The optimal width of the inspection hole in the garage. Inspection hole in the garage. How to ventilate a viewing hole in a garage

Inspection hole in the garage it helps out many car enthusiasts; with its help you can carry out minor repairs and maintenance, carry out a detailed inspection of the lower part of the car, and diagnose the chassis. But in order to make a hole correctly, it is necessary to fulfill some conditions: certain order performance of work.

If the inspection pit (IP) is not made according to the rules, it will be inconvenient to use, it may flood with water, and it is unlikely to last long. In the article we will look at what criteria should be followed when creating a strategic language, the procedure, necessary materials, tool, existing technologies construction.

Where to start making a viewing hole

Any structure always begins with calculations; before starting to dig a pit, it is necessary to determine in advance:

dimensions;
the place where the pit will be located;
materials used (brick or concrete).

It should be said that it is easier to make SYA when there is no garage, and it is only in the project, especially in cases where groundwater are located at a depth higher underground than 2.5 m, since in this case drainage work is required. If the waters lie too high under ready-made garage, you may have to abandon the inspection hole, since drainage will be very problematic.

So, first we decide on the sizes:

length - usually taken about one meter longer than a standard car. If the garage is intended for the repair and maintenance of passenger cars, it means typical size 4.5 m, which means the length of the pit should be approximately 5.5 meters;
width – should not be too small, it is necessary that an adult can fit comfortably in the SA, it cannot be wide, otherwise not everyone passenger car will be able to drive into a hole without the risk of falling down and going off the track. Usually the width is 0.75-0.8 m, this is the most typical size;
depth - calculated taking into account the height of an adult man (170-180 cm) plus a margin for convenient inspection and repair (15-20 cm), typical pit depth is 1.85-2.00 m.

In general, builders always try to dig the SJ a little deeper - reducing the depth is quite easy with the help of stands and laying an additional layer of material at the bottom. But it is difficult to deepen the hole, since you have to destroy the bottom layer, re-lay the floor, and carry out hydro- and thermal insulation.

You can make a pit of various designs with your own hands:

ordinary, with a floor and reinforced walls;
with niches in which you can lay out tools and small parts removed from the machine;
with a cellar for household or household needs.

The pit is always dug with a reserve not only in depth, but also in width and height, since it is necessary to expect that all surfaces will be reinforced with concrete or brick, waterproofing will have to be done, ideal It would be nice to provide thermal insulation as well.

How to make a floor in a garage pit

Having made a drawing of the hole, you can start digging it, but if there is already a concrete floor in the garage, it will have to be cut and partially removed, for this you will need Circular Saw with stone discs, a jackhammer, in extreme cases, you can use a hammer drill with a chisel. The future hole is marked with chalk, and a corner is used to create straight lines.

When digging a hole of the required size, we use a construction indicator or a plumb line; it is necessary that the walls are level, and the earth should be taken immediately outside the garage. Then we work closely on the floor in the garage pit, creating a support-pillow at the bottom:

we post it even layer crushed stone (approximately 5-10 cm thick);
tamp, pour a layer of sand;
Cover the top of the “layer cake” with clay and lay roofing felt;
for strength we place reinforcement on top;
Fill the resulting structure with concrete mortar and let it dry.

Concrete can be made from various components and in different proportions, the most classic mixture composition is three parts construction sand and one part dry cement. A layer of waterproofing is laid on top of the concrete, all sorts of options are also possible here, there are several recipes. After the waterproofing layer, it will not be superfluous to take care of thermal insulation; usually sheet foam is used for these purposes. Then the entire structure is re-filled with concrete (layer 15-20 mm); after installation, it is necessary for the solution to dry thoroughly.

Laying out pit walls

When forming the side surfaces of the clay, the first layer of clay is applied to the walls, then a polyethylene film is fixed on it, and roofing felt is spread. As in the floor option, a waterproofing coating is also provided here; the material can be single-layer or multi-layer polymer plates, bitumen, liquid rubber, mineral mixtures, and so on. If thermal insulation is needed, we lay polystyrene foam; it is important to carefully treat all joints and seams during hydro- and thermal insulation; it is necessary to ensure tightness. When laying walls with concrete you must:

make formwork, it is made of wooden blocks, plywood or edged boards;
perform reinforcement before pouring steel mesh with a rod diameter of 10-12 mm;
pour in concrete mortar, after it has completely dried, remove the formwork;
if necessary, make niches in the walls.

If lighting is provided in the pit, care must be taken to lay internal wiring, the wires must be hidden in corrugation, and they are usually secured to reinforced mesh before pouring concrete (for example, plastic ties). The solution is not poured all at once, but in several stages from bottom to top in sections of 0.3-0.4 m, each layer must be given time to dry (concreting can take from two to three days). The walls can also be made of brick, but this requires a slightly different technology.

How to properly lay out the walls in a brick pit

Before laying walls with bricks, in the same way as when working with concrete, side surfaces First, they are coated with red clay, a polyethylene film, roofing felt, and a hydro- and heat-insulating layer are laid. Masonry is carried out in compliance with the following conditions:

bricks are placed in a checkerboard pattern;
the masonry is carried out in one layer along the width of the brick;
the seams are carefully rubbed down, and the corners are made securely together;
upper brick row should protrude above the surface of the structure by about 5-10 cm. This is done to prevent the car from falling into the hole, and also to prevent the tool from sliding into it.

When laying out a brick pit, you must not forget about the niches; for convenience, you can build formwork (but not necessary). Immediately after completing the work, you cannot use the pit; you must wait about five days for the solution to set well and dry, and for the masonry to settle.

How to properly waterproof a pit in a garage

Waterproofing protection is a very important component of the inspection hole, especially when the groundwater lies quite high in the ground. At high humidity:

the pit can be flooded with water;
the bottom of the car, which is constantly located on the SA, begins to rust;
If the insulation is not of sufficient quality, the excavated pit gradually collapses and becomes unusable.

