WARRANTY STATEMENT
Your New Build Warranty and Raised Loft Storage Systems
We are often asked “does installing Loft Leg XL in our loft invalidate our warranty?” We have discussed this issue at length with the leading UK warranty providers and consulted Chartered Structural Engineers to ensure we can provide the best possible advice to our customers. It is also important to clarify that this statement applies to all correctly installed raised loft storage systems.
The common response is that installing a raised loft storage system does not invalidate your warranty, but any defects found to result from the installation of any system (such as condensation or structural damage etc.) after the house has been built would not be covered by the warranty. Therefore homeowners install at their own risk. This applies to any changes made to the building after the warranty period has begun.
Structural engineers, warranty providers and the British Standards controlling the design of ceiling supports and structures confirm that where access to a loft space is provided, structural design is required. This must take into account live loading on ceiling joists for the purposes of occasional entry and maintenance and a normal live load allowance (in acknowledgement that homeowners are liable to place light, miscellaneous and infrequently used items in the loft area). More specifically the British Standard (BS 6399-1:1996*) states that if access is provided, the truss must be designed to carry a 25Kg/m2 loading for storage and a 90Kg load to account for a person accessing and moving around the loft.
A correctly installed and loaded Loft Leg XL raised loft storage system will not create structural or condensation issues.
We can therefore confirm that if loft access is provided a correctly installed and loaded Loft Leg XL raised loft storage system will not invalidate the warranty.
Indeed leading UK developers such as Barrett Homes, Taylor Wimpey, Redrow, Bellway, Keepmoat Homes, Vistry, Persimmon and Storey Homes are installing Loft Leg XL as part of the house build to provide safe access to equipment located in the loft space.
*Extract from BS 6399-1:1996
5.2 Ceiling Supports and similar structures
The following loads are appropriate for the design of frames and covering of access hatches (other than glazing), supports of ceilings and similar structures:
a) without access: no imposed load: or
b) with access: 0.25KN/m² uniformly distributed over the whole area and a concentrated load of 0.9KN so placed as to produce the maximum effect in the supporting members