Woodies Attic Stairs

Nanoc

Hi All,

I bought an Attic stairs from woodies approximately 2.5 years ago, this year while getting the decorations down the ladder basically came away from the door that it is screwed onto. It gets minimal use obviously as the attic is only for storage. Also my wife and I are way under the allowed 150kg weight!

I presume that woodies would be obliged to replace this as it was not fit for the intended purpose, but would they also be liable to pay for the cost of having a carpenter come out and take out the old and replace with the new?

cheers

homer911

Nanoc wrote: »

Hi All,

I bought an Attic stairs from woodies approximately 2.5 years ago, this year while getting the decorations down the ladder basically came away from the door that it is screwed onto. It gets minimal use obviously as the attic is only for storage. Also my wife and I are way under the allowed 150kg weight!

I presume that woodies would be obliged to replace this as it was not fit for the intended purpose, but would they also be liable to pay for the cost of having a carpenter come out and take out the old and replace with the new?

cheers

Is there anything actually wrong with the ladder apart from the fact that it came away from the door(!?) If not, then its not exactly anything to do with Woodies - contact the person who installed it.

Thoie

Who screwed the ladder onto the door? Did it come already pre-screwed, or did you or someone else do it? If it came pre-screwed then bring it back to them. I don't think they'd be liable for the cost of removal/installation (as it sounds like something designed to do yourself).

D3PO

this. doesn't sound like the ladder is faulty sounds like the way it was fixed was done badly. Either way they would in no way be responsible for the cost of a carpenter coming out to fit a new one.

emeldc

I had one of these fitted a couple of years ago and I think they're a great yoke. Can you put up a picture of where it's broken away so that we're not speculating about who is at fault.

Nanoc

Hi all, sorry I should have clarified its was a pre assembled stira style unit that was installed. This is the style, not sure if its the same one http://www.woodiesdiy.com/Product/Fakro-Loft-Ladder-70cm-x-120cm/11567/6.1.2#.UrDEltJdVFs...

i'll get photos and upload now also

Nanoc

Sorry pics didn't upload last night.

D3PO

so from those pictures theres actually nothing wrong with the ladder its the wood has cracked given away on the attic hatch.

Ive looked at the link you have posted but I cant determine if the hatch is part of the ladder product or not.

Can you clarify is the hatch part of the product as purchased or did you or somebody else attach it to your attic hatch ?

ThisRegard

The hatch and ladder are all the one unit, they're not separate.

We have a similar one that takes a fair bit of abuse on a daily basis, I'll check ours but it looks like the weight of the ladder when down was being supported by the screw on the hatch which may be why it pulled down rather than the floor when the ladded it extended ?

Is the other side the same or is it just that one side ?

Nanoc

It all comes as one unit pre assembled (ladder screwed to door) the other side is pretty much the same but maybe not as bad.

The ladder always went to the floor so I just find it strange how this happened as I agree looks like the screws and brackets were supporting all the weight.

D3PO

Woodies 100% obliged to replace it so (technically could repair but cant see how) they wouldn't be liable for the installation cost though if you decided to get a carpenter to do the same.

ThisRegard

I had a look at ours and it's the same type. There's no pressure on those brackets at all when the ladder is extended, as I said all the weight is on the ladder. Was the ladder trimmed too short maybe ?

D3PO wrote: »

Woodies 100% obliged to replace it so (technically could repair but cant see how) they wouldn't be liable for the installation cost though if you decided to get a carpenter to do the same.

I'm not saying this is the case of the OP, but if it's installed incorrectly and it broke as a result, why would they be liable for a replacement ?

D3PO

ThisRegard wrote: »

I'm not saying this is the case of the OP, but if it's installed correctly and it broke as a result, why would they be liable for a replacement ?

Did you mean to say if it isn't installed correctly ?

How exactly could it be installed incorrectly ? I cannot see how it could be done this way, however if it was possible to do this the onus would be on Woodies to prove it was installed incorrectly and not a product fault and not for the OP to prove otherwise.

