We all keep all kinds of things in our lofts. But while it is nice to have the convenience of a loft ladder to go up and down, it isn’t always easy to bring items up and down as well.
This time of year might bring this fact home to a lot of people – particularly those with young children. This is because the loft or attic is the ideal place to hide away all those Christmas presents that the kids are waiting for. Not all of them can be trusted not to go hunting for them before the big day!
But you need to be careful when taking them up to the loft or bringing them back down. Don’t do it on your own if you can help it because it can be very difficult to do so safely. It isn’t too bad if you have a light carrier bag with things in it, because you can hook it around your hand or wrist as you climb up or down. But what about coping with boxes?
The best bet in this case is to go up into the attic and then lay down so you can drop your arms through the loft hatch. Someone downstairs can then hand the box up to you. They may need to go a couple of steps up the ladder to do it, but that will be enough to do the job.
The key part to remember is the weight of the item or items you are taking up there or bringing down. Don’t make it too heavy – split things up into different loads if you can to make the job easier. And there is nothing worse than getting a bag or box stuck in the hole as you try and manoeuvre it into the loft itself!
In short, the key point is to make sure you have help and you also have plenty of time. Trying to rush to hide everything before the kids get home from school is a recipe for disaster. Take your time and always evaluate the situation before you try to move anything.
Sometimes it might be easier to find another hiding place for presents rather than trying to get them up into the loft. And don’t forget you will need to get them back down again as well, so figure out in advance when you can do this without the kids catching you!