In order for the inspection pit to serve for a long time, it is necessary to waterproof the pit in the garage very well, use materials that could provide waterproofing for long years. The following are usually used as waterproofing materials:

various types of roofing felt;
bitumen mixture (designed for 10-15 years of construction service life);
polymer film (geotextile, can last for decades);
dry mineral mixtures are diluted with water before direct use;
liquid latex-based rubber, its service life is 20 years or more;
a mixture of petroleum products with liquid clay (for initial treatment of walls and floors).

If groundwater runs high enough, even high-quality waterproofing does not guarantee reliable protection from moisture, only a well-designed drainage system with water drainage into a natural or artificial reservoir will help here.

Construction of a pit in the garage according to all the rules

To correctly make a hole according to all the rules, it is not enough just to dig a pit, strengthen the walls and floor, it is also necessary:

install natural and forced ventilation;
install electric lamps;
build a shelter (mortgage frame), it will protect against accidental falling into the hole;
think over a descent system (build a removable ladder or lay steps in the pit).

An even more “advanced” option is to make a cellar in a viewing hole, in which case you can store pickles and fresh vegetables in the garage for the winter.

How to make a vegetable pit in the garage

If the garage already has an inspection hole, the cellar is made separately, at the other end of the room or next to it, usually it is located at a short distance from the wall, about half a meter, and unlike the SY, it has slightly different dimensions:

length – 2.5-3 m;
width – 2-2.5 m;
depth - approximately 1.7 m.

The dimensions of the cellar may differ from the above dimensions, it all depends on the size of the garage itself. This building must have a sealed hatch cover, ladder(it is better to make it from wood). The cellar should provide:

protection from moisture;
ventilation;
sleeping sinus.

Electricity and thermal insulation can be added to the vegetable pit as desired; before construction, it is important to consider two points:

you need to make sure that there are no power wires, water supply or gas pipelines running under the future cellar;
groundwater must pass below the level of the foundation of the proposed vegetable pit.

As when creating a cellar for a cellar, we also first dig a pit, then:

sprinkle and compact a layer of crushed stone on the bottom, approximately 10-12 cm;
lay the next layer - construction sand (about 15 cm), careful compaction is also required here;
fill the bottom of the pit with bitumen or another similar composition, if waterproofing is necessary, with roofing felt (you can also use other similar material);
fill it with concrete, for the strength of the structure it is advisable to reinforce it;
let the concrete solution set well and dry, then strengthen the walls - fill them with concrete or lay them out with bricks (the latter option is the most preferable).

The standard wall thickness is one and a half bricks; for strength and better waterproofing, we coat the masonry with bitumen mortar. The walls of the pit must be very strong, because the car can be placed anywhere in the garage, and it is not advisable to leave it for storage in an inspection pit.

The ceiling in the cellar is made in the form of a vault, in order to hold the ceiling bricks during construction, they are laid out on a plank template. The upper part of the cellar can be made of concrete, the main thing is that it is strong, and the manhole is usually made in the middle. IN vegetable pit The ceiling is often insulated; foam and expanded clay are used as materials; in order to secure the insulating layer, it is filled with hot bitumen. Glass wool, sawdust and cement are also used for insulation; thermal insulation may not be used in mild and warm climates.

In the cellar it is necessary to make shelves for food supplies and containers for storing vegetables. Shelves are usually made of boards and beams; ventilation of the room is mainly ensured by natural ventilation. Forced ventilation provides air circulation more efficiently, but also requires more significant financial costs. Typically, an electric fan is used for forced exhaust; it is mounted directly in the ventilation pipe.

Thermal insulation of the pit

In a fairly cold climate, thermal insulation in a garage is of considerable importance; adding a thermal insulation layer allows you to save on heating and provide more comfortable temperature in room. As thermal insulation material extruded foam and polystyrene are mainly used; expanded clay pillow also helps to retain heat.

Usually foam is laid on top vapor barrier film, then filled with concrete. Expanded clay is laid at the bottom of the inspection hole, acting not only as insulation, but also as a stabilizer for the floor of the building.

Location of the cellar and pit for the car

The inspection hole in the garage can have different locations, placed either in the center or closer to the edge. Being in the center is convenient if the garage is quite narrow and there are no or minimal workbenches, tables, other furniture, or a separate room. When a small auto repair shop is organized in a garage, it is more convenient to move the hole to one edge, but so that a car can safely and freely drive into it. The cellar can be located anywhere, of course, if there is no inspection hole in the garage. When a pit is available, it is advisable to place the cellar at the end of the garage, behind the SY.

Garage drainage system

A water drainage system is necessary in case high level groundwater, high soil moisture. Drainage can be performed according to various schemes, but there are basic rules for its construction:

the drainage trench is dug deep down to the level of the foundation of the pit;
ditches should be located outside the garage, somewhere at a distance of half a meter from the building along its perimeter;
a drainage well is required for drainage;
drainage pipes are a single closed system with water drainage.

To prevent damage to the drainage system, a sand and gravel cushion of approximately 10 cm is laid in the bottom of the trench, then the pipeline is covered with geotextile film. A ravine can serve as a drainage well; if there are no natural depressions near the garage, you must use any suitable container, observing the following conditions:

the well should be located lower than 20 cm from the level of the lowest point of the pipeline;
the outlet pipe of the drainage system must be suitable for the container;
Mainly used as water storage plastic container, an iron vessel is subject to rust, will fail much faster and will not be able to work for its intended purpose.

Above drainage tubes a sand and gravel cushion is also made; the soil should be compacted over the drainage carefully, trying not to damage the pipeline; water from the garage should be drained at a distance of at least 5 meters.

Pit lighting

Lamps in the inspection pit provide comfortable working conditions, as lighting fixtures usually used:

stationary lamps in shades, designed for voltage 36 or 220 Volts;
carrying, it is better if it has a long wire;
low-power 12-volt lamps;
LED lights;
Battery-powered LED lamps.

36-volt lighting devices are the most popular lamps for car repair work, as a rule, they are carried out in a waterproof housing and are safe to use. Quite often, 220 Volt lamps are also installed in the garage, since they do not require a step-down transformer, but here you have to take care of reliable grounding, and it is necessary to work with such lamps while observing safety precautions.

