Loft Hatch Door

[confidentincompetent]

Hi.. I need to replace a bodged up loft door ...(customer did it ) However I nipped into Travis Perkins this after and they say they dont do BLOCKBOARD .. Now Its a couple of years since I last bought some blockboard and it now seems to be a rare commodity ... anyhow.. Mdf I presume is no good fo a Hinged loft door Is it(????) What do you guys use...? Plywood will warp??? ...

 

[Thermo]

ply shouldnt warp thats the whole idea of the grain of each layer being alternate. Ply should be fine.

 

[confidentincompetent]

Ta Thermo.. I was a bit concerned that ply also wouldnt take the screws for the hinges (pull out after a few uses.?). The chap put a loft ladder in last month ready for me to dec his hall, and and .....duhhhh

 

[JohnD]

A loft hatch doesn't need to be heavy, it just keeps the draughts out and insulates a bit.

I would use thinnish ply faces with a stripwood frame. The frame will take your hinge screws and a catch if it is downwards-swinging with a loft-ladder. You can put insulation between the faces. If you use injected expanding foam it will stick them together and add rigidity too (but make plenty of holes in the top for it to escape without building up pressure as it expands). Else you could use polystryrene slab or even fibreglass.

Or tell the homewner to add the insulation after you've finished.

 

[confidentincompetent]

Ta John. Tho I was hoping not to spend too much time on it.. In the past I've just got 20mm blockboard morticed hinges in and job done in no time ... Quite suprised to find blockboard not sold at me local timber yard anymore... tho they have just been taken over by Travis P..

 

[AndersonC]

Please explain why MDF is no good for a hinged loft door. Is it because of the hinge screws not holding in?

The reason I ask is that I've just returned from the timber's merchants with a load of wood to make a frame for a loft hatch, and a 4'x3' sheet of 12mm MDF! And the bloke behind the counter sold me a pair of butt hinges for it, and a push latch that clicks open and shut.

If I need to purchase plywood, of whatever thickness it needs to be, can someone please advise asap. Also, are there any hinges better suited to the job than simple 4" butts?

Thanks in anticipation
Anderson

 

[JohnD]

You can use MDF if you want; but it is heavy, and not too good at holding screws.

If the hatch is hinged to open downwards (as is usual with a pull-down loft ladder) then you don't want it swinging down unexpectedly and hitting you on the head or letting all the warm air rise out of the house.

 

[sam8364]

Make a timber frame out of 2x1 and nail a bit of thin ply, mdf, or hardboard to one side. Hinges can then be attached to frame and you do not have to worry about weight.

As an addition you could make the frame slightly deeper and put board on both sides, filling the cavity with insulation.

Just watch out for the opening not being square before you make a nice square frame.

 

[AndersonC]

Is 12mm too thick then for the 'frame' job? Would 6mm be better?

Could I attach the sheet to the frame with decent adhesive and 1" nails driven in?

 

[masona]

Is 12mm too thick then for the 'frame' job?

No, that's okay

Would 6mm be better?

You can but will need extra timber support to stop the thin ply bending

Could I attach the sheet to the frame with decent adhesive and 1" nails driven in?

Yes if you want.

 

[markie]

On mdf I find using piano hinges are better than butts.

 

[AndersonC]

OK I'll bear all this in mind chaps, thanks a lot for the advice.

I might change the hatch so it just 'sits in' a frame and can be lifted out rather than being on hinges.

 

[sam8364]

You can, and quite frankly if you are not going to have a loft ladder installed then this is probably a much easier option.

However, if you are using a permanently installed loft ladder you will need a flap down hatch rather than one sitting in a frame.

 

[confidentincompetent]

Just watch out for the opening not being square before you make a nice square frame.

Sound advice there.....

Just for the record ...... I managed to get some Blockboard from proper timber yard ..other side of town..cut to size while I waited..
Started this thread more as a rant about big companies taking over local independants and .... well spoilin em IMHO.

Merry christmas...