Deluxe 3.2

Engineered Wood Explained (Man Made Timber)

In this piece will will be telling you a little bit about the most commonly used types of engineered wood.

• PLYWOOD: Plywood is constructed by gluing together layers of veneers. The layers are stuck together using a high quality water proof glue and are heated up and compressed during the gluing process. The grain direction of each veneer is revered on each level, this adds strength to the sheet. Plywood is strong enough to be used as a structural material, it has many applications in construction, such as shuttering.
• MEDIUM DENSITY FIBREBOARD (MDF): MDF is constructed by turning left over wood chippings into dust and combining them with glue and wax, the sheet is then heated up and compressed during the gluing process. MDF cannot be used as a structural material but it has many uses fro indoor application such as furniture making.
• ORIENTED STRAND BOARD (OSB): OSB is constructed using strands of wood, usually a few inches long by a couple of inches wide. The strands are stuck together with a high quality water proof glue and the grain is again reversed for each layer. OSB can also be used for many of the construction applications that plywood can. We use 8 foot by 2 foot tongued and grooved OSB2 for our attic flooring. 
• GLUE LAMINATED TIMBER (GLULAM): GLULAM is constructed of layers and layers of timber glued together with strong water proof glue. They can be made into long robust timbers which can be used as structural supports, both horizontal and vertical. They are also shapable at the manufacturing stage and so can be created curved.
• HARDBOARD: Hardboard is similar to MDF but is much more dense and it is often constructed using no resin. It is often used in furniture making as the back board of cupboards etc. Hardboard is used as the outer skin of the trapdoors of our standard range of folding attic stairs.
• BLOCKBOARD: Blockboard is constructed of a centre of lats of softwood such as pine which are sandwiched between two layers of hardwood veneers. They are then compressed together and glued wit a high quality resin.
• CHIPBOARD: Chipboard is constructed by compressing together timber shavings or sawdust with a resin or glue. Chipboard is generally used because it is cheap but it does not stand up well to moisture, meaning it cannot be used outside.

We hope this was informative for you and if you have any questions, please let us know.

All the best.

The Original Attic Stairs Team.

For safety, we also offer a guard rail to surround the opening from above in the attic.

This is an extremely sturdy rail which offers great protection against a possible fall from the attic. The rail is constructed by welding steel tubing together, it is mounted by fixing the attached brackets to the ceiling joists or to attic flooring. For extra strength and sturdiness we add an additional bracket on each side. The additional strength allows the railing to also be used as a grab rail to aid you when you about to climb onto the ladder from above or when you reach the upper steps when you are climbing up the ladder into the attic. These safety rails are now finished in a black paint.

Pricing is based on the guard rail being installed while we are also installing an attic stairs and/or attic flooring for you, if you would like us to install the guard rail on its own, the price may be increased.

• STURDY SAFETY RAIL
• SUITABLE FOR OPENINGS UP TO 750 MILLIMETRES WIDE
• STEEL CONSTRUCTION

€225

SUPPLIED & FITTED

Different Insulation Types Explained

In this piece will be giving you some information on some of the most commonly used types of insulation. Being Original Attic Stairs will will be focusing primarily on the most common insulation types which are used to insulate an attic or a loft space.

FIBREGLASS. Fibreglass is produced by spinning molten glass into micro fibres. It is likely to be the most commonly used attic insulation, this is largely due to its ready availability and cost effectiveness. DIY installation is relatively easy but it is not a nice material to work with, the fibres get into your pores and can cause skin irritation (a hot shower is the only thing that helps!!). It is also important to avoid breathing in the fibres. Because of this it is very important to wear the appropriate gear i.e. gloves, body suit and mask.

ROCK WOOL. Rock Wool is similar in appearance to fibreglass but is produced using molten rock instead of glass. It is also readily available and cost effective. When comparing it to fibreglass the main pros would be that rock wool is more environmentally friendly (up to 90% recycled content) and has a better fire resistance. On the down side, it is possible for rock wool to foster mould if it gets wet. The same safety gear must be worn, however we find this material more pleasant to work with.

SPRAY FOAM. Liquid spray foam is a very effective insulator which has a very high U value. It is applied using a pump a hose and a spray gun. Whilst being applied the foam expands to 100 times its original size, which helps to ensure no gaps are left. The most common method is to spray between the rafters (compared to insulating between the ceiling joists). The down side to this method of insulation is that it must be carried out using the proper equipment, by a professional. Because of this, it is one of the more expensive options. 

