Buying a Wooden Loft Ladder

If you have read the choosing a loft ladder page and have decided that a wooden loft ladder is best suited to what you need then this page contains further information about those types of ladder.

Wooden loft ladders are nicer to look at and use then their aluminium counter part. They come in a variety of woods, cheaper versions would usually be made with pine but the more expensive versions would be made in hardwood. Personal preference prevails here, the ladder should not be exposed to any elements so a softwood pine version should do the job for years to come.

Most wooden types of loft ladder can take up to about 150Kg (23.6 stone) in weight which far exceeds the 100kg weight the aluminium loft ladders can take. You should note thought that the weights stated usually are the total of the person on the ladder and the load they are carrying. They also have very comfortable flat rungs that are almost 80mm wide (about 3 inches). The wide rungs may not seem like a great feature, but have you tried climbing an aluminium ladder barefooted or in your socks. It hurts. A wooden ladder that’s comfortable to use will get used more and that means less clutter in your living space.

Off the shelf wooden loft ladders generally come two varieties; two section sliding and three section folding. The two sections sliding will need more height in the loft than the three section folding version so if you have a shallow loft this option may not be suitable for you. The three part wooden ladder will need a larder hatch though due to the way that it stores. It is possible to get a custom made loft ladder if you have very unique requirements.

Before committing to buy your ladder you will need to take a few dimensions. These are:

1. The height available in the loft, this should be measured from the top of th joists to the roof.
2. The amount of storage space available for the ladder in the loft (once the hatch is closed)
3. The height from the top of the joists to the floor (this is essentially the floor to ceiling height, because your ladded will be attached to the joists it is necessary to take in to account the height of them.

1. If you are buying your loft ladder in the UK make sure you get one of the following certified ladders BS 7553 Class G or BS 7553 Class H. This certification means that they are in the case of BS 7553 Class G suitable ‘for general, infrequent use’ and BS 7553 Class H suitable ‘for heavy-duty, regular use’. You will know how much you will be using your ladder so choose accordingly.
2. Ideally you should look for a ladder that comes with a hatch. It may seem like a lot of hassle to replace your loft hatch, but believe me if you try fitting a wooden loft ladder to your existing hatch you’ll see why I suggest buying one that comes as a complete unit. More often than not those that do buy wooden ladders without a hatch have to enlarge their hatch anyway.
3. Wooden ladders are quite heavy so you will want make sure that your ladder is either ‘spring balances’ or ‘spring assisted’ manufacturers tend to use one of these terms. Spring balanced means that when you lower or stow the ladder you are not taking the full weight of it, you are assisted. Some of the more expensive ladders come with gas struts to take the weight.
4. Make sure that the hatch that comes with your ladder is insulated, and not only that, make sure that it has a seal around the door to eliminate any drafts in the winter. The hatch door should also have a good quality lock on it… you don’t want the hatch and ladder falling on you. Make sure also that he hatch comes with a pole or pull cord to operate it.
5. If you decide to go for a softwood pine ladder then try to ensure that it is made from knot free pine. If the knot is in the wrong place it can weaken the ladder. Most manufactures would use knot free pine by default, but some of the cheaper ladders may not.
6. Some ladders come with hand rails with either on there mid or upper sections. These can be a good thing but also can also cause a hindrance. If you are able bodied and think that you may want to get large items up and into your loft then I personally would leave of the handrails off. You may find that the hand rails obstruct getting large item up their. If you are less able bodied or don’t intend to keep large items in the loft then leaving on the handrails is to be recommended.
   

 Perhaps I've missed out one feature... oh yes automatic! See the video below, it's possible.