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Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have questions that you can’t find an answer to? Want to find out how we differ from our competition? How long a job will take? Or how much experience do we have? The answers to these and more can be found below (just click on a question to reveal the answer).


How long does an installation usually take?

This solely depends on the scope of the work required but a typical full loft storage installation takes about 2 days to complete. We always ensure that dust and dirt entering the rest of the house is kept to an absolute minimum and at the end of each day we’ll leave everything clean and tidy, and provide full customer demonstrations… this is another reason why we make sure there’s enough time allocated for each job!

Do you offer a loft clearance service?

Yes! We love seeing a clean and empty loft space, so we offer a comprehensive waste removal service where we’ll remove and dispose of anything you don’t want to keep in the loft (as we’re licensed and regulated by the Environment Agency, all waste is disposed of at a transfer station following the correct methods and proof can be shown if required).

Do you do loft conversions?

Nope, at the moment we don’t do full loft conversions. We do loft boarding (or what we like to call a “storage platform”), ladders, insulation, windows and other bits which can make your loft usable mainly as a storage area.

Why do your installations take a bit longer than other companies?

Tea & biscuits… too much tea & biscuits :0)  Not Really, although we always appreciate the odd cuppa throughout the day!

In all seriousness, we’ve been doing loft installations for a very long time now, and with the trial of various working formats, we now adopt a fail-proof process that we’re certain is the absolute best for our customers and our fitters. We’ve found out the hard way in the past that putting too much pressure on our Loft Boys leads to lower-quality work and potentially life-threatening accidents. We also take a massive amount of pride in delivering a high-quality finish which means our attention to detail and customer service is second to none.

Why do you require a deposit to start work?

Our services are in high demand all year round, so the deposit – which is refundable by the way – secures the allocated window within our work schedule. It also allows us to purchase some of the parts we’ll need to complete your loft work.

The outstanding balance will then be collected upon completion, and only once you’re delighted with the work. But don’t worry, your phone won’t start ringing the minute our guys have placed their hammers back into their toolboxes! We understand that you’ll need time to inspect the completed job so we always allow plenty of time for this.

Do you work with spray foam insulation?

No, we don’t use spray foam insulation and instead work with either blanket (usually applied under the storage platform) or sheet insulation (for insulating the underside of the roof). We also don’t do spray foam removal.

Why don’t you work within dormer or eaves loft conversions?

There are a few reasons for this. The limited space and height restrictions make these jobs hazardous for our teams. And also due to the small spaces involved, we’ve deemed that it’s not commercially viable to send a team out for these jobs.

Why are you more expensive than some of your competitors?

We get told quite often that some of our competitors offer cheaper loft storage packages than us, and you know what? We’re absolutely fine with that!!! 🙂 We’re extremely passionate about quality over quantity. We always allow our field teams plenty of time to ensure they can get the job done right the first time. Trust us, this makes a massive difference in the quality of the workmanship and also means you’ll experience fewer headaches and inconvenience in the long run!). 

We also only use experienced tradesmen and invest heavily in their training. We’re health & safety compliant and issue risk assessments for every installation we carry out. This means our Loft Boys are fully aware of all the safety issues and are up to speed on things like how to deal with asbestos. That means you, your family, and our guys, are safe at all times.

Need some tips on what to consider before choosing a loft storage company? We have a blog article for that! Read on my friend…

Why don’t you offer a lifetime warranty instead of just 5 years?

We only make promises that we can genuinely adhere to. The Loft Boys would never dream of making a false promise which is designed simply as a marketing tool. We believe it’ll be daft to guarantee any kind of loft work for longer than 5 years and here’s why:

• The majority of customer service calls we’re called out to attend, under our guarantee, are for service work required to loft ladders. This is simply due to them all having moving parts, moving parts that suffer wear and tear through usage. The more an item is used, the more work the components are doing, and as we’d never dream of imposing a usage limit, we do have to take this into consideration when calculating our guarantee period.

• If something does go wrong after this period it’ll be very tricky for us to be certain the problem wasn’t caused by the user.

• The home may have been sold and the new homeowner would not have received all relevant information directly from us, and the fault may have been caused through unintentional misuse. Yep… you heard that right. Our guarantee is transferable to new homeowners!

• It’s also highly likely that other trade-related work will be completed within the loft space over a more lengthy period of time which means the likelihood of heavier workload and third-party interference to our products could be the cause of any fault.

How much experience do you have?

We currently complete approximately 1000+ full loft boarding and loft ladder jobs each year. Doesn’t mean anything to you? Look at it this way… each Loft Boy spends about 2000 hrs a year turning dreary lofts into bright, usable, storage spaces (blimey, who’d want that job eh?).

How long will a survey take and what does it entail?

We pride ourselves on the clear and accurate advice that we provide to our customers, from beginning to end. Our friendly and professional surveyors will take accurate internal measurements to highlight all available options, and then leave you with a visual floor plan and information pack. This process should take no more than 45 minutes, but we may require more time should the age of the property and any potential health risks dictate.

Check out our survey guide for more details…

How much weight can my loft floor carry?

After we have formed your new loft storage floor we recommend a permanent maximum storage capacity of 25kg per square metre. These calculations are taken after the weight of your new storage floor has been formed and also takes into account the frequent added weight and movement of an average-sized person.

Why is airflow important in a loft?

