Inspection pit in the garage: preparation of materials, dimensions, construction technology. We build a viewing hole in the garage with our own hands Viewing hole corner

A garage with a pit is the dream of every car enthusiast. An inspection hole allows you to save on car repairs, oil changes and other work related to the bottom or suspension of a car. But for many, such pleasure remains only a dream. In this article, we will try to prove that this is not such a difficult task, and anyone can do it.

Before you make a viewing hole in the garage with your own hands, you need to make several calculations and measurements.

Placement planning

At the very initial stage, it would be desirable to find out how deep the groundwater is. Arrangement of a viewing hole in the garage obliges the presence of a depth of groundwater at least 2.5 meters deep. If the water area chosen for the garage is located higher, then it is better to abandon the conceived idea. If there is no desire to call special services to measure the depth of the waters, then you can ask the neighboring garage owners how they are doing with the pits.

Depending on the information received about groundwater, it is necessary to plan the waterproofing of the inspection pit. Some motorists refuse this important step, referring to the fact that the groundwater is too deep and does not rise so high. However, the geological situation can change at any time. In addition, the last time of the year suits us with such surprises, when in one day a monthly or even an annual rainfall can fall. In such situations, anything can happen. Therefore, it is foolish to ignore the waterproofing of a basement or a pit in a garage.

Given the climatic conditions and the presence of low temperatures in winter, the garage pit can be additionally insulated. Styrofoam is considered the best option for these purposes. It is not afraid of moisture and does not lend itself to the processes of mold or suppuration. It is necessary to insulate the excavated pit from the outside, that is, the foam layer should be located between the wall of the pit and the earthen clod. Expanded polystyrene must be protected from wet ground with a layer of waterproofing.

The correct arrangement of a viewing hole in the garage cannot do without ventilation. The ventilation system will play a very important role for the car, tools and things stored in the garage, as well as the car enthusiast himself. In favor of this point are the following problems that can be solved with the help of properly thought out and executed ventilation:

• The formation and retention of moisture in a closed, cold room (its excess adversely affects the operation of the car and other tools);
• Emission of harmful substances and fumes by the car and other means stored in the garage;
• Lack of clean air flow in winter when the gates are closed.

The ventilation system in a homemade pit can be made according to two schemes:

• General ventilation;
• Autonomous ventilation.

General ventilation implies the presence of two pipes that have access from the garage to the street. One of the pipes transports fresh air from outside and distributes it throughout the main room and the inspection pit. For such manipulations in the pipe there is a tee with an entrance - exit to the garage - exit to the pit. The second pipe provides exhaust air to the outside from both rooms. Its lower edge is located at the very top of the pit and takes dirty air from there, under the ceiling of the garage there is a second hole in the pipe, where all the “flavors” of its floor part go. Outside, the exhaust air is thrown out through the upper edge of the pipe, which rises 50 cm above the roof level. The entrance and exit of the ventilation pipe should be located on opposite walls of the garage.

Autonomous ventilation of inspection pits is used extremely rarely. To organize it, it is necessary to carry out two pipes under the walls of the garage or bring them to the roof. The inlet pipe should be located at the bottom of the pit, and the outlet pipe should be at its top. The outer edge of the inlet pipe must be placed at a level of 50 cm above the ground and protected with a special grate. The street part of the outlet pipe must be raised 2-2.5 m above the ground and covered with a metal tip in the form of an umbrella. Such a device will protect the pipe from the penetration of additional moisture and dirt into it.

A prerequisite for arranging high-quality ventilation is to check it at the final stages. In order to test the ventilation system, it is enough to bring a lit match, candle or lighter to its outlet. In this case, the flame of fire should go inside the pipe, as if it were being sucked in there. If you bring the light to the inlet, then a stream of air should blow on the flame - perhaps the fire will even go out.

In the planning scheme for a pit for a garage, it is also desirable to take into account two more important points - sources of additional lighting and openings in the wall in the form of niches

Niches will be a very convenient device for a car enthusiast - at any time you can put something in them for work or store frequently used things or tools in them. Their location should be taken into account when developing a sketch and erecting walls. To equip such recesses, metal boxes or temporary wooden models are often used, which are subsequently concreted.

When planning lighting, the following nuances must be considered:

• The voltage inside the inspection pit should be no more than 36V (220V is prohibited in such rooms);
• The wiring cable should be protected as much as possible - it is advisable to place it in a special metal corrugated pipe;
• Lamps must be used in 12V or 36V - LED ice lamps are the best option (tungsten lamps are prone to explosions).

Important! If you take into account all the above tips, then as a result you won’t have to finish or redo anything. After all, repairing a viewing hole in a garage or dismantling it is not an easy task, and even much more effort and nerves can be spent on it than on the construction of a new structure.

Construction materials

If the groundwater is very deep, then you can make a pit with your own hands from brick or foam blocks. If the soil under the garage is characterized by high humidity, then it is best to fill it with concrete. The fact is that concrete is not afraid of moisture, but rather grows stronger under its influence. For concrete pouring, it is necessary to additionally reinforce the wall.

