How To Install Ceiling Trap Door

Fitting a Loft Trap for easy roof & attic access

Practice you demand to install a loft trap or hatch in your ceiling? This is a adequately easy DIY project to get right! A well designed and installed ceiling hatch volition be easy to open and shut securely. It volition also be draft proof and not compromise the strength of the ceiling or roof construction above.

This job does potentially require cutting ceiling joists and/or roof trusses in order to create an large enough aperture for the new trap. It is best to think of in this mode, every slice of timber in the way of your new loft trap has a purpose and was put there for a reason!

That reason may merely be to concord up the ceiling that is screwed to it - a fairly light duty job. Or these timbers could be bracing the roof rafters to terminate them from spreading (and the ridge dropping). Be careful and if you are unsure seek help from a professional earlier you lot get hacking abroad at your roof.

Essentially, what I am saying is if anything goes wrong and your married woman leaves yous considering your roof caved in, I tried to bloody warn yous!

How to pattern your loft hatch

You tin can either use a pre-made loft trap and just create the hole specified in the instructions to install it in (keep scrolling downward for this method). Otherwise higher up are two different designs I use to course a custom or bespokeloft trap for easy access into the attic space to a higher place.

The start method is really simple and easy to exercise. Simply create the frame by 'trimming' the ceiling joists and so line it with shine, planed timber. Then to brand the actual hatch itself either cut 25mm MDF to size or cut a cheap, ply affluent door down, fill the cut end with timber and then rest it on elevation of the lining. This is only held in place by gravity so to open or remove just elevator it off and slide into the roof infinite.

The second one takes a flake more skill, as you are substantially hanging a more solid door into the lining that swings down when opened. This ane is better if you are installing a ladder simply you lot need to make certain the frame you create is perfectly foursquare for the door.

Each one is finished off with an architrave frame to cover the join between the ceiling and the lining timber that would otherwise cleft if just decorated. This can be a small flat timber or decorative moulding to match others in the property.

If y'all are hinging a hatch door I would either employ a impact latch or a barrel bolt to concur the door closed.

Whilst it might not expect so adept, I personally adopt using something like a barrel bolt. Using a touch latch is much neater as you lot won't see it from beneath only you need to exit a gap betwixt the door and door stops to push the trap up into earlier it releases from the grab. This gap can mean a typhoon tin can sneak through, or allow hot air to escape upward reducing the efficiency of your home.

All-time location for the loft trap?

In that location is no exact science for choosing the all-time spot as there are so many variables simply bear these points in listen before you get-go cut holes in your ceiling!

• pick somewhere central to the roof space to a higher place so that when you become upwards into the roof you tin easily access each area.
• Stay abroad from the corners of the building or roof where access is tight as there will be very little headroom there
• Hidden in a hallway or lesser used room where information technology won't create an eyesore could exist best, if possible trim the joists so that the trap will be central/symmetrical when looked at from beneath
• Avert trimming too close to walls or in too tight a space as it may be difficult to manoeuvre long objects into the loft
• Avoid trimming the opening where there are pipes or cables that yous can't relocate as these volition be in the fashion and probable to get damaged by any traffic in or out
  
• Even the best most draft proof loft trap could all the same permit some cold air through in winter so avoid bedrooms too
• Avert beingness too shut to the peak of a staircase or landing that could increment the distance someone might fall or drop something if e'er there were an blow..

If you mark the position out from below and need to transfer these locations to the infinite above, blindside a nail upward through the ceiling in each corner that you lot can easily find from the attic.

Don't forget to allow for the thickness of the frame and lining materials when setting out the hole to cut in the ceiling.

Marking out the loft trap

The picture above explains how to work out your dimensions depending on the sizes of your other materials being used.

For cutting the ceiling, the opening size plus twice the thickness of the lining material that will be fitted.

The add twice or four times the thickness of the trimmer depending on whether or not you are doubling up the trimmer joists.

Cut the ceiling out before cut any joists!

Bold you lot are 'retro-fitting' the loft trap and the finished ceiling is already in the way, I would cut and remove the department of ceiling beginning once I have marked out my aperture without cut any joists. This will let more light up into the roof space and then I can work more hands.

Utilise a jab-saw to start the hole off then terminate with an quondam handsaw if yous have one. Plasterboard will ruin the teeth on a good handsaw so don't employ a new 1..

Trimming the ceiling joists

Cut and supporting joists or roof rafters is chosen 'trimming'. You'll need to use timber that is the same size and strength equally the joists you are trimming and for the lining material afterwards, 90mm 10 18-25mm smoothen planed timber is generally fine and cheap enough.

When bracing timbers like this to a higher place a pre-finished ceiling (retro-fitting a loft trap), I tend to use screws rather than banging nails in that need to be removed later as this reduces the adventure of cracking the ceiling or disrupting it likewise much. Yous'll most likely need to redecorate anyway, but the less patching upwardly or repair work the meliorate.

If cutting one joist out, a single trimmer can be strong plenty. If cut more than than 1 joist then you need to double upwards the trimmer so information technology is strong enough to carry the weight of two or more.

Keeping it a few inches back from the line to exist cut, prepare some flake timber across the joists to hold and back up the ane that is going to be cut out and removed.

Cut the joist out that is in the way using a hand or circular saw, and fix two pieces of timber across. Nail them to the outer joists and to the trimmed joist to stop information technology dropping down now the middle section is cut out.

If necessary, more trimmers in the opposite direction can exist used to position or resize the loft trap.

Lining the loft trap

Unless you are installing a replacement loft trap or one in an existing property (rather than a new build) It's probable that a frame will exist installed before the plasterboard and then after the flushing or plastering has been done the trap door, stops, catch and architraves will exist fitted.

It's a bit like installing a normal door frame. You might find it easier to build the frame on the flooring then slide information technology up into the trimmed area, otherwise you tin can install 'in-situ'.

For forcefulness the frame tin can be housed out like the picture below, this is more important if you lot are hinging a door not so much if the trap will simply sit down on meridian of the frame.

It will need to be perfectly foursquare and then the door works and the architraves are piece of cake to install which means cutting opposing sections to equal lengths. Once glued and screwed together check the frame is square by using a framing square or measuring from corner to corner.

Once squared, if possible a door can be cut to fit the trap and hung. It volition be easier to do information technology now earlier the frame is higher up your caput. If you don't have the door however simply can chop the hinges in that will at to the lowest degree aid. The door should exist ready out and hung the aforementioned as if hanging a normal internal door, simply the hinges should only exist about 50mm in from each end.

If you are using a bear on latch the door stops will need to be fixed with a gap before the door and then the door can be pushed up for the latch to engage.

Fixing the loft trap

To gear up the trap, remove the door if you've hung it already and pre-drill some clearance holes into the frame. Ideally they'll be in a position where the door stops will comprehend them subsequently on. Spiral the frame in position remembering to let it protrude below the joists the thickness of the plasterboard and plaster that volition be going on.

Architraves

The architraves should be fitted exactly as if installing them on a normal door, click here for assistance installing the architraves.

Have a question or comment most forming a loft trap?

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Source: https://www.carpentry-tips-and-tricks.com/loft-trap.html

Posted by: dixoncounto.blogspot.com

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