Daily activities around the home such as taking showers or baths, washing and drying clothes, cooking, boiling a kettle and even breathing, produces warm air containing a large amount of water vapour. This warm air moves around the home until it finds a cold surface where it can cool and form condensation. The current recommended level of insulation – required to meet modern standards – greatly reduces the amount of heat that enters the loft space from the rooms below, meaning that all water vapour passes through the ceilings into the loft and poses a huge condensation risk because the surfaces in the loft remain cold. Ventilated lofts are common in properties for the purpose of removing all water vapour that enters the loft before it has the chance to condense. Maintaining airflow/ventilation beneath any storage floor formed in the loft is also critical to eradicating the possibility of condensation forming on the underside of any floorboards used.

Our Loft Boys are airflow experts (some might say nerds) and we’ll make sure that your insulation is configured correctly and conforms to the best possible standards. If your insulation was installed incorrectly by yourself or another company we’ll fix it and you could start seeing smaller energy bills as a result… sweeeet!!!

Why have I got so much insulation in my loft?

It’s pretty much common knowledge that heat rises, and it’s almost embarrassing echoing this simple fact! Uninsulated homes throw away approximately 25% of their heat through the roof. Modern regulations & recommendations dictate that a fully thermal and efficient roof space requires a minimum insulation depth of 270mm. Wowzer!!! Nearly a foot of insulation up there… minimum? That’s correct! This depth of insulation provides benefits to you and your future generations!

By retaining heat in the home, you’ll be burning less energy as your home remains warmer for longer. In principle, it’s the same reason you sleep under a duvet. Any heat generated becomes trapped beneath the blanket keeping you warm on those horrid winter nights.

You may have seen or heard the phrase “U-Value” batted around, which seems extremely scientific but is actually quite simple. The lower the U-Value, the more thermally efficient something is. The recommended insulation depths are usually determined by the achievable U-Values, currently being approximately 0.16W/m2.K. Please, don’t worry yourself about the meaning behind ‘W/m2.K’, leave this to the scientists!!

Check out our unbelievably comprehensive loft insulation guide here.

What happens if my insulation gets squashed?

To function at maximum efficiency, traditional loft roll/blanket insulation needs to stay in its fully expanded state. This is due to the air pockets that form when insulation is unwrapped, laid over the floor area of a loft and allowed to expand, creating still air pockets. The heat will transfer through the material faster than it will through the air, meaning that the more air which becomes trapped within a product the more thermally efficient it is. Squashing insulation will cause the air gaps to be replaced with material, which in turn will allow heat to escape a lot quicker, more or less rendering the insulation insufficient. 

We strongly recommend you carry out your own research before employing a company to board your loft that has contradicted this information. We’ve been made aware of numerous companies practising with outdated and substandard methods… so be really careful!!!

Can I remove roof braces?

Any existing form of structural bracing within the loft has been installed to serve a specific purpose. Unless you employ the services of a structural specialist to carry out critical calculations to determine how else to serve the purpose of these braces, you should never allow anyone to remove, adjust or relocate them.

Can I make my hatch larger?

In principle yes, however, there are a number of factors that will dictate the feasibility of this, including roof design, the age of the property and whether the ceiling contains asbestos.

Why are there so many beams all over the place in my loft?

If you glance into your loft and you feel you’ve ended up in the middle of the Jungle part of the board game Jumanij, your home is likely to have a roof constructed with trussed rafters. This is a modern way of forming a roof and is extremely common on large developments due to the speed these roofs are formed. These beams are essential to the stability of the roof and should never be tampered with, including cutting a bottom chord (joist) to enlarge hatches. Be very cautious of anyone who is prepared to cut joists in a trussed roof!!!

Are your staff fully employed?

The company fully employs all staff at The Loft Boys and all team leaders have completed our training programme in addition to their previously gained skills. Our normal team setup is to have a fitter’s mate working alongside our fitters.

The Loft Boys only use sub-contractors for electrical work. This is due to all electrical work now requiring certification via a NIC EIC approved electrician. Again, question this with any company you seek to employ to carry out electrical works, no matter how small the task is. Minor works now require a ‘Minor Works’ certificate and if you are unable to obtain confirmation of this then contact the relevant associations.

Is The Loft Boys insured?

Yes, we are and we wouldn’t dream of doing business any other way. Not only do we understand how important this aspect is for your peace of mind, but ultimately we want to provide you with the necessary cover should the unthinkable ever happen.

Do you offer a guarantee on your products?

Oh yeah! We couldn’t be prouder of how we operate and the quality products we use. We back all elements of our installations with the unique TLB guarantee. This covers all products and workmanship for 5 years from the date of installation. Don’t tell the boss, but if your ladder is to fail, make sure this happens about 4 years 11 months after it’s installed. If we can’t repair it, we’ll replace it.

Do I need to be present for the duration of the installation?

This is a very common question and our answer is always the same. We will always treat your home in the same manner, regardless of whether you are present or not. All staff are fully employed by the company and carry out installations weekly where we’ve been granted access without persons being present throughout the duration. We understand and appreciate your concerns and will always work with you to suit your preferences.

How do I make a complaint?

We’re sorry to hear that something went wrong. We take complaints very seriously and being a member of the Which? trusted Traders scheme means you can use the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman to help resolve disputes if needed. Please have a look at our complaints policy for instructions on what to do next.

Do your staff wear face masks?

We did when it was deemed necessary but we have been advised that it’s now safe to stop all Covid safety measures. If you have any covid-related concerns please speak to our team.

Do your loft fitters like tea, coffee and biscuits?

Now that’s a silly question, isn’t it?

Couldn’t find the answers you were looking for?

We’ve written a cracking set of loft guides that contain absolutely tons of loft-related info and help. Plus our blog posts contain even further information on a range of topics.

Alternatively, our customer services team will be more than happy to answer any questions you still have. You can email us at lofts@theloftboys.co.uk or fill in your details and we’ll call you back ASAP.