Wooden Loft Ladders Anyone?

[cosmicbike]

Currently in the midst of revamping the new house, and I'm moving the loft hatch into a more sensible place. Space limitations in the loft limit me to a timber ladder, just wondering if anybody has one? I'm looking specifically at the offerings from FAKRO and Youngman, veering towards the former on a quality basis from what I've read.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Genuinely interested.... how does the ladder being wood help with the space limitations? We had a metal Youngman's telecscopic one put in last year and it is already falling apart.

 

[cosmicbike]

The wooden folding ones only need the space of the hatch as they fold onto it. The sliding type need additional space to slide into

 

[LCpl Boiled Egg]

I'll check what mine is when I get home. It's one of the folding wooden ones and is very good and solid. I do remember having to have a slightly bigger loft hatch fitted when we converted the loft however.

Edit: It's a MidMade LEX
http://www.midmadeloftladders.com/

 

[MichaelW2]

My bedroom is an old loft conversion with an aluminium ladder that is falling apart after about 40 years. I am replacing it with fixed wooden steps. I am having to make these myself because they need some rotation at the base and they need a removable segment. They geometry is boggling my mind.

 

[Crackle]

I've got a wooden one, don't know the make. It's pretty good. The stop which prevents it folding when down has gone out of alignment which I need to fix otherwise it attempts to fold when you're near the top if you don't keep your weight in line. The only other thing I don't like is you can't put your feet through the treads near the top where it mounts to the board, so it doesn't feel so secure as you go up. Broader treads would have solved that.

 

[Inertia]

I've got a wooden one, don't know the make. It's pretty good. The stop which prevents it folding when down has gone out of alignment which I need to fix otherwise it attempts to fold when you're near the top if you don't keep your weight in line.

That doesn't sound dangerous at all!

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I know the regs/laws have changed for the use of normal ladders (decorating, gardening, building etc) I would be interested to know if loft ladders are included.

I fitted a cheap ali one to my loft. Rubbish. Buy cheap buy twice rule broken.

 

[Globalti]

As a child I lived in a house built in 1930, which had a magnificent wooden ladder. You pulled down a large hatch and with it came a substantial ladder, almost a staircase, made from spruce and looking like the ladder on those old fire engines. The weight was counterbalanced by a metal weight on a wire that wound around a drum, like the escapement on a clock. It must have been very expensive in 1930 and it creaked like mad when you climbed up it.

 

[Tilley]

I have specified a steel folding loft ladder and been very impressed. the following site seem to stock steel and wooden folding ladders of the type I know. https://www.ladders-999.co.uk/loft-ladders?limit=all

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Fakro are very good quality.

 

[annedonnelly]

Mines a wooden folding one. It was fitted when I was getting new heating stuff installed in the loft & they needed to make the access bigger & better.
The ladder is great, unhooks with a stick and then you pull it down. It's on a big spring so it doesn't fall and hit you on the head. Much better than when I used to have to climb in off the top of the step ladder.

 

[pplpilot]

We have a wooden folding Farko. I've had to make the hatch bigger. The ladder itself is very good. Makes getting up and down the loft (which I do a lot of) far less a chore.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

We had a lovely one in a 30s house, made oop north I think, Bratford or Leeds. It was an engineering masterpiece.

 

[screenman]

I have six loft hatches, but no ladder.