Rechargeable lighting devices are quite expensive and difficult to repair, but sometimes you can’t do without them, for example, if there is no stationary power in the garage. Alternatively, you can carry it by taking a 12 V voltage from a car battery, but in this case the light will be quite dim.

Closing the pit

The lid covering the pit can be made of various materials:

welded metal rods;
edged board;
plastic.

It can also be made from combined materials. The two most important qualities of a pit cover are strength and low weight; the structure should move easily and withstand the weight of a person. If the car is often or for a long time left in a pit, it is advisable to make a tight cover, for example, from a board/bars of a “magpie”, in this case the moisture will practically not settle on the bottom of the car.

The wooden shield should be sanded, impregnated with varnish, and the metal should be sanded and painted; such a frame will serve for a long time, will not rust or rot. For ease of removal and installation, the cover should be supplemented with one or two handles; a folding mechanism can also be provided in the design.

Pit ventilation in the garage

The type of ventilation largely depends on the size of the garage, for fairly large garage structures you can limit yourself to natural ventilation; for small rooms forced ventilation is necessary. The exhaust vent is almost always made from above, near the ceiling, in the room it is closed with a metal or plastic grill, forced ventilation installed below, no higher than 0.5 m from the floor.

They try to make the exhaust hole for natural ventilation on the leeward side; usually it is protected from rain and snow from the outside by a garage roof. Power for the electric fan is taken from the local power supply or battery, the direction of movement of the blades is selected experimentally.

Tools for making a hole

The number of tools used when digging an inspection hole depends on the complexity of the installation; at a minimum you will need:

tape measure;
chalk for marking;
bayonet/scoop shovels;
containers for diluting solutions (buckets, barrels);
building level or plumb line;
pick;
electric drill;
hammer;
large ruler, measuring angle;
surface treatment materials – sandpaper, graters, etc.

If you need to heat up the bitumen, you will need gas-burner, prepare cement mortar easier and faster with a concrete mixer. Also most often additionally required:

welding machine;
angle grinder;
knife or scissors for cutting materials;
roller for laying bitumen.

If you have to dismantle a concrete floor, you cannot do without a concrete cutter, jackhammer or powerful hammer drill. When cutting concrete slab It should be taken into account that under the concrete layer there is steel reinforcement(at a depth of approximately 50-100 mm), it will have to be cut with a circular saw.

Materials used

Almost any normally equipped inspection pit will require concrete, it can be:

cement-sand mortar in a cement/sand ratio of 1:3 or 1:4;
a mixture of cement, construction sand and crushed stone in a ratio of 1/3/4.5 (rough concrete).

Also for the manufacture of walls and floors you will need:

crushed stone, gravel;
expanded clay;
slurry;
waterproofing materials (roofing felt, bitumen mastic and resin);
vapor barrier film;
steel angle/channel;
boards and wooden beams;
thermal insulation materials (foam plastic, polypropylene, glass wool, etc.);
steel rods or ready-made reinforced lattice;
nails;
brick (if used brickwork).

If a drainage system is provided, you will need PVC pipes, connecting parts, possibly a container for a manhole. To give an aesthetic appearance the inspection pit from the outside can be decorated with tiles or other materials for decorative finishing.

The service life of the waterproofing system largely depends on the quality of the materials used, the care of workers, the thoroughness of waterproofing, and compliance with all construction rules. A well-made inspection pit will last for decades and will be very useful when carrying out repairs and servicing a car, for example, using it is very convenient to change the oil in the engine, gearbox, and repair the chassis.

It would seem that building a viewing hole + in the garage is as easy as shelling pears. However, this event is associated with a lot of various subtleties, ignorance of which often leads to disastrous consequences, for example, corrosion of the bottom of the car. To avoid unpleasant surprises, you should approach both the planning stage very carefully, preparatory work, and to direct construction.

Planning the inspection pit

As strange as it may seem, before building an inspection hole it is necessary to think through a number of details that have a significant impact on the comfortable conditions for inspecting or repairing a car.

pit dimensions

An inspection hole, the size of which does not allow you to straighten up to your full height or move freely even when inspecting a car, has no value, since renovation work can last quite a long time, and the lack of minimum necessary comfort will lead to frequent breaks for rest, or contacting a car service. Based on this, the dimensions of the pit must correspond to the following parameters:

The depth of the inspection hole consists of the height of the car owner + 15-20 cm;
Width depends on the make of the car, so to determine it you need to measure the distance between the front or rear wheels. In this case, the width of the hole should be slightly less than the obtained value in order to safely drive into the hole without fear of falling into it. In addition, you should not ignore the fact of a possible change of car to another model. Based on these considerations, the optimal width of the inspection hole is 70-75 cm;
Length - calculated from the length of the car + 1 m for free descent into the pit and ascent from it. At the same time, it is not worth making the length of the pit less than 2 m.

When constructing a pit, the obtained data must be increased by the amount of allowances, including the width of the waterproofing and thermal insulation layer, as well as the thickness of the concrete layer or brickwork. On average, the allowance varies between 20-30 cm.

waterproofing

The variety of waterproofing materials differs in both the method of installation, service life, and cost. In addition, the thickness various types waterproofing is not the same, so choose waterproofing material necessary at the planning stage in order to leave the necessary allowance when determining the dimensions of the pit.

