# Aluminium loft ladders > Aluminium loft ladders fitted across Cambridgeshire. The light, strong, everyday choice, rated to 200kg, with the hatch enlarged if yours is too small. Source: https://completeloftservices.co.uk/loft-ladders/aluminium/ Generated: 2026-09-21 --- - [Home](/) - [Loft ladders](/loft-ladders/) - Aluminium # Aluminium loft ladders The one most houses end up with, and for good reason. Light enough to pull down with one hand, strong enough that nobody thinks about it again, and it will outlast the carpet on your landing. [Book a free survey](#enquire) [How it compares](#compare) ## When this is the right one We fit all four types, so nothing here is a push towards the one in the van. Aluminium wins most surveys on plain practicality, and these are the reasons it does. [All four types](/loft-ladders/) - ### You use the loft a few times a year Christmas, suitcases, the spare duvet. An aluminium ladder is the least fuss for the least money and it does not complain about being ignored for months. Fit - ### You want it to feel solid Metal does not flex the way people expect. The rungs stay where they are and the frame does not creak, which is most of what makes a ladder feel safe. Feel - ### Nobody in the house loves ladders A wide rung, a handrail at the top and a proper angle turn the loft from a job into an errand. Who ## What it means for your hatch Aluminium ladders come in a range of sizes and the sections fold or slide, so the opening they need varies by model more than any other type. That is good news if your hatch is an awkward size: there is usually something that fits without touching the ceiling. If the opening genuinely is too small, enlarging it is a morning of joinery, a new lining and a bit of plastering, quoted on its own line and shown on the price list. Hatches and enlarging an opening ## What it is like to live with A ladder is a thing you use for ninety seconds at a time, twice a year. These are the ninety seconds. - ### Light to pull down You are lifting aluminium, not oak. Anyone in the house can do it without bracing themselves against the wall. - ### Cold underfoot in socks Metal rungs in January are metal rungs in January. A minor thing, but people notice it, and it is the usual reason someone picks timber instead. - ### It does not swell or warp Lofts get damp and cold. Aluminium does not care, which is why it stays smooth to operate years later. - ### Rated to 200kg The metal ranges are rated at 200kg maximum loading, comfortably more than a person plus a box of books. ## How the four compare Where aluminium sits against the other three, on the makers' own published numbers. Use it to sanity check any quote, ours included. Type Smallest opening published Reaches Rated load Landing needed Aluminium Varies by model, measured at the survey Up to 3.58m on the tallest models 200kg maximum loading About 128cm of landing for a folding ladder Telescopic From 520 x 600mm Up to 2.6m 150kg, the standard minimum Least of the four, it collapses into itself Timber From 1110 x 550mm Up to 2.80m 160kg per step About 128cm of landing Electric From 750 x 530mm made to measure Up to 4.6m 200kg per step About 150cm, it drops almost straight down Published manufacturer figures, read September 2026: the timber and metal ranges via [Fakro](https://www.fakro.co.uk/products/all-products/loft-ladders/metal-folding-section-loft-ladders/) and [Premier Loft Ladders](https://www.premierloftladders.co.uk/product-range/wooden-loft-ladders/lwk/), the concertina figures from the [Supreme](https://www.premierloftladders.co.uk/product-range/aluminium-loft-ladders/supreme-loft-ladder/) and [Piccolo](https://www.premierloftladders.co.uk/product-range/aluminium-loft-ladders/piccolo-loft-ladder/), the telescopic minimum opening from [Loftshop](https://www.loftshop.co.uk/products/loft-ladders/aluminium-steel-loft-ladders/Telesteps-Telescopic-Loft-Ladder), and the landing figures from [Fakro's own guide](https://www.fakro.co.uk/blog/how-to-choose-a-loft-ladder/). The exact ladder we fit depends on what your supplier stocks, and we measure your loft before we quote. ## Questions about aluminium loft ladders **Will an aluminium ladder take my weight and what I am carrying?** The metal folding ranges are rated at 200kg maximum loading, which is a person plus whatever they can sensibly carry up through a hatch. We tell you the rating of the exact ladder we quote rather than leaving you to assume. **Is it noisy?** Less than people expect. The noise usually comes from a worn slide or a frame that was never fixed square, both of which are fitting problems rather than ladder problems. **Can I have a handrail?** Yes, and on a steep drop we will suggest one. It costs little and it is the difference between climbing confidently and climbing carefully. **What if my hatch is tiny?** Then we either find a model that fits it or enlarge the opening. Plenty of Cambridgeshire houses have hatches built for a head and a torch, and it is a normal part of the job. ## The other three If your landing is tight or your ceiling is high, one of these will suit you better, and we fit all of them. [Boarding the loft](/loft-boarding/) while we are up there saves a second visit. - [TelescopicFor a tight landing](/loft-ladders/telescopic/) - [TimberWarmer, and quieter underfoot](/loft-ladders/timber/) - [ElectricDown at the touch of a button](/loft-ladders/electric/) ## Book a free survey this week It takes about twenty minutes and you get a written price with nothing hidden in it. If the job is not worth doing, we will tell you that too. [01223 000 000](tel:01223000000)