DIY observation pit

Many garage owners try to equip them with maximum functionality. This is not just a place where the car is stored, they make cellars, store things, someone even equips the living room. And for motorists who prefer to serve their car independently, a observation pit is needed in the garage. It is about how to do it correctly, and will be discussed in the article.

Content:

Before asking the question of how to make an observation pit in the garage, you should think about that, is it necessary to do this at all? And if this question did not even arise about this 20 years ago (the pit was considered a definite advantage), then with the development of the STO network, a category of car owners appeared, who claim to see no sense in the observation pit. Why spend time and time on an independent inspection and repair of the car, if they can do it in a specialized service, quickly and efficiently?
The second argument against the pit is called wet evaporation, which will rise from it in one way or another, forming condensate on the surface of the car and thereby exposing its bottom of corrosion.
Naturally, many people will agree with such statements, especially since of course, there is a share of truth in them. But a sufficient number of completely justified facts can be brought into a refutation.

Advantages of the observation pit in the garage

First about the economic side of the issue. Of course, this is wonderful when you can give your car to proven, professional hands and get back after a short time, completely ready for further operation. And even better, when the account for such quick and high -quality service will not be hit.
But unfortunately, in such a difficult time, as now, to expect that the money for car repair will be found in any case, quite frivolous. Therefore, it is recommended to acquire an observation pit, if there is such an opportunity. This is a kind of guarantee that an elementary inspection to your car, if necessary, can be carried out independently, and in fairly comfortable conditions.
In fairness, it is worth noting that not everyone who has an expensive car and funds for its maintenance disdain to look under the body on their own. For many car owners, this is even a pleasure and a kind of hobby.

Regarding wet fumes, this conclusion can be attributed more to exaggeration. Although, of course, this problem exists, especially in heated garages. But this tightly adjacent cover over the pit will solve this problem by almost 100%. In addition, the car clearly will not stand in one place in the garage for several years (in this case, of course, corrosion cannot be avoided), and wet weather on the street spoils the bottom no worse than dampness in the room.
Of course, the ideal option when the garage area allows the car to periodically stand in another place.

When the arrangement of the observation pit in the garage is impossible

Of course, not every garage can be equipped with an observation pit. And this possibility, first of all, depends on the level of groundwater. If it is above 2 meters, then the pit will be impractical, as it will be filled with water. Even with quite critical indicators, this problem can be solved by making the correct drainage system of the garage and good waterproofing of the pit itself.

Drainage is a very subtle question, so only knowledgeable people should deal with it at the stage of construction of the garage. If you try to recreate this system in an existing building, then this will result in a very troublesome, expensive and most importantly not always effective process.
So, if an indicator of groundwater levels under an existing garage suggests that it is better to refuse the device of the observation pit, then it is worth listening to this hint. In extreme cases, you can try to equip a lying pit as a small alternative to a full -fledged one.
You can check the level of groundwater by inviting the relevant specialists. If there is no desire to be spent on their services, then it is allowed to check on their own, though it will take much more time. Everything is very simple: having dug a pit under the pit, you should not immediately concrete it, but having waited for the flood season or just heavy rain, to evaluate its consequences.

Overfield sizes

In fact, this, at first glance, a simple device as an observation pit, has quite a lot of options, in addition to the standard one. For example:

combined with the basement (cellar);
narrow when a conventional ladder is often used for its operation;
already mentioned above, lying.

And each of these pits has many subspecies. The dimensions of a full -fledged observation pit in the garage can also vary. It all depends on the person with which parameters will use it and the dimensions of which car will be placed above it. If there can be many users and cars, then it is worth proceeding from these calculations:

width of at least 80 cm, optimally 1 meter;
depth 1, 80 2 meters. This is the most difficult indicator depending on human height. The best option is when the depth of the pit exceeds the height by 10-15 cm;
the length is usually 2 meters.

Starting work on the planning of the pit, it must be borne in mind that these indicators are only a guideline for the pit. In practice, digging it up 40-50 cm for length and width, and 20-25 cm to the depth. If the plans are planning the walls of the walls, then the dimensions of the pit will have to be increased by the width of the insulation (as a rule, this is 50 mm).

How to make an observation pit in the garage

Floor arrangement in the observation pit

After the pit with the necessary parameters is dug, it is necessary to deal with the floor of the future pit. A competent and thorough approach to this construction stage is a guarantee that problems with dampness can be avoided. In particular, from the very beginning it is worth remembering that ventilation is very necessary for the observation pit. To do this, in the floor you need to leave a hole through which underground, and then on its surface (20 cm), remove a special flexible air duct hose. Be sure to make a lid on it.
First prepare a pillow under concrete. It is two layers consisting of 10 cm gravel and 5 cm of sand, each of which must be thoroughly aligned and tamped.
Then the surface is lubricated with clay and placed a layer of waterproofing (about which material to choose below).
The next step is the laying of reinforcement and directly concreting.
After the concrete dries, it is necessary to lay another layer of waterproofing and only then proceed to the finish, or prepare the base for the insulation.
But someone prefers to go lighter and the floor in the observation pit lays out of brick. But this is rational only if groundwater is located very deeply, since it will not work to make high -quality waterproofing.

