When you’re looking to utilise your loft space more effectively, boarding it can have a lot of benefits, such as adding an additional room in the home for storage or providing access to the boiler or water tank.
However, depending on how many belongings you have to store or if you require loft boarding to provide access to your water tank, you might not have the budget or desire to have it fully boarded. In this case, is it possible (or worth it) to just have a part boarded loft, or should you just invest in a full loft transformation?
Full boarding vs Walkway
Full Loft Boarding
Full loft boarding is the more expensive of the two options as you’ll obviously need more boards to fill the space and the additional labour costs of fitting them if you decide to go with a professional loft board fitter.
However, despite the cost difference, it is beneficial and cost-effective to opt for the entire loft to be boarded. This is because when using a raised loft board system such as LoftZone StoreFloor, as well as providing a sturdy and durable platform, it also allows for your loft insulation to be retained at the correct height.
The Government recommends between 250mm and 270mm of loft insulation to effectively protect your home’s thermal efficiency and reduce energy spending. Fortunately, the StoreFloor is raised 279mm above your joists, leaving you plenty of room for the Government-recommended depth of loft insulation. Proper insulation will help keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer as it traps the heat and prevents it from escaping through the roof or travelling down into the house.
Partially Boarded Loft
Partially boarding your loft can be an effective method of still allowing for some storage space to be used or alternatively creating a walkway platform to access things in your loft without needing to spend the money on a total conversion.
The StoreFloor is a very intuitive product that you can easily fit together yourself with the tools provided. However, if you would like to or with professional help to give you the peace of mind that it has been installed correctly. As the StoreFloor is modular, you can start small, only fitting what you need and build more later as your storage requirements go up. Most people choose a square or rectangular deck or an L or T shape near the hatch, while others have more than one deck on either side of the hatch to provide multiple walkways.
Despite having no boarding in some areas, it’s still vital that you have suitable insulation laid to help retain the home’s heat. In fact, in some cases, not having your entire loft boarded is recommended as it allows you to fill the areas that aren’t boarded with an excess of insulation to help with energy efficiency.
Get your loft boarded today
Hopefully, the above has given you some better information on which option might be best for you, depending on your needs. If you’re looking to get started and convert your dark, dingy and dangerous space into one that you can use safely and easily – get in touch.
If you’re still unsure whether a full or partially boarded loft is the best choice, our team will be more than happy to discuss your situation and provide suggestions on what we can achieve. Beyond just loft boarding, at Instaloft, we provide installation for a wide selection of other loft accessories, including; ladders, hatches, lighting and more that can transform it into a safe and spacious storage area.