Access Storage Space with a Loft Hatch

 

A loft hatch can enable you to access storage space that’s being wasted. Go outside and look at the roof over the main part of your house and over your garage or carport. You could be using all that free space to store all kinds of things, providing a warm, dry, safe environment for your belongings. Without a loft hatch, you can’t get to it, so it might as well not be there.

 

What’s a loft hatch?

 

A loft hatch is a door to your loft or attic. Unless you have a flat roof, you have an attic. The amount of room you have in your loft depends on the pitch of your roof. If you have a steep roof, you have a lot of “head room” in your loft, so you might be able to actually walk around up there. Even if you don’t have much of a pitch in your roof, you’ll probably still have enough storage space in the loft to make installing a loft hatch worth while.

 

Most loft hatches are constructed of wood. Loft hatch kits are available, and many come as a complete set, with stairs or steps. The type of ladder you use is up to you. You might want a simple pull-down aluminum ladder or a fold-down wooden ladder to gain access to your loft. Some of the wooden or timber ladders have wide, comfortable steps and are available in beautiful finishes.

 

Many homeowners prefer a more attractive loft ladder for hatches in the main part of their home, while they might choose a less expensive loft ladder for the attic over an outside area like a garage.

 

Using your loft

 

Chances are that you already have a loft hatch in your home. Look around for a small trap door. The problem is that in most older homes, especially in those built during and prior to the 1970s, the loft hatches are small push-in affairs with no attached ladder. This means that you’d have to stand on a chair or stepstool to even see into your loft or attic. And since most of these hatches are so small, it would be impossible to store large items in the attic because they wouldn’t fit through the passage.

 

With a large loft hatch, however, you’ll be able to carry larger items through the door, and it will make human access a lot more comfortable, too. You might even discover that you have enough space for extra living area in your attic! Think: playroom, library, guest bedroom, or quiet sitting room.

 

Installing a loft hatch

 

A loft hatch is fairly easy to install if you have some building skills. The hatch has to be placed between beams in your ceiling. By using a loft hatch kit, you’ll have everything you need. Decide on the size hatch you need, and order or purchase your kit. If you can’t find a ready-made loft hatch kit to fit your specifications, you can have one custom built to your exact measurements.

 

Where to buy a loft hatch

 

You can find loft hatches and loft hatch kits in most large home improvement warehouse stores. There’s a wide range of prices, sizes, and options, however, that are available but might not be present in such stores. To see a huge selection, and to get the best buy on your loft hatch, shop online.