Loft Boarding | Loft Solutions | More Than Loft Ladders
Become a franchisee

We’re looking for passionate people with big dreams and an entrepreneurial spirit to get in touch with us about investing and becoming our next franchise partner.

Learn more →
Main menu
Loft Boarding available through your local More Than Loft Ladders loft solutions expert

Loft Boarding

0% pay monthly options powered by Kanda
More info

Balancing on a stepladder, clambering over loft joists with a torch in one hand and a box in another, is not only awkward, but potentially quite dangerous. We can remove all those risks for you by installing a range of boarding to some or all of your loft.

We can install boarding from 50sqft to 500+sqft, the choice is yours. Unlike some companies, we don’t remove your existing insulation to install our boards, instead we always raise the boarding, which lifts the boards above your insulation.

Here at More Than Loft Ladders we often get asked if we can board a loft in a new build home. The loft space is an area of the home that can be really helpful when creating extra storage space in your home – especially new build’s.

We wanted to put together a summary of how we can carry out this work without compromising the warranty.

Can I get my loft boarded in my new build house?
Yes. One of the most frequent questions we come across is “Will boarding my loft invalidate my NHBC warranty?” The answer is NO it will not affect your warranty as long as it installed correctly.

These are the main reasons given by house builders that advise you not to board your loft.
• It will compress the insulation – this is not true.
• The roof structure isn’t strong enough to carry the extra weight – the roof structure is strong enough.
• It will cause damp – this is not true for any home.
• It will invalidate your NHBC warranty – correctly fitting loft boards will not affect your warranty.
If the work is carried out correctly and airflow is maintained above the insulation, then boarding your loft will not affect your warranty.

If you have any maintainable equipment in your loft (such as mechanical ventilation, alarm system, CCTV, solar panel controls, boiler etc) then Construction Design Management 2015 regulations and the NHBC require boarding to be in place. This creates both a safe maintenance area and ease of access.

As the leading loft boarding company, More Than Loft Ladders has successfully boarded hundreds of new build lofts with absolutely no problems at all. We use a product called Loft Leg along with battens to ensure a gap is present to facilitate air flow.
For your assurance we are busting the myths over boarding lofts in new builds, here are the facts…

Gareth Storey, Owner of Loft Leg.
“We have discussed this issue at length with the NHBC Technical Department and consulted a Chartered Structural Engineer to ensure we can provide the best possible advice to our customers. It is also important to clarify that this statement applies to all raised loft storage systems.”

NHBC says
“If installed at the instruction of the homeowner, boarding does not invalidate our warranty, but any defects found to result from the installation of said system e.g. condensation or structural damage, would not be covered by the warranty, therefore homeowners have it installed at their own risk. This applies to any changes made to the building after the warranty period has begun.”

NHBC also confirmed that…
“Where access to loft space is provided, structural design is required to take account of live loading on ceiling joists for the purposes of occasional entry and maintenance and a nominal live load allowance is included in acknowledgement that home owners are liable to place light, miscellaneous and infrequently used items, might be suitable for spreading across widely-spaced joists, in the loft area.”

Why airflow is important to your loft?
The high levels of insulation in modern houses keeps more heat in the rooms below where you want it, this in turn means the loft is generally colder than those rooms below. Modern appliances such as washing machines/tumble dryers and showers increase humidity in the home. This increase of humidity can slowly make its way into the roof space resulting in a cold area with high amount of water vapour present.

This means that maintaining air flow is crucial.
Boarding directly onto joists or a platform which is not above the level of insulation means that the air doesn’t cool fully before it hits the boarding. The boarding then acts a thermal bridge which gathers condensation. Over time the boards may rot and become unsafe, it could also affect the structural timbers.

It is recommended that there should be a 50mm (2 inch) gap between the boards and the insulation, this is to ensure a good amount of airflow. Chartered Structural Engineers confirm the information contained in this document is correct and that trusses in the new homes that are fitted with a loft hatch should be designed to BS6399-1:1996*. This states that the truss must be designed to carry a 25kg/m2 loading for storage and a 90kg load to account for a person accessing the loft.
This is why we can confirm that a correctly installed and loaded raised loft storage system will not invalidate the NHBC warranty. If the new house was constructed with a loft hatch, then the trusses should have been designed to support a storage load of 25kg/m2 and a 90kg person.

We hope that this gives you the assurance needed to go ahead and use that valuable space in your loft.

We can supply and install the following:

Sign-up to our newsletter

Receive the latest news and updates from More Than Loft Ladders

Talk to our Loft Ladder experts to find out your options.

Let's get started