Here is a list of all the materials that you may need to equip the pit with your own hands:

2. Crushed stone;

3. gravel;

4. Cement;

5. Beam 30x30 or 40x40;

6. Board 25mm or plywood 10x15 (for formwork);

7. Board 40-45mm processed (to cover the pit);

8. Reinforcing bar 6x8 (for reinforcement);

9. Dense polyethylene, roofing material, butyl rubber or aquaizol (for waterproofing);

10. Corner 50x50 (for fencing the pit and fixing its perimeter);

11. Wire 1.5x2 (for tying reinforced mesh);

12. Plastic pipe 100mm (ventilation);

13. Brick, foam blocks or cement (for building walls).

Pit options

Before digging a hole, it is necessary to determine its parameters and apply markings to the surface of the earth or floor.

When marking, it should be borne in mind that in a built-in garage with a floor screed, drawing is much easier than in the absence of a garage. On bare ground, you can use pegs or four beacons driven into the ground around the entire perimeter, on which a rope is stretched, forming the shape and dimensions of the future ditch.

In the case of a built garage, another problem arises - digging a foundation pit in it is much more difficult than on an open piece of land. In this situation, it is impossible to use the services of technology - you will have to do everything yourself. In addition, it would be desirable to enlist outside help, since in addition to digging, it will also be necessary to take out open ground. Such work will take much more time and effort. It is better not to take the excavated earth far away, since it will still be needed to bury the opening between the lined and soil edge of the pit.

1. As a rule, the width of the pit directly depends on the distance between the wheels of the car - it should be 20 cm less than this distance;

2. It is necessary to take into account the fact that perhaps someday there will be another car in the garage, therefore it is advisable to take the average width - often it is 80-85cm;

3. The length of the pit also depends on the length of the car, but both smaller and larger sizes can be used (many people make the pit a meter longer than the car, and some who do not have a lot of space, on the contrary, shorten the pit - then the car has to drive it in front , then backwards);

4. The depth of the pothole is calculated based on the height of the garage owner - it is advisable to add 10-15cm to his full height.

When calculating the dimensions of the pit in the garage, you must also take into account the gap for laying walls and pouring the floor. If you plan to lay brick walls or pour concrete, then it is advisable to increase the pit by another 25-30 cm. If it is decided to lay them out of gas blocks, then in addition you need to throw another 40cm. Filling the floor will also steal about 20cm of height. The presence of waterproofing implies the addition of 15-17cm.

Action algorithm

1. We dig a ditch.

2. Rom a trench for ventilation (if a stand-alone system is to be used).

3. We tamp the floor. This process consists of several stages. First, carefully tamp a layer of earth, then pour a five-centimeter layer of crushed stone or gravel on it and also tamp it well. We add another five-centimeter layer to the compacted layer of crushed stone. With the last ball we make a layer of sand 5 cm. Some experts prefer to repeat all the layers again, while others manage in one go.

4. Waterproofing. We cover the bottom and walls of the pit with waterproofing material, the pieces of which are overlapped by 15-20 cm. If we use roofing material, then we process the joints with mastic, if polyethylene or other materials, then we seal the joints with double-sided tape. On the upper edges of the pit, we fix the waterproofing with something heavy.

5. We carry out installation of ventilation.

6. Install the reinforced mesh on the floor. Before placing the reinforced mesh on the floor, we cover it with insulation. If the foam was not planned to be used, then we fix the grid at a level of 5-7 cm.

7. Fill the floor. It is desirable to concrete the floor with cement grade M-400. We maintain the proportions of sand, crushed stone and cement in accordance with 2: 2: 1. It is advisable to use a concrete mixer, if it is not available, it is better to add a plasticizer, liquid glass or liquid soap to the solution. If we use insulation, then we make a layer of concrete about 5 cm, if we do not use it, then at least 10-12 cm.

8. We pause until the concrete sets. Depending on weather conditions, you will have to wait from a week to two.

9. We build walls, not forgetting about openings for lighting and niches.

10. We lay a corner on the wall frame made. It can be attached using mortgages welded to it (if it was decided to lay out a brick) or long studs (if the wall was made of concrete).

11. We fill the opening between the ground and the walls of the inspection hole with a mixture of clay and soil, carefully tamping all the layers.

12. We make a floor screed.

13. We build a cover for the pit.

Walling

If it was decided to build walls of brick or other blocks, then stepping back from the soil layer 10-12cm, you need to start laying. For the accuracy of erection, you can pull the threads that will serve as a level. In the process, it is desirable to reinforce the masonry every couple of rows. Ventilation pipes must be laid. The masonry mortar is prepared from sand and cement in a ratio of one to three.

If the walls will be erected from concrete, then before pouring them, it is necessary to equip the formwork and install the reinforcing mesh. For the manufacture of formwork, you can use boards or plywood (it does not let the mortar through, and thanks to it the walls are smoother). It is best to support the plywood from the inside and outside with bars so that under the weight of the solution it does not bend and deform the wall. Exactly in the middle between the plywood, you need to place the reinforcement grid. It is recommended to pour the solution at a time. It will be possible to remove the formwork after the concrete has completely dried (from a week to two).