The following materials can be used as waterproofing for the inspection pit:

Bitumen, represented by roofing felt, euroroofing felt, rubemast, etc. in this case The material is laid on bitumen mastic in 2 layers. In this case, the joints are overlapped by 20-25 cm and glued with hot bitumen. The service life of this category of waterproofing is 10-15 years;
Polymer single-layer or multilayer membranes have a longer service life, exceeding 50 years. Laying membranes requires reinforced frame with cells 10x10cm, covered with geotextile. In this case, the membranes are overlapped by 10 cm if there is a self-adhesive base, or by 30 cm if there is none. The resulting joints must be glued using special equipment. Relatively recently, polymer geomembranes appeared on the market, already including a geotextile layer;
Penetrating compositions are represented by dry mixtures diluted with water before direct use. They are applied on top of the concrete layer, penetrating deep into its structure and blocking the seepage of water to the surface. However this method often used as an additional waterproofing layer;
A mixture of fatty clay in combination with oil refining waste as an independent waterproofing agent is used quite rarely against the background modern materials, significantly superior to the clay mixture both in terms of service life and degree of tightness. However, in combination with other types of waterproofing it often occurs.

thermal insulation

For insulation of the inspection pit, polystyrene is an ideal heat insulator, since it has excellent thermal insulation characteristics and minimal water absorption. At the same time, humid conditions do not in any way affect the reduction in the level of thermal insulation properties.

niches in the wall of the pit

Inspection, and especially car repair, involves the use of various types of tools. In order not to have to go up to the garage every time to get the necessary equipment or to avoid tripping over the tools scattered at the bottom of the pit, niches can be arranged along the entire perimeter of the pit or in some places various sizes, where the devices and parts necessary for repairs will be located. Thus, the presence of niches contributes to the speed and convenience of repair work.

lighting

If a portable lamp is used for lighting, then planning in this case is eliminated. However, illuminating the inspection pit with stationary lighting devices requires wiring into the pit and the presence of a recess in the wall for installing an outlet, so here it is worth deciding on the location of the light device and its power source.

ventilation

Even a heated garage will not save the inspection pit from condensation. In addition to creating a certain microclimate in the pit, ventilation promotes the influx of fresh air and outflow essential oils and other chemicals used in car repairs. The easiest way to build ventilation for an inspection pit is to install a small-diameter flexible air duct from it to a height of 25-30 cm from the garage floor. In this case, the removed end of the ventilation must be covered with a mesh and a lid to prevent various debris from getting into it.

Based on the above, preliminary accounting of even the smallest details will significantly save time and financial resources.

Technology for constructing an inspection pit

After the details of the future structure have been thought out and the necessary materials have been purchased, you can proceed to the implementation of the plan, observing the following order of work.

pit preparation

We mark on the surface of the floor or ground the area intended for the inspection hole.
We remove the soil to the required depth and level the bottom of the hole.
We take out soil for niches in the wall or along the perimeter of the walls.
We compact the bottom of the pit.

floor arrangement

We lay a 10 cm layer of crushed stone on the earthen soil and compact it.
Pour a 5 cm layer of sand on top of the crushed stone and compact it as well.
Apply fatty clay 20-30 cm thick.
We lay reinforced mesh.
Mix a concrete mortar of sand and cement, maintaining a 3:1 ratio, and fill the floor with a thickness of 6-7 cm.
After the concrete has hardened, apply a layer bitumen mastic and lay the roofing material, not forgetting to glue the joints with hot bitumen.
Lay a layer of polystyrene foam.
Fill it with concrete mortar 10-15 cm thick and let it dry completely.

arrangement of walls

We coat the walls with greasy clay and cover them with polyethylene.
We put roofing material on top of the film and glue its joints with hot bitumen.
We attach foam plastic to the walls using adhesive.
We erect formwork from boards or plywood at a distance of 6-7 cm from the wall.
We reinforce the walls around the perimeter.
We fill the walls with concrete mortar gradually, pouring the mixture daily to a height of 15-20 cm.
After the concrete has completely hardened, the formwork is removed.

arrangement of niches

We reinforce the top, bottom and walls of the niches with wire and coat them with clay, after which the niches have dried, they can be lined with brick or ceramic tiles.

safety

We make the inspection hole protected from accidental collision by a car by installing a T-shaped iron rail at the level of the main floor of the garage. In addition, this rail will serve as a frame when covering the pit during idle periods with separate boards, or you can immediately put together a lid from the boards.

So, the inspection hole + with your own hands is ready. All that remains is to arrange ventilation, install light and lower the ladder into the pit. In addition, a month after the last pouring of concrete, it will be possible to line the inspection hole with ceramic tiles, bricks, or other finishing materials.

March 24th, 2016 Admin

Car repairs often involve an extensive range of work. In some cases, access to components and assemblies can only be obtained from below, which cannot be done without a lift or inspection pit. The first, due to its high cost and high energy consumption, is used in car services, but the second is quite possible to do in your own garage.

The presence of a hole will greatly facilitate the repair and maintenance of the machine, but to make it, you will have to work hard. Today we will tell you how you can arrange a viewing hole yourself.

How to make a viewing hole in the garage

First you will need to take a few preliminary steps:

1) Find and study documents about what type of soil is in the area of your garage, how deep it freezes, at what depth the groundwater is located, etc. These data will greatly affect the configuration of your pit (depth and degree of waterproofing);

2) Compose detailed drawing indicating the size of the pit and its location relative to the walls of the garage;

3) Determine the necessary Construction Materials, buy them and bring them to Right place, the same goes for tools.

Designing an inspection pit for a garage

At the stage of drawing up the drawing, it is important to decide where exactly the hole will be:

In the center of the garage, if it contains only the car and the items necessary for it, such as operating fluids, spare tires, etc.;
Closer to one of the walls, if the garage is also a storage area for various household items, i.e. It is also used as a barn. But remember, the pit cannot be placed too close to the wall, otherwise it may collapse!

Be sure to also provide a plank flooring for the pit to cover it when not in use.

What should be the size of the inspection hole for a passenger car?

1) The length must match that of the car with an increase of 1 m, which is needed for arranging the steps;

2) The width again depends on the width of the car, but it is not advisable to make it more than 80 cm;

3) The depth should be made based on your height. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account that you, standing in a hole, should have 15 cm above your head. This is a comfortable distance that allows you not to reach for the bottom of the car, but to calmly reach it.

Having calculated all the dimensions, outline the contours of the future hole on the garage floor and get down to business.

