Attic ladders

Most attic hatches in Irish houses are a square of plywood resting on a lip, with a stepladder borrowed from the shed every time someone needs the Christmas decorations. That is how people fall, and it is also a large hole in the ceiling that lets warm moist air straight into a cold roof space. A fitted ladder solves both. The first decision is the type of ladder, and it depends on the landing below and the space above. A folding timber ladder suits most landings. A sliding aluminium one takes less room when folded and suits tighter lofts. A concertina ladder works where there is very little clearance. We measure the floor to ceiling height, the space the ladder needs to swing down and land at a safe angle, and the headroom in the loft so you are not climbing straight into a rafter. Where the existing hatch is too small or in the wrong place, the opening is enlarged or moved and the cut joists are trimmed properly with new timber, never simply cut through, because each joist is carrying the ceiling and often the insulation and the water tank as well. The unit is fitted with an insulated lid and a proper seal, and the lining is finished with architrave so it looks like part of the ceiling rather than a trapdoor.

Light, and somewhere to stand at the top

A ladder is only half the job if you step off it into darkness and onto loose insulation. We add a switched light by the hatch, fitted by a certified electrician, and a boarded landing and a handhold at the top, raised clear of the insulation, so you have somewhere solid to stand and put things down.