103 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
103 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "Installing a loft ladder and new loft hatch"
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slug: /installing-a-security-light/
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date: 2025-11-18
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tags: ["projects", "DIY"]
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---
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I'm back with another thrilling tale of home improvement.
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When I first moved in, there wasn't a loft ladder installed. So I had to use an
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outdoor ladder to access the loft. For some odd reason they installed the loft
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hatch in the bathroom which is inconvenient and risks exposing the loft space to
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moisture.
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Installing a proper loft ladder and taking steps to reduce moisture was
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therefore high on my priority list.
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Lofts are weird and bespoke so I was a bit nervous about buying an off-the-shelf
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ladder but I knew it would be cheaper than paying a professional.
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I opted for the "Werner 3 Section Easy Stow Loft Ladder" from Argos.
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When I was about half-way through the installation, calamity struck and I
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realised that the existing hatch, which opened inward, would be blocked from
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closing by the ladder.
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To overcome this problem, I would need to construct a new hatch that opened
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outward and that would hang down when the ladder was extended.
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This turned into quite a side-quest and took far longer than the installation of
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the ladder itself. However it presented an opportunity to address the moisture
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risk.
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I was mindful of moisture degrading the hatch-door so I did some research and
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realised that I needed what's called _marine_ plywood. Basically, plywood
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treated to withstand moisture better than standard ply.
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B&Q offer a cutting service where the first five cuts are free if you buy your
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wood from them. So I ended up having to buy a very large piece of marine ply and
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had it cut down to the size of the hatch. Alas, my measurements were off and it
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was too small. So I had to try again with the spare wood and a hand-saw. This
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time I was overly conservative and it was slightly too large, so I spent a long
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time using a surform plane to shave it down to size.
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Finally, it fit the hatch nicely. Marine ply on its own provides some protection
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from moisture but to give it the best chance I bought some B.I.N primer which is
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designed to protect wood in moist environments like kitchens and bathrooms.
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After applying the primer I applied two coats of standard satin wood in
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brilliant white.
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Whilst the hatch did fit, there were annoying gaps on the left and the right
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side. This is the sort of thing that gets ahold of me and burrows into my
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subconscious because I am both a perfectionist and a highly average handiman.
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But then I had a brainwave and realised I could apply some white self-adhesive
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draft excluder to both hide the gaps and reduce draught/moisture getting into
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the loft.
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Also, the caulking around the hatch architrave was cracked and moist. So I
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scraped it out and applied new caulk designed for bathrooms. I didn't bother to
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paint over so it doesn't look amazing but the bathroom ceiling is already in a
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bad way so I will leave that until I have it replastered and properly treated.
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With the hatch problem finally resolved I could finish installing the ladder.
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This was mostly straightforward. With the ladder extended the hatch is very
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small and I have to maneuvre myself sideways at the top to get through. Still,
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this is much more convenient than bringing a dirty ladder into the bathroom
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every time I want to access the loft.
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Overall, this project probably cost more (£201) than it would to just have a
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specialist install it but, on the plus side, I learned about marine ply (and
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have plenty spare) and B.I.N which seems to be the gold standard of primers. I
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also now have an intimate and god-like knowledge of my loft hatch and how many
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people can say that these days?
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| Product | Cost |
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| ------------------------------------------------------ | ----- |
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| Werner 3 Section Loft Ladder (Argos) | 89.92 |
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| Marine plywood (B&Q) | 65.00 |
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| Stanley 40mm Plastic Surform Plane (Amazon) | 15.99 |
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| Zinsser B-I-N White Multi-surface Matt Primer 1L (B&Q) | 24.00 |
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| Self-adhesive draught excluder 6m | 6.49 |
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