What is needed to dig a trench for an inspection hole

At this point you will need a shovel and probably a drill. The latter is needed if the soil is rocky and cannot be taken with a shovel. The selected soil can be used for agricultural purposes by moving fertile soil to the garden (if you have one). It is better to put clay and stones in a separate pile - they will come in handy if you need components for concrete. They can also be used to raise the garage floor.

In the process of digging a pit, do not forget that the edges of the pit should be at least 50 cm (this is necessary to create walls), and a depth reserve of 30 cm should be made (for waterproofing), and do not forget to make an allowance for floor for the pit, the thickness of which you determine yourself.

We erect the walls of the inspection pit

Before erecting walls, it is necessary to make a level floor. The best way- This concrete screed, but asphalt can also be used.

The inspection pit must have walls, otherwise it will inevitably begin to crumble. There are quite a few options for creating walls; the most common ones are discussed below:

1) The simplest option is to use roofing felt or foil insulation, on top of which there will be a row of boards “painted” with waste (this slows down the rotting process) or slate, but not wavy, but flat.

2) You can plaster the wall by throwing a rough “fur coat” over metal mesh, and after it dries, remove it smooth walls using a new portion of the solution.

3) If you are determined to build a truly durable structure, and the size of your garage allows you to do this, then it is better to build the walls from brick.

The optimal wall thickness is 0.5 or 1 brick. Ideally, they should be new, but if the budget is limited, you can use used ones. The main thing is that they are smooth and not burnt. If the bricks are old, they must be cleaned of dirt. It is better to choose a classic mortar for masonry, consisting of cement and sand in a ratio of 1:3. If you are a beginner, it is better to add liquid soap or more water. The solution will become more liquid and will take longer to harden, which will give you a lot of time for laying and correcting flaws.

Naturally, the walls must be made smooth. To do this, you should tighten the lace before laying. To control during the laying process, use a plumb line or a building level.
If desired, in brick walls you can build small niches. During repairs, it will be convenient to store tools, spare parts and other small things in them.

Whatever method of constructing walls you choose, they must be reinforced with strapping so that the structure is strong and cannot collapse. A steel corner 50x50x5 mm is perfect for this purpose. It is necessary to weld a contour from it, and in such a way that the lid made of boards, which was mentioned above, can be laid on top without any hindrance.

The finished masonry can be left in its original form or plastered and then painted in any color. In addition, the floor can be covered with wooden flooring for warmth.
If you are a resident of the Far North, it is important to take care of thermal insulation. It is better to use 5-centimeter polystyrene foam as insulation. Despite its small volume, this material has excellent heat-insulating properties.

What to do if groundwater is close?

As mentioned above, when digging a hole, it is extremely important to know where the groundwater begins. If you cannot find the relevant documents, you will have to drill a well or dig a hole. Has water already appeared at a depth of 2 m? Then you cannot do without waterproofing, otherwise in the spring your pit will turn into a mini-pond with melt water. Moreover, waterproofing must be done strictly before pouring the floor and erecting walls.

How to choose a waterproofing material

Currently, 3 types of waterproofing are most widely used:

Polymer membranes.

They are considered the most reliable material. Service life is unlimited. Due to such outstanding qualities, the material is very expensive, and not every car owner will be able to afford its purchase. In addition, its application requires special equipment, which can only be used by specialists. Because of these factors, we will not consider it in detail;

Rolled materials based on bitumen (roofing felt, rubemast, folgesol, brizol, etc.).

Have affordable price and very easy to use - no special knowledge required. But the service life of such waterproofing is limited - 10, maximum 15 years, after which it must be completely changed.

Penetrating waterproofing.

Very effective way prevent water from entering. More expensive compared to roll materials, but has an unlimited service life.

Waterproofing an inspection pit in a garage: stages of implementation

Waterproofing should begin from the floor. First, compact the surface tightly, then pour an even layer of clay onto it, sand onto the clay, and crushed stone onto it. Compact each layer thoroughly. The total thickness of all these layers should be 30 cm.

Rolled bitumen materials

Before laying them, a special primer must be applied to the surface ( deep penetration) in 2 layers. Each of them must be completely dry before applying new or laying roofing felt.

It is best to lay roll waterproofing in U-shaped strips, giving an overlap of 20 cm. The corners must be turned in so that the strips remain on a flat area of the floor or wall.

The joints are glued using molten bitumen, but you can also use a bitumen solvent, which will melt the roofing material and it will set. Take the excess strip along the steps outside the pit - cut it off later. After the 1st layer (lengthwise and crosswise), let the bitumen in the joints cool and proceed to layer No. 2. During the process, make sure that the joints of the layers do not coincide with each other.

Penetrating waterproofing

This type of waterproofing is a dry mixture that is diluted with water before use. To prepare a solution for 1 kg. the mixture requires about 0.3 liters. water.

It is very important to stir the mixture thoroughly so that there are no lumps left. Then the solution is applied to the wall in a 1-mm layer. If the walls of the pit are brick, then you need to apply another layer on finished wall to reliably seal all the pores in the bricks. The principle of operation of the sealant is based on the fact that, covering the surface with a continuous layer, it does not allow moisture to seep through, as if “binding” it.

In combination with waterproofing brick wall it can withstand water pressure up to 20 atm. Its service life is unlimited.

How to ventilate a viewing hole in a garage

The ventilation system in the pit is a thing that is absolutely impossible to do without.

This is especially true for motorists whose “iron horses” run on liquefied gas, since when there is a leak, propane tends downwards (it is heavier than air), which means it will inevitably end up in a hole.

The hood is constructed before the waterproofing stage, so as not to damage the sealant or roofing felt. Proper ventilation consists of 2 parts - supply and exhaust.

The first is a pipe leading through the wall to the street. Through it you will get into the pit fresh air. The second is also a pipe installed opposite the flow pipe, but it is discharged not through the wall, but through the roof. Its upper end should rise no more than a meter above the garage. Pipes can be either steel or plastic, but it is better to give preference to plastic products - they weigh much less, are easier to install and are completely non-corrosive.

