Movable barrier to stop someone falling through loft hatch.

[Murmansk]

A friend of mine has just had some boarding put down in her loft and a new wooden loft ladder fitted. It?s a modern house with lots of trusses in th e loft.

She?s worried about falling through the loft hatch when she?s up there so I?m planning to put fit a piece of timber on a ?hinge? arrangement which will be a bit like the exit barrier at a car park.

It?ll be in the up position most of the time but when she?s in the loft she?ll bring it down and it?ll go across between trusses and be at wai st level, stopping her inadvertently stepping into the area where the hatch is.

These photos show the loft and on one, my yellow circle shows roughly where I envisage attaching the pin to form the hinge for my barrier.

I?d be interested to hear anyone?s ideas on how to do this with particu lar reference to the hinge arrangement and fittings to hold the barrier in the up position.

[Jeremy Nicoll - news posts]

Another solution, especially useful for anyone who has to work on the water tank, would be to fit a hinge-down lid that covers the hole so that one can actually stand on it, over the hole, safely.

Or have something (trickier to create and make safe) that slides across the boarded floor and across the hole.

I have a loft access hole a bit like the one shown, but maybe a little larger. Normally it is half-filled over by a piece of attic floor that rests on a joist that sits in joist hangers within the hole. The floor board that covers that half of the hole has some battens on its underside and bolts that run from that to the sides of the hole, so the board cannot accidentally be lifted or nudged out of position.

I have in the past, especially when working on creation of the hole, routinely pushed some pieces of 6x2 over the hole not so much to stand one etc, but just to make sure that the hole is obstructed by something.

[Roger Mills]

+1

I was about to suggest the same thing. Hinge it at floor level, and have a catch on the top edge to attach it to a truss when no-one is in the loft. Then, once in the loft, drop it over the hole - and it gives you extra space to walk around in as well as preventing you from falling through the hatch.

[Graham.]

That sounds like a simpler, and more effective solution than a barrier.

I would arrange it so that when the inner trap-door is not closed over the trap, it has to be parked vertical rather than flat on the boarding in order to encourage its use.

[Murmansk]

Ah ha, yes, good bit of lateral thinking folks, thanks very much!

[fred]

In article , Murmansk writes

Sounds like you're sorted, there appears to be a dropped lip around the opening, if you use a square batten to bring that lip up to the bottom of the boarding then it will take any weight that is placed on the safety door (rather than any hinges). The hinges can then be surface mounted on the long side, add draught strip and it will help keep the draughts down. Don't forget a handle :-).

The cold water header tank could do with some insulation under it to. Normally deprecated when it sits on the ceiling of the room below to get a bit of heat from there but as it's been elevated, it is a good idea. If it was a really cold area I'd suggest a very low level thermostatically controlled heat pad under it.

[GB]

Whilst at it, something to cover that hole where the gate valve is? It's bit of a hazard right next to the trap.

[tony sayer]

In article , Murmansk scribeth thus

Think if your having to do that then she shouldn't think if going up there even;(..

[Roger Mills]

Are suggesting that the safety flap will be horizontal when the hatch is closed? If so, how is the ladder going to be folded away?

[fred]

I had hoped there might just be enough room to allow that but perhaps not, in which case, no draughtproofing and a simple hole will do instead of a handle.

[Roger Mills]

I don't know whether there are any loft ladders with fold away within the hatch space without going above loft floor level. I've got 2 loft ladders - one in the house and one in the garage - and they both encroach *considerably* on loft space when folded away.

[Murmansk]

This wooden loft ladder certainly encroaches well into the loft space when the door is closed - I can't imagine any design of ladder that wouldn't.

The new internal door being discussed will have to be left open, except whe n it's being used to prevent accidents. I thought I might secure it in the up position using one of those fittings that's used to secure counter tops in libraries etc where a bit of the counter lifts up to allow people throug h. I've not had a look for them yet, what are they called?

[Chris J Dixon]

Might it not be better to lift the insulation on the ceiling beneath the tank and wrap the whole space?

Chris

[Chris J Dixon]

I'm not sure, but you don't want a plonker falling through ;-)

Mange tout Rodney!

Chris

[fred]

In article , Murmansk writes

Counter flap catch:

Although if it is hinged on the long side nearest the tank I think it will be so far over centre when open that it will stay there on its own.