DIY loft hatch door

[JP_]

I currently have a stupidly heavy loft hatch door - a metal access panel that weights a tonne.

I want a lightweight, insulated loft hatch, and was thinking of using 2 sheets of thin ply, say 4mm, with 40mm insulation board, and a 40x40mm timber border (like how a door might be made) which is thick enough for hinges.

The hatch is 72 x 95cm, so not a size you can buy, but I don't want to make it any smaller.

Also, how easy is it to fit those push to open/lock hatch latches? The hatch is surrounded by good sized old joists.

 

[foxhole]

Too thin and will warp, touch latch may fail leaving you locked out of loft,
https://www.jupiterblue.co.uk/loft-...d-bs-en-1634-2-1999-max-size-900-x-600mm-p209

Sure you can’t loose a bit off the size?

Plain 18mm mdf with insulation on top is simple and gives a nice flat finish , secure with T lock making it simple to lower with a pole.

 

[JP_]

50mm off the end wouldn't be too bad, but 12cm off the width seems a lot ... but maybe.
Although £191.40 is out of my budget. Hoping to spend much less on it.

 

[JP_]

To prevent warping, would I be better off with maybe, say two layers of 10mm ply, with thinner insulation (25mm maybe). Although that will start to get heavier?

 

[Tigercubrider]

I'd be tempted to use 9mm mdf as two layers separated by 2x2.
Filled with celotex or similar?

 

[JohnD]

A fanlight latch is ideal for a loft hatch. Accessible from below so you can unscrew it if it jams. Sturdy and reliable mechanism. May be cheaper on ebay.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/fanlight-catch-polished-brass-51-x-56mm/63837?_requestid=242486#_=p

btw my loft hatch is very light, it is one of those hollow flush doors, cut down.

If I replaced it, I might make a hollow ply door with a slab of insulating foam between the skins, and probably clad the underside with plasterboard for fire resistance.

 

[JP_]

Latch looks ok. How often do the push latches fail though? Ceiling it's 2.5m, would be nice to have a hatch i can open without getting a step ladder out.

 

[JohnD]

Occasionally, and very hard to free off, overhead from top of a ladder.

You operate the fanlight latch with your hooked pole.

You can get a pull-down loft ladder, up to about 3200mm length, which you pull down and push up with your hooked pole.

https://www.wickes.co.uk/search?text=Loft+ladder

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Hook latches, the push to latch, press again to unlatch - fail often and not really robust enough to support that weight. I had one, it failed. Even before it failed, it was reliable/very positive.

The original loft ladder I fitted, was also not very good quality so I replaced it and the latch with a kit, a couple of years ago bought from Aldi (I think). The ladder is much more robust. The latch is also much better....

Face has a white nylon socket, into which the nylon tip of a pole fits, to turn the latch 90 degree to lock or unlock it. The same pole end also has a nylon hook end, to hook the counter balanced three section extending ladder down.

 

[Tigercubrider]

I have what I think is a fan light latch?
It has a ring, which is moved towards the hinge to open.
Personally I stand on the hinge side as it makes pulling the latch rather than pushing it, and once, due to my own fault, the ladder shot down on me. Standing on the hinge side is safer should anything happen. I hadn't stowed the ladder properly.

If you think the hatch is heavy, use a pulley and counterweight. A simple polythene "jerry can" such as a screen wash container filled with dry sand can assist.
or be fancy and use gas struts

 

[JP_]

Found one that is almost the right size

https://sunluxroofwindows.co.uk/lof...ladder-hatch-h-up-to-280cm-5900988634172.html

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Found one that is almost the right size

https://sunluxroofwindows.co.uk/lof...ladder-hatch-h-up-to-280cm-5900988634172.html

That seems to be good value..

 

[JP_]

That's what i thought. Found it on Amazon for double that price, loud of googling later....

But, now trying to work out how to fit it....