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  • Not very, if your hatch is big enough and you have enough space.

    I fitted one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alufix-10-Tread-Concertina-Loft-Ladders/dp/B0055N6UNS because the whole thing sits above the hatch. I found others needed too much roof space to swing up (although I do have 10 foot ceilings so needed a longer ladder). It's not the most stable but it's absolutely fine for access.

    If you need to expand the hatch then it may be relatively straightforward if you can get it in between joists.

    Plenty of options here when you've measured up http://www.ladderstore.com/

  • Someone told me to avoid telescopic ladders as they are filmsy .. I have space in loft if thats what you mean .. about 110cm for ladder.

    A local carpenter quoted me a day rate but he said its a very easy task and would only take him half day thats why I was wondering if I could do it myself .. it would involve borrowing a ladder to install in first place.

  • You could probably get a away with using the ladder you are installing to get into the loft, especially if you have a second person to foot it (stand on the bottom and make sure the foot of the ladder doesn't move). Then pull it up and fix the mechanism that holds it up there in the loft. Most people struggle to convert the loft hatch to a type that flaps down on a catch, you probably have a hatch that you push to lift out of the way when you want access. Often you convert that to one on hinges which flaps down so the ladder can be pulled down with a stick and hook. There are lots of types though.

  • Yep, it's relatively flimsy but for something that gets used once a month it's fine. If I was going up every few days I'd have looked at something more sturdy.

    The clearance issue I had wasn't that there wasn't enough horizontal space for a ladder to sit up there, it was that there wasn't enough roof clearance. The bigger ladders push up and swing around so you need an arc of vertical clearance available. My problem was that in one direction it would have fouled on the roof and the other a roof truss. Worth checking that you have that clearance.

    For the hatch I just used a piece of ply, trimmed to size.

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