Lighting the inspection hole in the garage - how to install the light

You can work in the inspection pit without stationary light sources, limiting yourself only to a headlamp. However, it provides little light and only in a limited sector. Therefore, it is still better to get normal lighting. As with any wiring, it is important to follow a number of rules:

1) If you do not have the appropriate education, it is better to entrust the work of creating an electrical circuit to a specialist so that he can do it in compliance with all safety standards;

2) The lighting should be uniform, you may need several lighting devices;

3) All switches, fuses and sockets should not be located in the pit - only in the garage itself;

4) If you plan to install a 3-phase outlet, be sure to ground it securely.

The wire through which electricity will be supplied to the pit must have a cross-section of 4 mm2 or more. It is desirable that the material from which it is made is copper. The wire must have intact insulation, ideally double.

Lamps suitable for garage lighting come in low and high voltage:

12 volt light bulbs;
36 volt lamps;
lamps of various classes for 220 volts.

To operate low-voltage lamps, a step-down transformer must be installed next to the meter.

As for the type of lamps, it is better to use fluorescent lamps in the pit itself. Due to their oblong shape, it is advisable to place them in small recesses in the walls, otherwise they may interfere. It is better to purchase such lamps from protective casing, since an open lamp will not last long due to moisture and dirt.

There is no need to use incandescent lamps in the pit. They get hot during operation, and if you touch them, you can easily get burned. The light from them is too bright, which damages vision. In addition, they consume a lot of energy, and if there is a voltage drop, they can spark and burst, which can lead to injury and fire.

Fluorescent light bulbs are good because they come in a wide range of colors, consume little electricity, and last a long time. However, they are not suitable for the pit because they are sensitive to cold - when the temperature environment falls below 5 degrees, they become unreliable. They must be disposed of in a special way because they contain mercury.

Energy-saving lamps have all the advantages of fluorescent lamps and almost no disadvantages, with the exception of a higher price and difficult disposal: they also contain mercury.

LED lamps are the most advanced because they combine all the positive characteristics of other light bulbs. They do not contain mercury, but the price is very high, and for good lighting you need several of them, which not everyone can afford.

It is also useful to have a portable lamp or mobile 36-volt lamp in the garage. They may come in handy if you need to take a closer look at the repair site.

When installing wiring and lighting fixtures, strictly follow the rules fire safety! Remember, any shortcomings in this matter can result in tragedy.

Experienced car enthusiasts who repair their cars themselves know how necessary it is to have an inspection hole in their own garage. This simple recess in the floor allows you to inspect and, if necessary, repair the lower part of the car, exhaust pipe, muffler, gearbox, engine and others hard to reach places. If there is a hole, you don’t need to pay for a simple oil change procedure at a car service center.
However, the existence of such a structure in the garage inevitably leads to increased humidity. Therefore, if the size of the room allows, it is recommended to do it away from the place where the car usually stands. Otherwise, water vapor accumulating above the pit will condense on the bottom of the car and lead to rapid corrosion.
It is ideal when you think about building a viewing hole before building a garage. But you can equip it in an existing garage, although you will have to face a number of restrictions. Doing this work with your own hands is not so difficult, the main thing is to know how! When performing work, it is advisable to study building regulations and strictly follow construction technologies. Then the results of the work will please the owner for many years and sad consequences will be avoided.

Step one: determining dimensions

Work on arranging an inspection pit for a garage begins with its design and calculation of dimensions. It makes sense to record the results of this work on paper in the form of a garage plan and a pit drawing. You need to think carefully about where it will be located and how the car will enter the garage. The required dimensions of the inspection pit depend on the width and length of the car, the size of the garage, and the height of the owner. It is important to make the calculations correctly, otherwise mistakes made will cost too much later.

The width of the pit is chosen so that it is 20 centimeters less than the distance between the wheels of the car, but sufficient to provide room for the person inside to work. At the same time, you should not strictly focus on the dimensions of a particular “iron horse”, because the owner can eventually buy himself another car.
The standard width is 75–80 cm. If a pit is needed simultaneously for a car and a truck, then the final width is averaged, despite the fact that passenger car it will be more difficult to enter;

Dimensions of inspection hole
The photo shows a drawing of the inspection pit In the garage, a pit is necessary for inspecting the car.
Section of the pit showing its structure
The length of the structure is determined by the personal preferences of the owner and the size of the garage. Its minimum value is equal to the length of the car + 1 meter. It makes no sense to make a hole less than 2 m long. You should also consider space for steps or a ladder;
The depth of the pit should be such that the owner of the car, working in it, can freely reach any mechanism without bending over or standing on tiptoes. Although it is better to dig a hole a little deeper than necessary than vice versa. Extra centimeters can be removed due to the thickness of the floor. The optimal depth is equal to the owner’s height + 15–20 cm.

To the obtained dimensions, the necessary allowances on each side should be added for subsequent finishing, waterproofing and insulation work. The dimensions of the allowances for brick walls are 12 cm, for concrete - 20 cm on each side. The allowance for the floor is 20 cm. If waterproofing or insulation of the pit is intended, the allowances must be increased.

If the groundwater level is above 2.5 m, the pit will be flooded

It is imperative to find out how deep the groundwater is in the soil. This information is included in the pre-building survey report for the garage. The level of groundwater in the area where the garage is located plays a very important role. If it is higher than 2.5 m, then you cannot make an inspection hole in an already built garage, because it will be flooded. In a garage under construction you will have to do drainage system, draining excess water into the sewer. If the groundwater is deeper, there are no contraindications for construction.

In the niches you can place the tools necessary for repairs

It is convenient when small niches are made in the walls of the inspection pit. The tools needed to repair a car are usually located there. Places for niches and their sizes should be thought out in advance and drawn on the plan. The depth of the niches is usually 15–20 cm, the length and width are determined at the discretion of the owner.

