Latch/Hinges for a loft hatch

[andrewm]

I am planning on upgrading my loft hatch replacing a single panel that lifts into the loft with a door that hinges down. This is (a) to make it easier to use it with a loft ladder and (b) to provide an opportunity to insulate the door.

Can anyone recommend hinges and latches that would be suitable for this? I was going to use an ordinary door latch but it occurs to me that they might be designed just to latch a door whereas whatever I use will need to take the weight of the whole hatch.

It would also be nice to find some form of hidden hinges so that when closed there is just a flush panel but I do not know if such a thing exists. Would euro-style hinges do?

Andrew

 

[Scrit]

Hi Andrew

I'm afraid that Euro hinges won't do at all. They are designed to hold doors vertically or for use on cabinets which hinge upwards. In this application they'd simply pull out. A few houses back I fitted a downwards hinging door and used cranked no-mortise stormproof hinges a bit like these:

and I held the door closed using a heavy-duty (5 or 6kg) touch latch which came from an architectural ironmongers

Scrit

 

[LyNx]

Well, i used Euro hinges and a touch latch on our loft hatch and it works great. Built an MDF surround that got plastered flush to the ceiling and have the door fitting flush. You hardly notice the hatch now, with is what i was after. I got the touch latch from B&Q.

Good thing about the euro hinges is that you can easily remove the door if required.

 

[andrewm]

I must admit I had looked at touch latches but thought that perhaps they wouldn't hold the weight. If I can find some heavy duty ones then they would be ideal since I then wouldn't require either an external latch or any form of key.

Not sure of the advantage of the cranked hinges though. This door will be a box section to take the insulation so unless I am missing something ordinary flat hinges would be fine. I was just after something that perhaps wasn't visible.

Andrew

 

[chippy1970]

Just use 3" butt hinges with a heavy duty touch latch.

I made my hatch out of 2 x 1 par sandwiched between 6mm mdf with polystyrene for insulation. When you fit the hinges the screws go into the wood and not the end grain mdf. What you have to watch with touch latches is that after time they can un-latch on their own and the hatch can come flying down.

 

[Scrit]

Good thing about the euro hinges is that you can easily remove the door if required.

The down side might be that you're holding one end of a lump of wood on 4 off #4 x 15mm screws. It all depends on how often you open it, I'd say

Scrit

 

[jasonB]

May be easier to fit one of these you get the hinges, latch, pole and insulation all in one

If you are planning on buying a loft ladder then all the ones I have fitted come with a latch and pair of hinges.

Jason

 

[andrewm]

Just use 3" butt hinges with a heavy duty touch latch.

I made my hatch out of 2 x 1 par sandwiched between 6mm mdf with polystyrene for insulation. When you fit the hinges the screws go into the wood and not the end grain mdf. What you have to watch with touch latches is that after time they can un-latch on their own and the hatch can come flying down.

May be easier to fit one of these you get the hinges, latch, pole and insulation all in one
Jason

Chipp71970. Did you include any provision for access from the inside so that if the hatch is shut while you are in the loft you can get out?

jasonB. I did look at that but it is not the right size. I suspect that in a new build it is just a case of cutting out the right hole in the plasterboard. But where there is already a hole it will make things more complicated.

Andrew