Inspection Pit Covers

[ALAN COCHRANE]

I’m about to have a new garage built complete with inspection pit.
The garage will have storage for at least three “wide” modern cars and possibly four classics. It would be a real advantage if the pit cover was strong enough to drive over and also have the wheels resting on the covers depending on how the cars are parked.
All advice gratefully received.

[Gfhug]

Alan, do you have height for a four post lift, even a low rise one? Might be cheaper and give you an extra space to park one car above another. A friend fitted a low rise in his garage and now has one E parked above another and can use it for working on the car. Just a thought. Otherwise railway sleepers would be strong enough? But anything strong enough will be heavy to lift out of the way.

Good luck

Geoff

[malcolm]

I had a similar garage with a pit at my last house.

The pit was simply covered by wooden beams laid latitudinally across the pit, from top to bottom. The beams were like cut-down railway sleepers (you can get from a reclamation yard) about 4 feet long, 5 inches wide, 3 inches deep (by rough memory!) there was a narrow shelf cut into the edge of the pit for the beams to rest on. Easy to lift out one at a time, but could have parked a lorry on them.

[chrisfell]

Railway sleepers?

[tim wood]

I’m sure that you have it thought about but consider the issue of petrol and other vapour in the pit and maybe the issue of getting out in the event of a problem.

Personally I would go for the lift. ( not likely to be a problem for me as I don’t have room !)

[ALAN COCHRANE]

Thanks for the advice.
The garage is being built into the hillside at the rear of the house. The result is that the internal height will only be 2.4m so a 4 post lift will not be an option.
In any case my existing tandem garage has both a pit and lift with enough height to stack two cars if required. The pit is covered by 4x2 planks sitting in recesses running along both sides. Unfortunately these aren't strong enough to support a car without the addition of acro props. This is not an issue since the garage is only 9 feet wide. The pit is only 8 feet long and so always seems to be too short when working under a car.
I'd also thought of railway sleepers or 4x4 planks which should be strong enough to support a car. I'm hoping the new garage, with an internal size of 20' deep x 27'wide, will allow cars to be parked long ways if desired. Hence the need for the pit cover being able to support a car.

[Polse7317]

Hi Alan that's what i have done and i am happy with it

[dlgis]

I bought some new oak sleepers, 8” x 4” x 2m for £25 each. These could be sawn into 2 x 1m lengths and slot nicely over a pit.

[abowie]

While wood is nice, it's pretty heavy per unit of load bearing, and I bet an 8x4" piece of oak (or even pine) a metre long are going to be pretty heavy and hard on the back (and fingers).

I'd be looking to see if you can find a galvanised steel C channel of the right dimensions. Your engineer should be able to tell you what spec you need and they should be lighter than wood. Additionally you should be able to stack them "into" each other which will minimise clutter.

[chrisfell]

Wood has a district advantage over almost any other material when used as a pit cover.

It absorbs oil.

Not only that, but the oil dripping into the wood helps to prevent rot. Win/win.

Except of course as already mentioned, they are heavy.

[mgcjag]

Just google pit covers.....lots of options....im sure your pit "supplier/builder" can supply purpose made solutions...Steve

[PeterCrespin]

I dug a pit in the Buxton workshop I built into a raised bank.

Wood is extremely stiff for its weight (on a par with steel depending on grades). It was a comparatively narrow pit to accommodate old narrow vehicles. The unsupported span was of course considerably shorter than the timber length, and you’d only ever have one wheel supported If its narrower than the track.

My problem was slow seepage at the joint between the bottom poured membrane slab and the water resistant concrete walls. Because the pit wasn’t used all the time it was a pain to find a couple inches of water and drop a spanner if you tried working on raised wood. If I ever did one again I’d use a one-piece fibreglass liner.

[Polse7317]

Hi Alan , if you are on the pit: make a good ladder with flat steps it's so easy to use when you have tools , oil pan, or beer in the hands...!
Yes the timbers are quite heavy but i take off only some of them when i use the pit . Drill at each end 2 holes for your fingers and at each edge timber i fitted a solid string more easy and quick for the first move

I also have fixed two solid wheel stop on the ground so no problem with the wall .... just in case ! and i know what timber i have to move for acces for oil or wheels ETC...

[ALAN COCHRANE]

Peter

I had exactly the same problem with my existing pit. 2 inches of water pools in the bottom every so often. I suspected the tanking had failed but now think it may be damp air condensing in the bottom of the pit where it's coldest. I seem to have solved it by installing a panel heater controlled by a temperature switch set to 7 degrees C. It might be worth considering this option.
I will also have this new pit built with a sump and a 4" waste outlet in the wall to allow easy draining via a pump. No more scooping water into a tall bucket with a sump pump inside.

Yves

I have done the things you suggest - The pit cover battens are connected together in groups of four with a key hole in each to allow them to be lifted by a "lid lifter" key.
My access ladder descends vertically and is bolted to one end wall -works well and minimises the space lost.

[abowie]

Peter

I had exactly the same problem with my existing pit.

Move to South Australia. Driest state in the driest continent. Water won't trouble you.

[bitsobrits]

Okay, but about those snakes....

[malcolm]

and spiders........

[malcolm]

and sharks.......

[Series1 Stu]

None of them are problems. The crocodiles ate them all.........