Just put “wooden loft ladders” into Google and see what happens. You will find that there are an insane amount of offers, companies, makes and services to choose from. Once you have tried to take on board all the different sizes of wooden loft ladders, makes and styles, you are still non the wiser. You then go to the trusted B&Q, Homebase and Wicks types of stores, and in these you really become baffled, as no-one can help: the ladders all look the same, and how do you fit them!
Ahead Loft Ladders recently put a Facebook post up with a video of one of our Fakro wooden loft ladders which we supplied and fitted. We had a massive response to this post with a lot of questions specifically about wood ladders. When having a look at these questions we compiled them in to three categories: What to choose, Can it fit into my loft and How much.
What to Chose?
Here at Ahead Loft Ladders we have asked that question ourselves a lot. Our policy is to provide a quality and value-for-money product for our customers.
We have spent over a decade fitting Wooden ladders and have found that some look good, but are made out of the cheapest materials, some are so cheap that they start falling apart within weeks, some are so heavy that even a strapping 6ft 2in man like myself has trouble lifting.
I recommend some points when choosing:
Where is it manufactured?
From experience, I have found that some of the best ladders are made in the Netherlands, Poland or the UK. Some of the best wood loft ladders come from these suppliers, ie Fakro Keylite BPS Ladders.
Price
You will see Wooden loft ladders on the internet or perhaps in D.I.Y stores, which look like a bargain. You may see one that seems to boast a lot of features and “ONLY COST” (for example) “Wooden loft ladder on sale £60”. No company gives money away or is doing you a favour: remember, there would still be a 20% mark-up on this product plus, on top of this, there would be 20% VAT added and, by the time you take these off the price, you are buying a ladder for £36: do the maths! I know I would not want to put trust in a £36 ladder.
Remember, its not just the price of the ladder, you will need it fitted: the average price is around £200+VAT depending on the work required.
Ask what warranties and guaranties they give. Ask if they take debit or credit cards, as most of these come with their own insurance, and they are one of the safest ways of payment and proof of purchase. Be very careful when paying by cash, as some so-called companies do offer a discount in price or knock the VAT off if you pay by cash – you will not be insured, and you have no proof of purchase.
Always ask if you are getting the best possible price, do not be afraid to ask for a discount: “if you don’t ask you don’t get”
Can a wooden loft ladder fit in my loft and how to fit it:
Where are you going to fit the wooden loft ladder, and is there enough room for the ladder to be fitted? You will have to take into consideration that your current aperture needs extending for a wood ladder to fit.
At this point I would take advice from an expert on how this can be done.
Use a credible company who can back up what they boast, ie do they have some pictures or videos on youtube or facebook, a customer feed-back page, are they listed on a credible independent review website like Checkatrade or the Buy With Confidence site?. One of the best things to do is to look at Companies House where all companies are listed by law, You can see when the company was set up and who are the directors.
How much?
Prices vary anything from £60 to £1200. Do your homework, decide what you need in a wooden loft ladder unit, ie hand rails, deep tread, light to operate, insulated. In general you can buy some of the best ladders for around £150, this will come in a unit, insulated hatch, surround and draft excluder, in addition you should be looking at around £250 for some one to fit this.