How To Lay Loft Flooring
If you’re lucky enough to have a loft in your property, then you’re bound to want to make as much use of it as possible. However, whether it’s a new build property you’ve just moved into or one you’ve lived in for years, in order to make the space practical to use, you’ll want to lay down loft flooring.
Since your loft is usually a space for insulation, people tend to be unsure of how to go about installing loft boards without causing damage and affecting thermal performance. That’s why this month at Loft Storage Rooms, we’re going to tell you why it’s a good idea to board your loft and how to do it!
Why board a loft?
Most people will look to their loft as a storage space, and it’s a great idea since it can free up space elsewhere in the home and can generally help to keep things tidy. But without loft boards, you can’t really use the space for storage as all those boxes, bags and suitcases won’t have anywhere to sit. Throwing things into your loft without boarding it out will probably mean that anything with a bit of weight to it will squash your insulation, making it less effective, or worse, it could damage the ceiling below.
In short, a loft that is boarded out makes it easy to use for storage. In the long run, this could save you from having to move homes if you’re currently overwhelmed by your possessions. You can read more about the benefits of loft boarding in our previous post on the topic.
How to board a loft – step by step
There are four basic steps involved in boarding out your loft. For a comprehensive and clean result, we recommend hiring the professionals, but here are the basics:
Preparation
If there are items in your loft already, you’ll need to remove them. But first, you should ensure you have prepared all the equipment you’ll need to get the job done:
- Pencil and tape measure
- Dust mask
- Hooded overalls
- Work gloves
- Electric screwdriver*
*Your screwdriver should have an electric bit so that you can avoid losing screws in the insulation.
Assess the insulation
As we already mentioned, you can lose a lot of thermal efficiency by squashing your insulation, leading to higher energy bills. With that in mind, you should check your insulation before starting work.
Your insulation should be 270mm deep, with roughly 170mm of that sitting above the joists along the floor of your attic space. For more comprehensive information on loft insulation, visit our loft insulation guide here.
Measuring
This is the part that seems simple but can get complicated quite quickly. You should measure the width and length of the loft once you’re inside and then multiply those two numbers for the amount of boarding you’ll need.
You can measure a smaller area if you don’t want to board the entire loft out, but you should remember your boarding will need to be raised slightly so you’ll want to consider where they will sit and how many you need based on the area covered.
Installation
When you come to install the boards, you may need to roll the top layer of insulation away to find the joists. This will allow you to fit the legs to support your boarding. Once you’ve screwed these into place, you can put the insulation back where it was.
Boards should run perpendicular to your joists and should be fixed to your legs firmly. You should always ensure that any loft ventilation remains unobstructed while you work and after having laid your boards.
Can you lay loft boards yourself?
Technically, you can lay your own loft boards. However, it can be a time-consuming task, especially if you aren’t 100% sure of what you’re doing. Commonly, people have insulation issues, either squashing it down or not putting it back into place properly.
It’s also tricky to board out a loft space accurately if you aren’t experienced, with difficult angles to measure, cover and cut for — not to mention negotiating the space around your rafters without creating damage. You could find yourself spending more money redoing the boarding or replacing insulation if you don’t get things right the first time around.
That’s why it’s better to get the professionals in to provide loft boarding instead of going down the DIY route. Here at Loft Storage Rooms, we’re a leading loft boarding and flooring installation company for Cambridge, Harlow and London, as well as a large portion of the UK. We take care of every aspect of loft boarding so that you can put your feet up without the worry of injuring yourself or damage to your roof space.
Get in touch today to find out more about loft boarding from our expert team. We’re always happy to help and can make creating a useful space in your loft simple.