loft ladder installation - wooden, aluminum ? which one ?

Norman_Castle

Section62 said:

Norman_Castle said:

Section62 said:

Norman_Castle said:

Are ceiling joists or roof trusses routinely treated against insect attack?

Yes.

Since when? Mine are Victorian and remain uneaten.

What makes you think yours haven't been treated?

I don't, I questioned if they routinely were.

Carrot007

Brie said:

Aluminum are great for all the reasons already listed except for one thing.  They have a weight limit. 

We had one that was good for up to (as I recall) 100 kilo.  Fine for your average MSEr but not my OH & I unfortunately.  And certainly not if we were trying to hoist something heavy into the loft. 

I Installed an alimunium 2 peice in my last place. THink it was a bit more than that. And I probably exceeded it numerous times taking stuff up there. No issues their either. "limits" are very cautious on such.

IMO of course it depends on the roof and the access hatch. I can touch the ceiling with my finger in the current place (and cannot stand up in the loft) so I just use wooden step ladders here (made by my grandpa no less many many years ago).

Section62

Norman_Castle said:

Section62 said:

Norman_Castle said:

Section62 said:

Norman_Castle said:

Are ceiling joists or roof trusses routinely treated against insect attack?

Yes.

Since when? Mine are Victorian and remain uneaten.

What makes you think yours haven't been treated?

I don't, I questioned if they routinely were.

Now it is routine.  In the past it is possible that any of many different treatments were used, or none.

The insecticidal properties of various chromium, copper and arsenic compounds were known about in pre-Victorian times. (E.g. 'Paris Green' was invented in 1814 and became a widely used insecticide).  It wasn't uncommon to find (before such things became unwise) that burning old roof timbers sometimes left behind a bright yellow ash/residue, which IIRC is typically due to the presence of chromium compounds.

Whether or not an insecticidal treatment was used in the past depended on the builder and subsequent owners.

But returning to topic, I now wouldn't knowingly install untreated wood in a loft... regardless of what might be in there already.  It is just asking for trouble when alternative non-vulnerable materials are so widely available.

Sistergold

Aluminium seems a better choice for reasons mentioned but get a good sturdy one. Had this installed and it has been very good. My hatch is by the chimney and so this works well as folds and takes little space there are different lengths for different ceiling heights so one needs to choose right one. 150kg maximum load

Can also choose optional extras like hand rail etc

Chickereeeee

Slinky said:

Chickereeeee said:

The down side of aluminum  ladders include:
- noisy, bringing down or putting up. The sliding of metal against metal is quite loud and irritating
- aluminum easily marks things and can get dirty. They often have sliders, which, if lubricated, attract more dirt, making it difficult to retract. Also, difficult to clean
- can have sharp edges that rip items being transferred to/from the loft.

Never had any of those issues with our telesteps aluminium ladder.

Downside of wooden is it's much heavier than aluminium.

Nevertheless, they are issues with aluminium ladders in general. I have inherited a few, when moving house (never bought one), and also used relative's ladders, and they have all had these issues, to a greater or lesser extent. 

Apodemus

Section62 said:

Now it is routine.  In the past it is possible that any of many different treatments were used, or none.

The insecticidal properties of various chromium, copper and arsenic compounds were known about in pre-Victorian times. (E.g. 'Paris Green' was invented in 1814 and became a widely used insecticide).  It wasn't uncommon to find (before such things became unwise) that burning old roof timbers sometimes left behind a bright yellow ash/residue, which IIRC is typically due to the presence of chromium compounds.

Whether or not an insecticidal treatment was used in the past depended on the builder and subsequent owners.

But returning to topic, I now wouldn't knowingly install untreated wood in a loft... regardless of what might be in there already.  It is just asking for trouble when alternative non-vulnerable materials are so widely available.

Quite so. I am old enough to remember the extensive timber-holding ponds on the tidal foreshore on the Clyde, where all the imported timber from Canada was stored before going to the sawmills. I'm guessing that virtually all pine timber available in the first half of the 20th Century was at least salt-water treated even if it wasn't subsequently exposed to anything more toxic.

DB1904

Sistergold said:

Aluminium seems a better choice for reasons mentioned but get a good sturdy one. Had this installed and it has been very good. My hatch is by the chimney and so this works well as folds and takes little space there are different lengths for different ceiling heights so one needs to choose right one. 150kg maximum load

Can also choose optional extras like hand rail etc

I bet not many will pay £700.

Slinky

Blimey, I can see why somebody said about the noise of aluminium, I've never seen that sort. This was the sort of thing we had and it was whisper quiet

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Telesteps-Silver-60324-101-Telescopic-Ladder/dp/B000NDETVK/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=telesteps+loft+ladder&qid=1640108184&s=diy&sr=1-3

Ganga

The loft ladders i bought from Toolstation are rated at 150kg.

Mistral001

My job involves sometimes going into lofts, so I have plenty of experience of loft ladders.  I find the aluminium ones often stick or slide down unexpectantly, so when I installed a loft ladder in my own home, I installed a wooden one from B&Q.  A great job.  It has three sections which fold.  Simple and very easy to use.  

PS: I once had to go into a loft in an old house where the ladder was one of the original Slingsby jobs.  It was probably a 100 years old.  It comprised several wooden sections which were connected with a complex system of ropes and pullies.  You just had to pull on a rope and the ladder elegantly extended down to the floor. They do not make them like they used to!