Made to Measure Loft Hatch – Insulated & Air Tested
Product details
Made to your opening, to the millimetre
A loft hatch is the weakest point in an insulated ceiling. A standard hatch dropped into a non-standard opening leaves a gap, and that gap carries warm air into the loft for the life of the building. This one is made to the size you give us, so there is nothing to pack out and nothing to make good.
Maximum size 1100 × 950mm. Handmade in the UK.
Specification
- Insulation — 50mm mineral wool. U-value 0.32 W/m²K.
- Airtightness — tested at 0.23 m³/m/hr at 50 Pa [insert test report ref].
- Door and frame — 1mm Zintec steel, powder coated in 20% white gloss (RAL 9010).
- Ceiling protrusion — 7mm. Hinges and fixings are concealed.
- Depth above the ceiling — 63mm standard; 30mm where either dimension is under 450mm.
- Weight — approximately 6-12kg.
- Insulation environmental data — zero GWP, CFC and HCFC free.
Both lock types run a cam that pulls the door onto the seal as it closes, which is what the airtightness figure depends on.
How to measure
Measure the distance between your ceiling joists in millimetres and deduct 5mm. That is the size to order. The 5mm takes up the out-of-square you get in almost every opening.
The outer frame then sits on the ceiling and adds 25mm on every side, or 50mm if you choose the wider frame option. All four sides are the same width — the frame cannot be made wider on one side than another.
Locks
- Tri-Drive — the standard fitting. An O-ring seal at the lock gives the tightest closure, and the opening pole is supplied free.
- Key lockable — for lofts that need to be secured. The opening pole cannot be used with this lock.
If the hinge side is longer than 750mm, specify two locks. A single lock on a long door leaves the far corner of the seal under less pressure than the rest.
Options
- 50mm frame — a wider face, useful where the ceiling around the opening is damaged or where you want more cover over an untidy edge.
- Silver insulation cover — a faced cover over the mineral wool. Supplied uncovered as standard.
- Second lock — see above.
Fitting
Fixings and step-by-step instructions are in the box. The frame screws into the surrounding timber.
The door sits slightly proud on the lock side when new. That is the seal under compression, and it settles back over the first few months.
Delivery and returns
Made to order, in the lead time shown above, free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes. Lead times are working days and exclude weekends and bank holidays.
This hatch is made to your dimensions and cannot be returned.
Is this fire rated?
No. The SDS is an insulated, air-tested hatch and carries no fire rating. If the ceiling forms part of a compartment — a loft conversion, a flat, anything where building control is looking at compartmentation — you need a rated hatch instead. We make those to size as well: SDS-FR, 1 hour, up to 900 × 600mm, and SDS-FR-OS-90, 90 minutes, up to 900 × 900mm.
Reviews
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Great buy/quality and service, although standard lock could do with an upgrade as it often overrides the lock position.
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I was looking for a loft solution for our 1930s build and found the SDS Made To Measure hatch. The customer services team were really helpful in finding the right product and how best to work with the lath and plaster so that the hatch fitted flush against the ceiling. The hatch turned up earlier than expected and fitted without any problems. We now have a great insulating hatch that has made a real difference to the warmth of our landing. Great product and service.
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Easily the best loft hatches I fit. This is probably the 5th made to measure hatch I have ordered. Dead easy to fit. Great closing mechanism and they look great when installed. Highly recommended.
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Came two days before delivery was expected, was well packaged. It took longer to get the old fittings out and off the rafters than it did to fit this hatch. I used 3 plaster board lifters I have (B&Q £15) to steady the hatch in place and it just slipped straight into the opening with ease. Good measurements are essential. Well worth that bit extra £ for this finish than messing and angling with wood hatching, lot lighter too. The pole was forgotten on my order but one email to the company and it was sent immediately and arrived next day with no hassle. Hatch has 3 fixing holes per side and I added a few more for the hell of it. The 25mm frame helps the ceiling finish, so if you have ceiling blemishes around the hatch as I did with plasterboard showing then the 50mm frame might save you a heap of time. Not often I review a product like this but I have absolutely no complaints and far more importantly nor does my wife, excellent product and firm. Buy with confidence.
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The sevice was exemplary: the hatchway came on time, was well made and correctly sized. the finish was very good. My one concern is the lock and opening arrange,ment: the lock is takes time to getting used to, and it is not always clear that it is locked in the closed position: there is a risk that it could fall open unexpectedly. The rod 'key' used to open the lock and lower the hatch is flimsy and will wear quickly, and possibly break.
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Excellent product, value for money, service and company to deal with.
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I have bought numerous loft hatches from this company and have found them to be of exceptional quality. They are very well made and come with their own operating pole. I always recommend paying a little extra and having the silver cover over the insulation on the back of the loft hatch. Be mindful of you are buying one to replace an existing loft hatch as the standard ones come with a 25mm trim, I usually upgrade to the 50mm trim. An option for a 75mm trim would be welcome for me if I was adding a slight negative. Brilliant product, highly recommend. Ben
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I ordered 2 of these hatches for an extension I have just had built. I was planning to make my own, but I I so glad I decided to buy these instead. They are really well constructed to the exact dimensions. Very easy to install, I did mine on my own in a few minutes. And they look really nice. Strongly recommended and worth the money.
Specification
- Frame style
- Picture Frame
- Fire rating
- Non Fire Rated
- Material
- Zintec Steel, white finish
- Frame width
- 25 or 50mm
- Wall or ceiling
- Ceiling Only
- Insulated option
- 0.32 U Value