoolworker

When we moved to this house we got a company in called loft ladders and they assessed and did the work of putting in a ladder which we s attached by a hinge and you push up into the loft. They used the original hatch but put on a new hatch cover. They assess if the ladder is OK to install did to the trusses..

Aylesbury_Duck

d0nkeyk0ng wrote: »

We don't need a second hatch. Installer is going to use the existing hatch. The new hatch comes with a fold out ladder which is a lot easier than having to go to the garage, bring the ladder up the stairs without damaging the wallpaper, set up the ladder, do what i need to do, and then put everything away again.

I see. In the spirit of moneysaving, are you handy enough to DIY? I've retro-fitted two - weirdly, my garage has a ceiling and a loft hatch. The instructions were clear and it was a relatively straightforward job for both.

If not, just make sure you definitely know which direction you want the hatch to open. In my last place, the previous owners had it set up backwards to the way I would have chosen, so that there was almost no space at the bottom of the extended ladder to access it. It made putting bulky things up there difficult. It would have been much better to have the ladder feet swing down into the bedroom doorway. Another thing to consider is the footprint of the stowed ladder, making sure it doesn't interfere with anything you have or might want to do in the loft (train set, scalextric, table football, that sort of thing!) A good installer will check that the stowed ladder doesn't interfere with pipes or cables, too.