Description
A loft hatch in a flat, an HMO or a house with a party-wall roof void is a hole in a fire compartment, and building control, fire risk assessors and insurers increasingly treat it that way. A standard timber loft ladder and thin hatch panel do nothing to hold back fire or smoke. This fire-resistant timber loft ladder solves that in one unit: a fully insulated, fire-tested hatch box with a factory-fitted three-section folding timber ladder, so the opening in the ceiling performs as part of the fire barrier when closed and gives safe, solid access when open.
It is a made-to-measure product built around your opening size and floor-to-ceiling height rather than a loose ladder you cut down on site, and it is supplied complete — hatch box, insulated door, ladder and operating fittings — ready to fix into a trimmed ceiling opening.
Key benefits
Fire resistance of 30 or 60 minutes (manufacturer classification EI 30 or EI 60) with the hatch closed, so the assembly can be specified where the ceiling is a compartment boundary. Insulated hatch door with a U-value of 0.92 W/m²K — a very common source of heat loss in an otherwise insulated loft is the uninsulated hatch, and this closes it. A heavy-duty three-section folding timber ladder rated to 150kg per tread, with wide flat treads rather than round rungs. Four standard opening sizes plus a standard floor-to-ceiling range, so most existing trimmed openings can be fitted without re-framing.
Suitable applications
Top-floor flats and maisonettes where the loft is shared or forms part of a compartment; HMOs and houses converted to flats where a fire risk assessment calls for a fire-rated loft hatch; new-build and self-build homes needing a fire-rated and insulated loft access in one unit; any home where the existing loft hatch is a draughty, uninsulated panel and the owner wants a proper insulated, sealed hatch with a safe ladder. If you only need the hatch without a ladder, see our fire-rated insulated loft hatch (FR60 flush panel).
Specification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ladder type | Three-section folding timber loft ladder, factory-fitted to hatch box |
| Fire rating options | F30 (EI 30, 30 minutes) or F60 (EI 60, 60 minutes), applies with hatch closed |
| Hatch door U-value | 0.92 W/m²K |
| Load rating | 150kg per tread |
| Opening sizes (length x width) | 1200 x 600mm, 1200 x 700mm, 1300 x 700mm, 1400 x 700mm |
| Floor-to-ceiling height | 2340mm to 2760mm (standard); other heights on request |
| Material | Softwood timber ladder and hatch frame, insulated hatch door |
| Supplied as | Complete unit: hatch box, insulated fire-rated door, ladder and fittings |
| Lead time | Made to order, typically around 4 weeks |
Installation & ordering guidance
Measure the trimmed structural opening in the ceiling (length along the direction the ladder folds down, then width) and your finished floor-to-ceiling height before ordering — the hatch box is built to the opening size you select, so a wrong measurement cannot be corrected on site. The unit is fixed through the hatch frame into the trimming joists, then the ladder is adjusted to the floor. Fire performance depends on the hatch being installed with the perimeter sealed as detailed in the fitting instructions, so follow those rather than improvising the gap fill. If your loft is unboarded, our PIR insulation board and wood fibre insulation board pages cover the rafter-level insulation that this hatch usually sits within, and if you need roof-level access as well see our flat roof access hatch.
FAQs
What is the difference between F30 and F60? Both are the same ladder and hatch design; the F60 door is built to hold back fire for 60 minutes rather than 30. Most domestic compartment boundaries are specified at 30 minutes; HMOs, flats over commercial premises and some insurer requirements call for 60. Check what your building control officer or fire risk assessment requires before choosing.
Is the fire rating valid with the ladder open? No — like every fire-rated loft hatch, the resistance is tested with the hatch closed. The hatch should be kept shut whenever the loft is not in use.
Does it come with the hatch, or just the ladder? It is a complete unit: the insulated hatch box and door, the three-section ladder and the operating hardware all arrive together and are fitted as one.
My ceiling height is outside 2340–2760mm — can I still order? The standard sizes listed here cover that range. Other heights can usually be made to order; contact us with your measurements before ordering rather than choosing the nearest size.
What size opening do I need? Choose the size that matches your existing trimmed opening if you have one. For a new opening, 1200 x 600mm is the most compact; 1300 x 700mm or 1400 x 700mm give a shallower, more comfortable climbing angle on taller ceilings.
Prefer a ladder without a fire rating but with a higher load capacity? Our heavy-duty aluminium concertina loft ladder retracts vertically into an insulated hatch and carries 200kg per step.
Custom, unbranded product. Pairs with our fire-rated insulated loft hatch where a hatch-only solution is needed elsewhere in the building.
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