Step Two: Planning and Execution of Construction Stages

After the work “on paper” comes the turn of work “on the ground”. The stages of construction of the inspection pit are as follows:

Marking. In the area of the garage allocated for the pit, markings are applied with chalk or a marker, taking into account the calculated allowances, after which the existing floor is dismantled. It is not recommended to make an inspection hole close to the garage wall. The distance to the wall must be at least 1 m;
Preparing the pit. Undoubtedly, this is the most difficult stage, but workers can be hired to complete it. You will have to remove about 8–9 cubic meters of soil. The duration of the process depends both on the capabilities of the worker and on the properties of the soil. You need to dig with a bayonet shovel, sometimes with a pick, starting from the far end of the future hole. Spacers made of boards may be required to prevent soil from falling off the walls.
Loose soil takes up 20–25% more space, so this must be taken into account when removing it.

Part of the earth must be left to fill the sinuses. Inside the excavated pit, the resulting walls and floor need to be leveled manual tamper as thoroughly as possible. After the surfaces are ready, the bottom is covered with a layer of gravel 10 cm thick and compacted well. 5 cm of sand is poured on top, then compacted again. If the soil is wet, then 5 cm of clay is poured for waterproofing and covered with the same layer of gravel. The surface is covered plastic film, after which they are reinforced with metal mesh;
DIY walls and floor of the inspection pit. The bottom of the pit prepared in this way is filled with a layer of concrete mortar 7–8 cm thick and left to dry for several days. After the concrete has hardened, you can proceed to reinforcing the walls with mesh. To fill the walls with a concrete mixture, you need formwork, which is usually made from OSB sheets. Then you can use them to make shelves for tools. The formwork is installed in tiers of 30–40 cm, connecting the elements with spacers. At the same time, a metal mesh is laid in two layers. In addition, they use embedded parts that are firmly fixed in concrete. Special attention It is worth paying attention to the reinforcement of places for niches.
The space between the formwork and the edges of the pit is filled with mortar.B last layer concrete is being laid metal corner, protruding 10 cm above the surface. Such edging is needed so that, when entering the garage, you can see where the pit is. Subsequently, boards are laid on it to cover the inspection pit.

The formwork is removed 2 weeks after pouring the walls, after which the concrete is allowed to harden for another month. This is the only way to guarantee the strength of the walls. When the concrete hardens, they proceed to backfilling the soil, and then to interior decoration inspection hole. The sinuses are backfilled with clay or loam, which protect the pit well from water penetration. Pour 15–20 cm layer by layer and compact well. Instead of clay, you can use the original soil, but it must be compacted especially carefully. For finishing Ceramic tiles have recently been used on walls and floors. Another option is to plaster the walls with white gypsum plaster.

Step three: waterproofing and insulation

The excavation preparation procedure described above is applicable when the garage is located in an area with fairly dry soil. If the soil is wet, then there is a risk of flooding and constant dampness inside the pit. In such a situation we need additional measures waterproofing the bottom of the structure.

To do this, before pouring concrete, layers of special materials are laid on the floor to prevent moisture penetration. The edges of the piece of material should extend 15–20 cm onto the walls along the edges.

Most often used:

Materials based on bitumen (durable, inexpensive, easy to install);
Polymer membranes (strong, durable, well compatible with other materials);
Penetrating waterproofing (high degree of protection against moisture, resistant to temperature fluctuations);
Liquid rubber (very high degree of protection, but the surface being treated must not be damaged).

For additional protection from moisture, the concrete solution is prepared using special additives.

In order not to freeze when repairing a car in winter, it is better to insulate the inspection hole. This way you can further save on the electricity spent on heating the garage. Insulation should be provided at the stage of determining the dimensions of the pit. Among modern insulation materials Expanded polystyrene is considered the best. It has the following properties:

Doesn't rot;
Does not burn;
Does not allow moisture to pass through;
Attaches well to concrete surfaces using glue;
It's cheap;
Safe for health.

Step four: additional arrangement

In order to make it comfortable to work inside the inspection pit, you need to perform a series of additional work:

Adequate lighting is required to inspect the vehicle.

Important details when arranging an inspection pit

When carrying out work on arranging an inspection pit for a garage, we must not forget about our own safety measures:

When carrying out excavation work in weak, unstable soils, starting from a depth of 1 m, install spacers and reinforcements from boards. The fact that the soil is crumbling usually becomes visible immediately;
Use protective equipment: gloves, mittens, strong boots, safety glasses, especially when working with an angle grinder or hammer drill;
Work together with an assistant. It's much easier, faster and safer.

These rules will help you cope with your work without compromising your health.

Video

Watch a video about building a viewing hole in your garage with your own hands.

Before you build inspection hole in the garage with your own hands, let's figure out what it is.

Inspection hole- This working space motorist, which should be as comfortable as possible, allowing you to turn around and stand in full height. If these conditions are not met, fixing even a tiny problem will turn into a nightmare, which should not be allowed to happen.

How to properly make a hole in the garage?
First of all, we must measure the length, width and depth in order to find out inspection hole dimensions in the garage with your own hands.

Parameter length calculated based on the length of the machine. Add one meter to it, it will be optimal space, convenient for work.

The second parameter again directly depends on the dimensions of the vehicle. On average, this is 75 cm, but professionals also use another method of measurement. optimal width: you need to measure how far the front wheels are from each other. 20 cm is subtracted from the obtained value to be sure that when entering the pit, the car won't fail.

IMPORTANT: Before making a hole in the garage, keep in mind that its width should be slightly less than the width of your vehicle, otherwise the car will simply fall through.

And finally, the last parameter - depth. It is calculated based on the driver’s height, to which 20 cm is added. The obtained parameters must be increase by 30 cm, which will constitute hydro- and thermal insulation. After calculation you can make drawing holes in the garage.

Do-it-yourself inspection hole in the garage: dimensions - photo below:

Construction

Having received the required dimensions, we begin construction. inspection hole in the garage with your own hands. Of course, it is much easier to build an inspection pit when the garage has not yet been built; here you need to do this work before the floors are poured with concrete, but even when you think about how to make a garage with a pit with your own hands, this question is quite we decide.

Construction work consists of the following:

Preparing the pit. Marking land plot according to the obtained dimensions. Before digging a hole in the garage, we stock up on shovels and a level. The hole must be of the required depth and have a flat bottom.

