How do I make my loft hatch bigger?
- New opening marked on joist tops with 4 inches added either side to compensate for timbers.
- Screw down and fix in temporary supporting timbers.
- Cut away ceiling section and joists to create new opening.
- Fix facing timbers into your new loft hatch opening and screw them in place.
- Remove the old hatch lid and frame.
- Clear the area and measure out the joists to cut.
- Cut and remove central joist. ...
- Add secondary bracing measure and remove plaster board.
- Measure, cut and add cross brace.
How to increase the size of a loft hatch?
How to Enlarge a Loft Hatch Measure and mark the size of your new opening, plus 4 inches either side, on top of existing ceiling joists 1, 2, 3 and... If your new hatch spans more than 2 joists (involving cutting more than two joists) you will need to contact a... Place a 4 inch x 1 inch timber flat ...
What to look for when buying a loft?
Any obvious flaws, regulation wise or structurally or suggestions as to a better way to access the loft. More sharing options... For a trussed roof the common method is to have doubled trusses either side of the structural opening and doubled trimmers to support the chord of the cut truss.
Do I need a bigger loft access?
If you need a bigger loft access you are obviously going to store some big items up there, beware the timber up there is to fix the ceiling to and your ceiling could will bow and crack. Also if insulated properly the space can reach some very high and low temperatures.
How much insulation do I need for a hatch?
As mentioned above, look for a hatch with insulation material fixed to the back (preferably fire resistant). 35mm of insulation is standard but 50mm is better. 105mm is the ideal amount of insulation to comply with part L of the building regulations.
Can you enlarge a loft hatch?
Yes, the ceiling joists can be cut to fit a hatch, but you MUST brace them first before cutting, brace each side with some 4x2 spanning the hatch plus two joists each side, set the brace further back so you can install a new double trimmer joist once you've cut out the opening.
How do I make my hatch bigger?
0:051:56AutoCAD I 23-12 Hatch Pattern Size - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo we can come in here and change the scale factor. And change it to larger. Numbers. So if i wasMoreSo we can come in here and change the scale factor. And change it to larger. Numbers. So if i was doing a two to one doubled scale i come in here. And put that down as far as a hatch pattern.
Are loft hatches a standard size?
Are Loft Hatches a Standard Size? Loft Hatches are available in varying sizes, however this is dependent on their manufacturing material. Plastic Loft Hatches are typically designed to fit a structural opening of 562mm (width) x 726mm (length) with there being no option for a made to measure size.
Can a loft hatch be moved?
In most cases the loft hatch in the cupboard can be re-located by The Loft Men to the landing ceiling or one of the bedroom ceilings with relative ease and in less than half a days work and with a lot less mess than you might imagine.
How do you cut a loft hatch open?
2:2913:21How to cut a loft hatch/opening - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what you're better off doing is putting them on the ladder. And then once they're on the ladder.MoreSo what you're better off doing is putting them on the ladder. And then once they're on the ladder. Setting them both on.
What is the standard scale for hatch?
0.6This particular hatch is an AutoCAD standard hatch, which is why we recommend using it when troubleshooting hatch scale. Our default scale for this pattern is 0.6.
How big can a loft hatch be?
Building regulations do not impose any restrictions on the size of a loft hatch. However, if the hatch will be used for personal access, we would recommend a minimum of 530mm on each side.
Should I open loft hatch in hot weather?
Allow air to flow through your home During the day, open all windows on the same floor to allow air flow. Also, partly draw the curtains to block out the heat from the sun but to still allow a slight breeze. If you have a loft hatch you could open it to let the heat escape through the roof.
Can you buy loft hatches?
There's no need to compromise on style when you choose to purchase loft ladders or loft hatches from Roofing Superstore. Loft ladders and hatch products can be purchased separately or in combination, so the loft ladder comes already attached to the loft hatch using a safe drop-down mechanism.
How do I extend my loft opening?
Widen Your Loft Hatch & Fit a Timber Bi-Folding LadderRemove the old hatch lid and frame.Clear the area and measure out the joists to cut.Cut and remove central joist. ... Add secondary bracing measure and remove plaster board.Measure, cut and add cross brace.More items...•
How can I make my attic access bigger?