Materials for waterproofing the observation pit

There are now a lot of waterproofing materials on the market, each of them has to varying degrees certain qualities. But which one to choose for the observation pit? On the one hand, the material should effectively cope with its functions, because, as already mentioned, the pit carries a very strong load in terms of an excess of humidity, on the other hand, it should be in an accessible price segment.

Guided by these considerations, the following can be distinguished from the whole variety of materials:

polymer membrane, single -layer (from 1.5 to 2.00 mm) and two -layer (maximum 3.10 mm). Very durable and persistent material. But at the same time the most expensive. Rather, the membrane itself is not expensive, but the work on its installation, which requires certain skills and tools;

bitumen, or rather bitumen materials (roofing material, for example) and bitumen lubricant. In contrast to the polymers, these materials are the most inexpensive and easy to install, but at the same time their maximum service life does not exceed 20 years. It is quite possible to conduct waterproofing them on their own. The material is sold in rolls, it can be cut to the desired size and glued with an overlap of 15 cm. The joints are glued either by heating or using a bitumen solvent;
waterproofing lubricant. It can become alternative options for two of the above methods. This is modern, relatively inexpensive, and, most importantly, easy to apply material. The main thing is to apply grease on a wet surface, then it will completely soak the concrete and will perfectly protect from the excess of moisture.

How to insulate the observation hole

The insulation of the observation pit is done quite rarely. And, it should be noted, in vain. If there is time and material opportunity, this procedure should be carried out, especially if the entire garage is heated. This will help minimize heating costs that increase from a sharp temperature difference.
The insulation is glued directly to concrete or brick, then the walls and floor can be subjected to finish.
And, if for waterproofing in the choice of a particular material you can doubt, then as a heater all professional builders will call one optimal option for polystyrene foam. It is only necessary to take into account its labeling, put on the floor PSB-S-35, on the walls-PSB-S-25.

The construction of the walls of the observation pit

There are two popular solutions - concreting and brickwork. If desired, both options can be subjected to decorative decoration, plastered, laying tiles or fiberglass.

Preparatory work for concrete and brick is required and look the same. The walls should be covered with a layer of clay, laid a dense film on it, then install the formwork 10-15 cm thick.

At this stage, it is necessary to provide for two important points:

a safety rail, the function of which to prevent the possible hit of the car wheel into the hole. She will also prevent moisture from entering the wheel into the pit. It is a bar in the form of a letter T of metal, which is attached to the formwork flush with the floor and acts as a support for the cover of the pit;
the protrusions and niches in the wall that will serve as shelves for tools and other necessary things. How conveniently this will be evaluated during the first operation of the pit for its intended purpose.

Lighting in the observation pit

Even those who are unanimous in the fact that the observation pit in the garage is a very necessary thing, find a reason for disputes, the brightest of which is the issue of lighting. Does it need it in the observation pit?

Many people say that it is quite possible to do with carrying or using a lamp with a powerful battery. But, based on considerations about the level of comfort, when arranging a pit about its internal lighting, it is still worth thinking.
True, here it is necessary to take into account the norms of SNiP, which say that the voltage in the outlet inside the observation pit should not exceed 36 V. Under such voltage, special lamps exist. But the standard 220 B is categorically contraindicated, because They may threaten life.

The cover of the observation pit

The final, but also a very important stage. As a rule, a wood with a thickness of 50 mm is used for the lid, although 35 mm may well, because The boards will still not experience large loads, but they will raise them a little easier.

The holes on the pit, in addition to standard folding, can be of several types that depend on what the surface of the pit is endured:

if this is a metal corner, then the cover can be made of several (3-4) shields, in the lower part of which small rollers are attached on the strips of metal. They help shields to shift. Each shield, in turn, consists of wooden strips, 30-35 mm wide;
if two corners cooked among themselves are attached along the contour of the pit, then the cover can be made of two large shields located at different levels. On a movable shield, you need to install videos, and restraints along the edge of the planks. This allows you to easily open only half of the pit, moving one shield;
the lid, which opens according to the principle of the rolllet, is made as follows. Boards are taken with a thickness of 35-40 mm and a length corresponding to the width of the pit. On each board, in both ends, grooves are made in which a metal cable is threaded. The springs are mounted between the bar and the cable, this will contribute to the mobility of the structure. The cable is fixed on the last board, and on the opposite, from the other end, a pen is placed. It is worth pulling it a little and you can open the pit to any size. Such a lid is very convenient, but requires processing by waterproofing impregnation, otherwise it will be short -lived.

A little more in favor of the observation pit

From all of the above, it becomes clear that the creation of a viewing pit with your own hands is additional costs both in the finished garage and in its construction.
But, calculating losses, it is worth considering that such an option as the observation pit at times increases the cost of the building as a whole, if it needs to be sold. In addition, in engineering documentation, the pit can not be mentioned.

Wide hole video

The benefit of the self -repair of the car was mentioned above, but you can step further by organizing a small hundred in the garage. Some, prolonging the hole in the basement, are tired in the latter, a full -fledged workshop, which, in addition to financial profit, significantly saves a place in the garage. The entrance to such a basement can be made both from the observation pit and from the side, then the car standing in the garage will not be an obstacle for any movement.

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