Why Traditional Boarding Fails
The old way to board a loft was to lay chipboard directly across the top of the ceiling joists. Problem: domestic ceiling joists are usually 75-100mm deep, but current Building Regs require 270mm of loft insulation. Laying boards across the joists squashes the insulation down to joist height and throws away most of its effectiveness — you've spent money on insulation but only getting a third of the benefit.
The modern solution is a raised loft deck. Plastic or metal stilts bring the boarding level up to 280-300mm above the ceiling, leaving room for the full insulation depth underneath. LoftZone, LoftLeg and Loft2 are the main systems. The boards (typically 18mm tongue-and-groove chipboard) sit on the stilts and give you a flat, strong floor surface with zero compromise to the thermal performance.
Typical Installation
A full loft-boarding job on a typical Sheffield semi loft — around 25-30m² of usable floor area — takes a day or two. We fit the stilts first, on a regular grid that bridges the ceiling joists, then lay the boards, secure them down, and leave you with a clean tongue-and-groove floor ready for storage. Cost is £25-40 per m² depending on system chosen.
A part-boarded loft — where you only need boarding near the loft hatch for boxes-in-boxes-out access — is cheaper and faster, £500-800 for a small storage area.
Extras We Handle
While we're working in the loft, we can do a few associated jobs that make the space much more usable:
- Loft hatch upgrades — insulated, draught-sealed loft hatches to replace the standard trapdoor. Critical for energy performance.
- Sliding aluminium loft ladders — Werner, Abru, Youngman. Sized to your ceiling height.
- Loft lighting — a couple of LED strip lights switched from below, so you don't have to hold a torch while hunting for Christmas decorations.
- Power sockets — we'll liaise with a qualified electrician for spur installation.
Load Capacity
A properly installed raised loft deck carries the same loadings as the original ceiling joists — typically 25kg/m² for light storage. That's fine for Christmas decorations, boxed-up paperwork, seasonal clothing, and ordinary household storage. It's not adequate for heavy machinery, large tool collections, or making the loft into a habitable room — for those you need a proper loft conversion with upgraded floor joists and Building Regs approval.
If in doubt about what your ceiling joists will support, we can arrange a structural engineer's assessment at quotation stage. For most post-war houses the answer is "fine for storage, not for conversion".
