Introduction

For many people in Worcester, flooding is a familiar part of winter. When the River Severn and its tributaries rise, homes and streets in low-lying parts of the city and surrounding villages can be affected, sometimes with little time to prepare.

While nothing replaces proper flood protection, one simple step can help: keeping important and sentimental belongings as high up as possible. A boarded loft with safe, easy access gives you a permanent, dry place to store the things you’d most hate to lose. In this guide, we look at how to use your loft as part of being flood-ready.

Why the loft is a good place for important items

When a flood warning comes in, there’s often a rush to carry belongings upstairs. That’s stressful, and it’s easy to forget things or run out of time. Storing key items in the loft all year round means they’re already out of the way before any warning arrives.

The loft is the highest point in most homes, well above ground-floor level. It also frees up space upstairs, so if you do need to move furniture or electricals off the ground floor in a hurry, the bedrooms and landing aren’t already full of boxes.

A properly boarded loft with a fitted ladder makes this practical. You can reach your stored items safely whenever you need them, rather than relying on a stepladder and loose boards.

What to store in the loft, and what to keep elsewhere

Lofts are great for long-term storage, but temperatures can swing between hot summers and cold winters. Choose what goes up there with that in mind.

Good candidates for loft storage:

• Copies of important documents and paperwork you don’t need day to day, in sealed, labelled boxes
• Photo albums, keepsakes and children’s artwork, packed in airtight containers
• Seasonal items such as Christmas decorations, summer clothes and camping gear
• Spare bedding, suitcases and items you’d struggle to replace quickly

Better kept elsewhere:

• Original documents you may need urgently, such as passports and insurance details, which are better in a grab bag
• Electronics and anything sensitive to heat or cold
• Very heavy items, unless your boarding is designed to take the weight

If you’re unsure how much your loft can hold, our guide to how much weight loft boarding can safely hold is a good place to start.

Getting your loft ready for storage

To use your loft as dependable storage, a few basics need to be in place:

1. Boarding. Loose items on joists or insulation are hard to reach and can damage ceilings below. Boarding creates a stable, flat surface for storage boxes.
2. Raised boarding where needed. Raising the boards above the insulation keeps it working properly and reduces the risk of condensation building up underneath your belongings.
3. A fitted loft ladder. Safe, quick access matters most when you need to get something down in a hurry.
4. Sealed, labelled containers. Plastic boxes with lids protect against dust, damp and pests, and labels save time searching.
5. A simple layout. Keep the items you might need fastest closest to the hatch.

Part of a wider flood plan

Loft storage is one piece of being prepared, not a replacement for proper flood protection. If you live in an area at risk of flooding, it’s also worth:

• Signing up for flood warnings from the Environment Agency
• Keeping a grab bag with essential documents, medication and chargers
• Knowing how to turn off your gas, electricity and water
• Checking your home insurance covers flood damage

Having your belongings already stored safely in the loft means one less thing to worry about if a warning comes through.

Loft storage across Worcester and the surrounding area

Our Worcester branch boards lofts and fits loft ladders and hatches in homes across Worcester and the surrounding area. Whether you want to keep important belongings safe or simply make better use of your loft, we’ll recommend the right setup for your home.

Get in touch with our Worcester branch today to arrange a free quote.