REFERENCE: How to make a viewing hole in a garage when it has already been built? We mark the floor, and then, according to the markings, using a power tool we cut through the screed, after which the digging work is carried out.

Formation of smooth walls. It is also necessary to carefully compact the bottom of the pit.
Arrangement inspection hole in the garage: floors, walls and niches.

We build a hole in the garage with our own hands step by step:

We lay a cushion of crushed stone on the ground, on top of which we pour sand about 5 cm and compact it.

The next layer in this “pie” is 30 cm clay. Already placed on clay reinforced mesh, which becomes the backbone of our structure, strong, reliable, durable.

The mesh is poured concrete. We mix sand and cement in a ratio of three to one and pour it 7 cm thick.

We wait for the concrete to harden and only after that we treat the floor bitumen mastic solution. We put roofing felt and glue the joints with bitumen, be sure to hot.

Foam plastic is laid on the roofing material, and then the entire structure is generously filled with concrete, about 15 cm. And again we wait until the concrete dries.

After the concrete has dried, you can begin for the design of walls and niches:

The walls are coated with clay, then polyethylene is laid, which adheres well to fatty types of clay.
A layer of roofing material is applied to the film and again, as in the case of the floor, we go through the joints with bitumen.
We repeat the technology for creating the floor, and attach a layer of foam plastic to the walls, using any construction adhesive.
The hardest part of the job is erection of formwork. The formwork is made from plywood; if you want to get a more durable structure, then from boards, at a distance of 7 cm from the walls.
We reinforce the perimeter of the wall and fill it with concrete mortar.

You need to pour concrete in layers, here you need to be guided rule, the quieter you go, the further you'll get. You need to fill the hole in the garage within a few days, every day - 20 cm in height.

When the concrete has hardened and you are satisfied with the result, remove the formwork, we don't need it now. Well, we are moving on to the next stage, creating niches.

As in the construction of floors and walls, when constructing niches, we use fittings And clay. But here we no longer need concrete, we will have an inspection hole in the garage with our own hands made of brick, with which niches are lined. If you don’t like this option and you are interested in another way to lay out the inspection hole in the garage, then use ceramic tiles, it will be more effective.

See how to do it DIY inspection hole in the garage- photo:

Hydro- and thermal insulation

Before making a hole in the garage, you also need to take care of waterproofing, because humidity is unacceptable in the inspection pit, where not only do you need to work in comfortable conditions, but it is also important to follow safety precautions when working with electrical appliances of the car.

Today we can choose from a wide range of materials:

Polymeric. This is a material with a complex synthetic structure and excellent waterproofing properties. There are two types: multilayer And single-layer, the first have best qualities and can last much longer, up to fifty years, the latter are cheaper. Polymer waterproofing is laid on reinforcement with cells of size 10x10.

We must cover the frame geotextiles. Polymer plates, if they have a self-adhesive base, are installed with an overlap of 30 cm; if the membranes are not self-adhesive, then the overlap is 10 cm. The joints between the polymer plates are necessarily treated with a special adhesive.

Bituminous. This waterproofing option is available in several types: rubemast, euroruberoid And roofing felt, each is interesting in its own way, each has its own pros and cons.

Installation bitumen insulation, perhaps the simplest, in addition, this material is classified as economical, although its service life is much lower, only 10 years; if the work is done efficiently, the shelf life increases to 15 years, but no more.

Bitumen insulation is applied in a double layer.

Dry mixes. This is one of the modern methods of isolation. It is effective, durable, and allows you to eliminate even microscopic cracks in walls and floors, which increases the service life of the inspection pit. The mixtures, diluted with water in the consistency indicated on the packaging, are applied to the concrete layer.

If dry mixes- This modern way, which, however, is often used as additional insulation supporting another, polymer or bitumen, then mixture of clay and petroleum products- this is the most old way isolation. It is good because it is easy to carry out work and requires minimal financial costs.

The disadvantage of this method is that petroleum products toxic, and experts do not recommend working for a long time in a pit treated with such a composition.

IMPORTANT: do not forget to always glue the joints, whether polymer material, bitumen or some other. Failure to comply with this condition may result to the destruction of the entire structure and the nullification of your labors.

Thermal insulation is an equally important issue, because in our country warm weather is established only for five months, while the rest of the time there is rain, cold and bitter frosts.

At installation of an inspection pit in the garage, the material can act as a durable, effective insulation polystyrene. Positive properties material is the minimum percentage of water absorption, versatility, excellent thermal insulation characteristics. The downside is that it is not durable, about 10 years.

Finishing touches

As finishing touches we will designate:

safety (iron grate on the pit);
niches;
lighting;
ventilation.

Safety involves installing an iron grate on the pit.

Inspection hole in the garage - how to close it? Under no circumstances should it be always open. You may think, forget, not see... the consequences of such inattention are usually disastrous. Therefore it's better trellis during the absence of repairs to the inspection hole in the garage.

Niches in the wall are needed to store tools in them, so as not to have to run upstairs every time for pliers or a screwdriver. The niches also serve as room decor, creating an atmosphere indescribable in words that is conducive to work.

For lighting It is necessary to carry out wiring and install sockets in the wall. You can, of course, use a portable lamp, but it will not be as convenient and aesthetically pleasing.

Ventilation- one of the main issues in the design of an inspection pit, because you often have to use toxic substances, varnishes, paints, which you cannot breathe in a closed room unacceptable. Therefore, give the issue of ventilation a significant part of your attention.

In addition, ventilation is needed to eliminate the possibility of creating condensation effect: high humidity can lead to destruction of the inspection hole and damage to the car and electrical tools. Ventilation can be built by removing air vent 30 cm from the garage floor. And to prevent any debris from getting into the ventilation pipe, it is covered with a mesh.

Now you know how to do inspection hole in the garage with your own hands. Believe me, this is not at all as difficult as it seems, looking at such a voluminous instruction. And finally, we can only wish you patience and goodness!

How to build a pit in the garage with your own hands, watch the video: