HOME SPRING 2019 65LIVING |PROMOTION
Are you using your loft wisely?
Words EVE HERBERTLofty
ambition
T
he loft may not be the pret-
tiest room in the house
but it could become one
of your favourites.
The loft is a forgot-
ten about room. They
are left unfinished and
often designed to just fa-
cilitate your water tank. Some people never
venture into them. However, even a small loft
space can offer large storage space potential
once fully utilised. The useable space in the
loft can be as much as the length of your house,
by about half the width. That’s a lot of space
available right now, under your roof!
The great thing about any loft is that it can
be a completely private storage area. House
guests aren’t going to accidentally wander
into your loft so the focus can be on a practical
space that doesn’t need to look pretty.
Step one to using your loft for storage is
access. If you’re serious about using the space
you will need a strong dependable quality
loft ladder with a guarantee. The cheaper
models will give basic access but if you plan
on using the ladder more than a few times a
year you’ll need something designed to be used
on a regular basis.
The next essential step is to put down floor-
ing. An OSB floor can be installed in a day, you
don’t need to floor the entire area, just the
middle walkway. You have now turned your
loft into a useable storage room with a fold-
away loft ladder for access in one evening for
less than £2,000.
These next tips are taking a basic loft storageA FEW DO’S AND DON’TS
- Don’t put anything on your
insulation, if the insulation gets
compressed it’s not as effective. - Don’t step on insulation, the ceiling
boards underneath can’t support
any weight. - Do use vacuum storage bags.
Lofts can have higher moister
content than the rest of the house. - Do consider a little stool if you plan to
spend a lot of time organising in the loft.
area into a much more functional space:
Lights: there are two ways of doing this,
installing a plug in the loft or using battery
LED lights. LED lights can be installed by
anyone and work straight away However, as
you start to use the space more you may see
the value of getting an electrician to install
power sockets for operating vacuum cleaners,
laminating machines, etc.
Shelving: this is the next stage in creating
your modern storage space. It turns your bare
bones space into an organised storage room.
Boxes and bags: its best to use sealable plastic
boxes or bags (not bin bags) to protect your
items.If you’re serious
about using the
space you will
need a strong,
dependable
loft ladder
HOME_Spring19_STIRA ADVERTORIAL.indd 65 01/04/2019 15:52