FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Q: Will boarding affect my NHBC warranty?
A: Boarding your loft will not invalidate your NHBC warranty. The NHBC warranty covers defects in the construction of your home, not the way you use it.
If you board your loft correctly by instructing a well-established company such as ourselves, it will not cause any damage to your home or compromise its structural integrity. In fact, boarding your loft can actually help to improve the energy efficiency of your home by providing additional insulation.
As well as the peace of mind we offer through a 5-year warranty and a wealth of experience, at Home Counties Loft Ladders we treat every home as if it was our own. This resonates in our 5-star reviews of which we have over 700!
Q: Will we need to change our loft hatch?
A: All of our fixed ladders require a hinged hatch that can open downwards, but when we visit we can advise on the best solution for you and your home.
Q: How much is a quote?
A: All of our quotes are free and without obligation.
Q: If I have a problem, will you come back?
A: All of our work is carried out by local teams and comes with a 5 year guarantee. Any problems with the quality of our work or materials and we will return and fix it.
Q: What happens when you come to give a quote?
A: Basically we come to survey your home, no two houses and no two customers requirements are exactly the same! We’ll make an assessment of the size and location of your loft hatch and check whether your insulation (if you have any) meets current regulations, for example. If your hatch needs increasing in size, or relocating, or your insulation needs topping up, we will include that in our quote. All our quotes are free and without obligation.
Q: I have an unusual loft space/opening, can you help?
A: One of our core attributes is problem solving. If there’s a safe and viable solution for you, we’ll find it!
Q: What happens if your workman puts his foot through my ceiling?
A: Our teams are fully insured – they’re also very careful!
Q: Do you use sub-contactors?
A: The only works we ever subcontract are electrics, solely so we can provided an NICEIC certificate for each job.
All of our quoters, fitters and staff are employed directly by ourselves, we have a great small team and work together as one!
Q: Do you accept cash and cheques?
A: We do, but our preferred method for security is card or bank transfer.
Q: What about loft insulation?
A: We recommend that your loft is insulated to current standards before we install any boarding. We can do this as part of our service and will include it in our quote if you ask us to.
Q: What about cleaning up?
A: We treat your home like our own – we lay dust sheets, wear covers on our safety shoes and clean up after ourselves. We’ll leave your home exactly as we found it – except you’ll gain lots of extra storage space!
Q: What if my loft access is awkward to get to?
A:We will assess the position of your loft hatch when we visit you at home. If we can’t make your current loft access work, we can create a new access to your loft – with no mess and minimum fuss.
Q: What happens to the 5-year warranty if I move?
A: We would ask that you pass our details on to your purchaser, and we will honour the warranty for its full duration subject to standard terms.
Q: Can you over insulate a loft?
A: Yes, insulation can help to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but it can also trap moisture in your loft. This can lead to condensation, which can cause mould and mildew growth. To prevent this, it is important to make sure that your loft has adequate ventilation.
Q: Why does the floor in my loft need to be raised up?
A: Primarily this is to allow space for sufficient loft insulation to breathe and not to be compressed. Secondly, raising the boarding with a subframe provides more strength for the weight of items being stored, and one or two people to move around safely.
Q: Can I use my loft as a ‘liveable’ space or additional family room?
A: In short, no. We only provide solutions for storage. Loft conversions require planning permission and a lot more structural adaptation.
Q: What if I have a very high ceiling?
A: We have a range of ladders to suit a wide range of environments, from 1.45m up to 3.6m!
Q: Are new hatches insulated?
A: Yes, all of our hatches are insulated and Part L compliant.
