Welcome to Ahead Loft Ladders

Most ladders open to an angle of between 60 and 80 degrees, relative to the floor.

For the best level of comfort, strength and safety, most of our ladders open to an angle between 70 and 75 degrees.

Any solid boards fitted to a loft should have at least a 50mm gap above your insulation.

This prevents the material from ‘bridging’ the gap and allowing condensation to form.

Older style loft ladders would often be a single solid ladder that slid up horizontally in-between the rafters. However those are rarely used these days, due to the space required and how cumbersome they are to handle.

Modern loft ladders use a folding, sectional or concertina construction, meaning they often don’t use much more footprint than the loft hatch itself.

We always recommend at least 18mm thickness for most loft boards. This is suitable for nearly any item up that would be stored in a loft, up to 25kg per m².

22mm boards are also available if the gaps between your joists is over 400mm.

Installation time can vary depending on a number of factors:

• The type of ladder chosen (wood/metal/electric etc.)
• How easy the attic space is to access
• The condition and position of the loft hatch
• Whether electrical connection is required

In general, with no surprises during the process, we expect a standard loft ladder installation to take around 2-3 hours.

If alterations are required to the loft hatch size or electric wiring is required, this can extend the amount of time required.

Automated loft ladders cost considerably more than regular unpowered models, because they include many more components and materials.

The installation procedure is also a lot more involving, with wiring, hatch adjustments and testing.

Many electric ladders are also bespoke and built to order, made specifically to fit your property.

Give us a call on 01903 649169 and we can give you advice the most suitable options.