If you have put boards down in the loft to allow you to move about more easily, it would also be an idea to maximise its potential as a storage area. The simple addition of a shelf along the rafters will set up a long narrow storage space for seasonal items such as skis, the Christmas tree, tent poles or fishing rods.

You may already have, lying around in the loft, some materials that will make this a very low cost project. A length of sturdy chipboard, wood or thick plywood for example will be ideal as the ‘floor’ of your storage space.

Measure the distance along the top of the collar tie between the rafters. Measure from the wall forward to the nearest set of rafters to place the tie with enough room to hold the items you are planning to store there.

Cut to the length of the span of the collar tie you just measured a piece of three quarter by two and a quarter inch strip of wood. Trim both edges to match the angle of the existing rafters. Fasten this to the rafters using wood glue and one and a quarter inch screws. Repeat the process for each set of rafters along the length of the intended storage area and secure a length of wood to the wall at the same height as the rafters’ strips.

Finally, cut the ‘floor’ piece to the appropriate length and secure it to the strips using glue and screws.