ThisRegard

Yeah, fixed that typo now.

It can be installed incorrectly by trimming the ladder too short. When you get one the ladder obviously will be a generic length which you have to trim to height for your installation. The ladder when extended is supposed to basically rest on the ground, so when you use it the force is exerted onto the floor, just as it would when you use a regular ladder.

If cut too short, the force will be pulling on the brackets which are not designed to be load bearing and could eventually just give way.

For Woodie to prove this, I don't think it would be too difficult as there's no other way that I can see for pressure to be put on those brackets.

D3PO

ThisRegard wrote: »

Yeah, fixed that typo now.

It can be installed incorrectly by trimming the ladder too short. When you get one the ladder obviously will be a generic length which you have to trim to height for your installation. The ladder when extended is supposed to basically rest on the ground, so when you use it the force is exerted onto the floor, just as it would when you use a regular ladder.

If cut too short, the force will be pulling on the brackets which are not designed to be load bearing and could eventually just give way.

For Woodie to prove this, I don't think it would be too difficult as there's no other way that I can see for pressure to be put on those brackets.

fair point I don't really know the product but what your saying makes sense.

crystal hedgehog

ThisRegard wrote: »

Yeah, fixed that typo now.

It can be installed incorrectly by trimming the ladder too short. When you get one the ladder obviously will be a generic length which you have to trim to height for your installation. The ladder when extended is supposed to basically rest on the ground, so when you use it the force is exerted onto the floor, just as it would when you use a regular ladder.

If cut too short, the force will be pulling on the brackets which are not designed to be load bearing and could eventually just give way.

For Woodie to prove this, I don't think it would be too difficult as there's no other way that I can see for pressure to be put on those brackets.

Hi,
do you know what could be done if the ladder IS cut too short?We just got one and my Other Half trimmed it a small bit too short,only a matter of MMs but still...! I have been re-framing and re-framing this question into search engines since yesterday but I can't seem to get an answer.It is apparently, a common problem, so we are not the only ones.I can't afford to replace it so any advice will be gratefully received! Thanks.

ScouseMouse

Just an observation. But in those photos there are unused holes in the metal for more bolts. Why is that? could it be bolts are missing which means the single bolt fitted is pivoting and stressing where it is cracked?

If this is correct, did it come like that or were you supposed to fit the bolts?

TerrorFirmer

I think ThisRegard has it exactly right, it looks to me like it was installed incorrectly (too short) and stress was put on the joints that shouldn't have been. Obviously can't say with 100% certainty but I don't think Woodies have anything to answer here, whoever installed it made an error.

BeardySi

crystal hedgehog wrote: »

Hi,
do you know what could be done if the ladder IS cut too short?We just got one and my Other Half trimmed it a small bit too short,only a matter of MMs but still...! I have been re-framing and re-framing this question into search engines since yesterday but I can't seem to get an answer.It is apparently, a common problem, so we are not the only ones.I can't afford to replace it so any advice will be gratefully received! Thanks.

Add something to it - thick rubber or carpet, thin wood etc...

ScumLord

That doesn't look like a fakro, they have a much better mounting bracket. I don't know how an L bracket like that would ever be expected to last. It's doing nothing to spread the forces. It looks more like an optistep which are the cheapest stairs on the market for a reason.

It also doesn't look like it was installed incorrectly either, those extra holes are for moving the ladder away from the trapdoor. They have nothing to do with the screw that failed.

Bring it back to woodies, get a refund and buy something better.

Vic_08

3 year old thread lads.

crystal hedgehog

Thanks,yes I thought that might work. We have some wood that is the exact thickness we need and we'll sort it tomorrow. I was also thinking of investing in mouldable glue,which hardens into rubber but we'll see.

bobster453

I remember when I was a Store Manager with them there were awful problems with these collapsing while people were on them. Something about the frame wasn't made or attached properly. Personally oversaw at least 4 being changed to newer models. One or two court cases too for injuries sustained.