How to board a loft

Gain the opportunity to insulate your loft further by securely installing loft boards. This easy-to-follow DIY guide shows you how!

Level of difficulty

Level 3: Advanced

What you need

  • Safety goggles
  • Gloves
  • Tape measure
  • Nails
  • Hammer
  • Wall battens
  • Loft boards
  • Saw
  • Insulation (optional)

The steps to follow

  1. Measure the width and length of your loft and multiply the two measurements together to acquire the surface area needed for boarding.
  2. With this dimension, purchase a suitable amount of customised loft boards from your local DIY shop.
  3. Wear safety goggles and gloves before starting this project.
  4. First you'll need to build a frame with joists and battens on the loft area.
  5. Nail a piece of softwood sill to the floor. The softwood sill should be as thick as the loft boards you’re using. The length of the softwood sill should also be the same length as the loft board.
  6. Nail or screw the battens to the wall and ceiling.
  7. If you decide to insulate the loft, you can do it at this stage.
  8. Place the loft board against the frame. Leave about 3 mm from the edge of the wall; this space is left for board expansion.
  9. Check with a spirit level that the loft boards are level.
  10. Secure the loft board on the battens with screws. Finish fitting the boards.
  11. Note that you may need to adjust the size of the last piece of loft board to fit into the remaining spot.

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