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  • How heavy is it?!

    If you can't wait for some extra pairs of hands, I'd build a frame over the hatch out of scrap timber and rachet-strap it up into the loft, with a person underneath (to the side) stabilising things.

    Edit: or that ^^

  • Maybe I've just got very weak in the past 3 years (highly possible going from very active lifestyle to basically being sedentary and driving a lot) but I still feel 'country strong' and can hoist a fair weight if I'm careful. But this has utterly defeated me.

    Thanks for all input everyone - think some combo of strappery and bit at a time will be the way forward. I'll do a few tests - not in a great rush though would be nice to have somewhere clear to work after nearly two years here.

    One last (potentially/probably silly query). At the apex of the roof there is currently some plasterboard. Behind that I presume there's a heavy as fuck beam (would this be the ridge board?). Is it a VERY stupid idea to drill a mechanical winch into that so that it's (almost) directly above the loft hatch? Or is it just a slightly stupid idea? Is it likely to be more or less heavy duty than the purlin you mentioned @Bobbo ? Is it held in by place by the uprights (rafters?) and their/pressure weight pulling down on it? Or are there usually some kind of interlocking cuts somewhere? Basically could it feasibly be pulled down by the weight of a winch and however many kilos of wood beneath it (suspect around 80 unwieldy kg?)

    Because I've at this stage thrown caution to the wind, I just did some pull-ups from the 'tie'(?) that held solid and I'm fairly sure I weigh nigh on 30 stone after trying every pasty in Devon since I've moved here.

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