Loft Ladders for Keeping Homes Cool in Summer
Did you know that an insulated and airtight loft ladder can keep your home cooler during the summer?
In exactly the same way that an insulated loft ladder can keep a home warm during the winter months, it can also help keep a home cool during the summer. Especially during a heat wave.
The insulation in a loft hatch provides a barrier to heat. Therefore, it helps keep heat in the loft and stop it from entering your home. As such, it is important to check a loft ladder’s ‘U-value’. The lower the U-value, the better insulation.
The other important feature to consider is an airtight seal. A loft ladder with an airtight seal will stop hot air flowing through any gaps in the loft hatch. This is a particular problem for properties that have air conditioning. Some air conditioning units (especially single-hose units) create a vacuum within the room they are being used. As a result, warm air will be drawn into the room. Therefore, a leaky loft hatch will suck in hot air from the loft, resulting in the air conditioning unit having to work much harder.
What are the best loft ladders for a cool home?
The best loft ladders for maintaining a cool home during the summer will be those offering the best thermal insulation and an airtight seal. As such, consider loft ladders designed for Passive House (Passivhaus) buildings. These offer certified thermal performance and an airtight seal. They are also designed to prevent thermal bridging.
Klimatec 160 Passivhaus certified loft ladder.
Our recommend loft ladders for a cool home…
To help keep your home cool throughout the summer and during a heat wave, we recommend the Designo wooden loft ladder (especially the Passivhaus certified version), the Klimatec 160 or the Ecco. Details of these can be found below.
Designo Passive House
- Passive House certified wooden loft ladder
- High energy efficiency of 0.63 W/m2K
- 6-point locking mechanism for an airtight seal (Class 4)
- High strength loft ladder – load capacity of 180 kg per step
- Available in standard sizes or made-to-measure to meet your exact specification
Klimatec 160
- Passive House certified steel loft ladder
- Excellent energy efficiency of 0.34 W/m2K
- Fire rated – certified to 30 minutes (EI230)
- Load capacity of 250kg per step
- Available in standard sizes or made-to-measure to meet your exact specification
Ecco
- Space-saving concertina loft ladder for small ceiling openings
- Ease-of-use, lightweight & durable aluminium ladder
- Well insulated hatch (U-value: 0.77 W/m2K)
- 4-point locking trapdoor for an airtight seal (Class 4)
- Available made-to-measure
Read our guide for more information about insulated loft hatches and ladders…
…or contact us to discuss your requirements.
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