How To Enlarge an Attic Opening: 7 Tips and TricksCheck for pipes, wires, and HVAC ducts.Make sure your roof has rafters, not trusses.Measure and mark joists and ceiling.Get a reciprocating saw.Put temporary support on the joists.Cut the beams and install the headers.Install trimmers to frame your opening.
Can you move entrance to attic?
A: Yes, a larger access opening to the attic is a viable option. Yes, there are potential structural issues you may face, but they aren't insurmountable. And yes, this is a do-it-yourself project -- with the caveat that you be willing to tackle a fairly large, somewhat messy job. We encourage you to go for it.
What is a loft hatch and ladder kit?
Loft hatch and ladder kit – Three section ladder with safe, spring loaded lowering mechanism and also insulated loft hatch
How many joists should a hatch span?
If your new hatch spans more than 2 joists (involving cutting more than two joists) you will need to contact a specialist such as a structural engineer to ensure that no structural integrity will be lost. You can also visit our loft conversion project for more information
Why add 4 inches to a new joist?
The reason we have added 4 inches is that you will later need to add 2 timbers either side of your new opening. These timbers will need to be the same size as your current joists – in this case the joists are 2 inches and we need 2 either side hence the 4 inches.
What is the best insulation for a hatch?
As mentioned above, look for a hatch with insulation material fixed to the back (preferably fire resistant). 35mm of insulation is standard but 50mm is better. 105mm is the ideal amount of insulation to comply with part L of the building regulations.
How to cut corners of a house?
Use a drill and suitable drill bit to create enough holes in one of the corners to allow you to insert a saw and cut along the lines that you have marked out.
Can you build a loft hatch?
When it comes to fitting a new loft hatch, whether it is a direct replacement or an entire new hatch you have two choices. You can either build your own bespoke hatch or you can now buy ready made loft hatches that you simply fix into your new opening.
Is there a ready made loft hatch?
There are a great many ready made loft hatches available on the market today so it’s well worth checking these out before you start as a pre-made solution could be the best way to go. Also consider an insulated loft hatch.
Can a truss roof take a loft?
A truss frame type will likely have loads of diagnoals struts in the loft space. There are truss roof which are designed to take lofts, but your loft would be a proper attic room if that was the case.
Do you have to remove joists for a loft hatch?
You will have to remove and fit new jo ists to accomodate and support the new loft hatch and trim back the plasterboard.
Can you cut a rafter roof?
If you can walk around your loft without anything too much in the way (except junk! ) you probably have a traditional cut rafter roof. In this case you have no problem putting in trimmers (extra pieces of wood between the joists) and cutting a joist. With a trussed roof, the size of the rafters will be the minimum (for cost reasons) and they are not designed to be cut or modified in any way at all. Saves money when building the house, makes it extra expensive to modify the house later.
What is a loft flaw?
Any obvious flaws, regulation wise or structurally or suggestions as to a better way to access the loft.
Can a hall landing go across a truss?
That would be okay unfortunately the hall landing runs across the truss not between. There is nowhere else it can go due to the layout of the house.
Is it hard to alter a truss roof?
As others have said altering a trussed roof is extremely difficult and requires building reg approval. Modern roof trusses are designed to a very tight tolerance to minimise the amount of weight on the supporting walls and as such every member has an input to the overall strength, removing parts of these will require substantial strengthening and calculations to support the application.
Beanzntoast New Member
Hi all firstly i hope you’ve all had a nice Christmas. Secondly could anybody enlighten me as to what kind of roof construction i have (if you can tell from the pics) is this whats known as a cut roof or trussed roof or something else.
Jord86 Screwfix Select
You have a double, cut roof, with purlins, hangers, struts and probably binders all supporting the roof.
Beanzntoast New Member
You have a double, cut roof, with purlins, hangers, struts and probably binders all supporting the roof.
Beanzntoast New Member
Hi just one more thing if any of you dont mind. Am I correct in saying I cannot extend the original opening because the joist i need to cut to do this has one of the struts bolted to it (see pic) but i can as Jord86 kindly describes, relocate the loft opening on joists that don’t have struts bolted to them ( if that makes any sense)
Jord86 Screwfix Select
Lengthwise not a problem, right up to the strut if required. Widthways you can, BUT it would require a lot of extra work, possibly adding another strut, collars, more than likely coach bolting everything together but it's a bit difficult to tell without being there.