RIGID FOAM. Rigid Foam is ordinarily constructed using polyurethane, polystyrene or polyisocyanates. It is extremely effective as an insulator but it can be arduous to install as each piece has to be cut to fit in between each joist, which makes it awkward to fit around obstacles and into unusually shape spaces . It is again one of the more expensive options.

CELLULOSE. Cellulose insulation is extremely effective as an insulator and is also much more environmentally friendly as it is made of of 100% recycled paper material such as new paper. One downside is that the material is very dusty, another is that it would be the most prone to settling and loosing much of the air within its self (and thus decrease its value as an insulator) over time. It is applied by pumping in the loose material. This method again requires the proper equipment and a trained professional, so it can be costly.

SHEEP WOOL. Sheep wool is also an extremely effective insulator and is extremely environmentally friendly, being a natural product, with no unfortunate by-products of construction. Sheep wool is a great choice for people trying to achieve a low impact building. It is important to note where you are getting your wool from, if it is coming from a few miles away then it virtually is a zero carbon option but if it is being imported from another country then this clearly isn't the case.

So there you have it, there are of course many other options in the world of insulation (we may indeed add some more information to this post in the future) but we do hope the information we did provide was helpful.

All the best from the Original Attic Stairs team.

Ladder Safety

We would like to inform you of the best practices when using some of the most commonly used types of ladders (we have some experience in this area :). This is quite important, as if used incorrectly, ladders can be very dangerous. This is highlighted by the fact that one third of all reported "fall from a height" incidences involve ladders. If you fall from a ladder at any height, the chances of getting injured in some way are very high, serious injuries are common and even death is an actual possibility.

In this piece we will be focusing mainly on step and extension (straight) ladders but if the only need you have for a ladder is to get into your attic / loft, the safest thing you can do is to get professionals like us to install a folding attic ladder unit, which we be solid and safe without having to worry about many of the following safety precautions (although, some of them still apply!).

• CHOOSE THE CORRECT (APPROPRIATE) LADDER FOR THE JOB. This is very important as using the incorrect ladder for a certain job will greatly increase the risk of falling and/or injury. For instance, if you are changing a light bulb, you should use a step ladder or if you want to clear a blockage in your gutter you should use an extension or straight ladder. (And if you want to get into your attic / loft, get Original Attic Stairs to install an appropriate product for you :). This is mainly common sense, but if you are unsure you should always ask someone with experience or at least Google it!
• INSURE THE LADDER IS THE CORRECT HEIGHT FOR THE JOB. Once you have chosen the correct type of ladder for the task you wish to carry out, it is also very important that it is the correct height. Under no circumstances must you overstretch to the point of being off balance while you are on a ladder of any kind. You should not stand on the top two steps of a ladder (with the exception of an attic stairs), this means your ladder must be high enough for you to comfortably reach your work area without standing on eider of the top two steps.
• SET UP THE LADDER CORRECTLY AND APPROPRIATELY. Any ladder needs to be set up facing your work, you should never turn around and lean on a ladder with you back. All ladders (Particularly step ladders) need to be set up on a firm and level base for complete stability. If you are using an extension (straight) ladder you must set it up at the correct angle, the distance from the ground to the ladders point of contact with the wall must be 4 times the distance of the wall to the base of the ladder (4:1 ratio). You should also secure an extension ladder at the top (by tying it to an anchor point) and at the bottom (by securing it with weight etc.)
• INSPECT BEFORE USE. Before using any ladder you must inspect it. You need to look of for excessive ware and damage, such as rust, lose screws and/or rivets and cracks or brakes.
• WEAR WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE JOB. You need appropriate footwear (no sandals or slippers!). Don't wear excessively baggy clothes which could get caught or snagged on a nail or screw. If you are carrying tools you should wear a tool belt so you can have safe access to your hammer etc. 
• MAINTAIN 3 POINTS OF CONTACT. When climbing any ladder you should always maintain 3 points of contact, which means basically that at any given moment you should always have your two feet and one hand on the ladder or two hands and one foot.

We do hope this was helpful. Thanks for your time and climb safe!

The Original Attic Stairs Team.