We hope that after reading the detailed instructions and having examined all the photos given in this article, it will become much clearer to you how to make a viewing hole in the garage with your own hands. Do not forget if you bought a ready-made garage.

Motorists "with experience", who are independently engaged in repairing their car, 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, the exhaust pipe, muffler, gearbox, engine and other hard-to-reach places. If there is a hole, you do not need to pay for a simple oil change procedure in a car service.
However, the existence of such a structure in the garage inevitably leads to the appearance of high 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 its rapid corrosion.
Ideally, when they think about building a viewing hole before building a garage. But in an existing garage, you can equip it, 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 codes and strictly observe building technologies. Then the results of labor will delight the owner for many years and it will be possible to avoid sad consequences.

Step one: sizing

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

1. 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 so that the person inside has room to work. At the same time, you should not be rigidly guided by the size of a particular “iron horse”, because the owner may eventually buy another car for himself.
   

   The standard width is 75–80 cm. If a pit is needed for a car and a truck at the same time, then the final width is averaged, despite the fact that it will be more difficult for a car to drive;

   
   Inspection hole dimensions
   In the photo is a drawing of a viewing hole In the garage, a pit for inspecting a car is necessary

   Section of the pit showing its device

2. 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. Consideration should also be given to space for steps or a ladder;
3. The depth of the pit should be such that the owner of the car, working in it, can freely reach any mechanism without bending down or standing on tiptoe. 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 height of the owner + 15–20 cm.

The necessary allowances on each side should be added to the obtained dimensions for subsequent work on finishing, waterproofing and insulation. 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 supposed, the allowances must be increased.

Be sure to find out how deep the groundwater is in the soil. This information is indicated in the research report before the construction of 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 it is impossible to make an inspection hole in an already built garage, because it will be flooded. In the garage under construction, you will have to make a drainage system that diverts excess water into the sewer. If groundwater lies deeper, there are no contraindications to construction.

It is convenient when small niches are made in the walls of the viewing hole. They usually have the necessary tools for car repair. Places for niches, their dimensions should be considered in advance and drawn on the plan. The depth of the niches is usually made 15–20 cm, the length and width are determined at the discretion of the owner.

Step Two: Planning and Executing Construction Phases

After work "on paper" comes the turn of work "on the ground". The stages of building a viewing hole are as follows:

1. Markup. On the place 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 a viewing hole close to the garage wall. The distance to the wall must be at least 1 m;
2. Pit preparation. Undoubtedly, this is the most difficult stage, but workers can be hired to complete it. You will have to take out about 8-9 cubic meters of earth. 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 pickaxe, starting from the far end of the future pit. Spacers from boards may be required so that the soil from the walls does not crumble.
   

   Loose earth 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 must be leveled with a manual rammer as carefully as possible. After the surfaces are ready, the bottom is covered with a 10 cm thick layer of gravel, well tamped. 5 cm of sand are poured on top, then rammed again. If the soil is wet, then 5 cm of clay is poured for waterproofing, covered with the same layer of gravel. The surface is covered with a plastic film, after which it is reinforced with a metal mesh;

3. Do-it-yourself walls and floor of the viewing hole. The bottom of the pit prepared in this way is poured with a layer of concrete mortar 7–8 cm thick, left to dry for several days. After the concrete has hardened, you can proceed to reinforcing the walls with a mesh. To fill the walls with a concrete mixture, formwork is required, which is usually made from OSB sheets. Then from them you can 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, embedded parts are used that are firmly fixed in concrete. Particular attention should be paid to reinforcing places for niches.
   

   The space between the formwork and the edges of the pit is filled with mortar. A metal corner is laid in the last layer of concrete, protruding 10 cm above the surface. Such a border is needed to see where the pit is when entering the garage. Subsequently, boards are laid on it, covering the viewing hole.

   The formwork is removed 2 weeks after the walls are poured, after which the concrete is allowed to harden for another month. Only in this way can the strength of the walls be guaranteed. When the concrete hardens, they proceed to the backfilling of the soil, and then to the interior decoration of the viewing hole. Backfilling of the sinuses is carried out with clay or loam, which well protect the pit from water penetration. Pour layer after layer of 15–20 cm, compact well. Instead of clay, you can use the original soil, but it must be especially carefully compacted. Recently, ceramic tiles have been used to finish walls and floors. Another option is to plaster the walls with white gypsum plaster.

Step three: waterproofing and insulation

The pit 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, additional measures for waterproofing the bottom of the structure are needed.

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

Most commonly 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 treated surface must not be damaged).

For additional protection against 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. So you can further save on electricity used to heat the garage. Insulation should be provided at the stage of determining the dimensions of the pit. Among modern heaters, expanded polystyrene is considered the best. It has the following properties:

• Does not rot;
• Does not burn;
• Does not pass moisture;
• It adheres well to concrete surfaces with glue;
• It's cheap;
• Safe for health.

Step four: additional arrangement

In order to work comfortably inside the inspection pit, you need to perform a number of additional works:

Important details when arranging a viewing hole

When carrying out work on arranging a viewing hole for a garage, one must not forget about the measures of one's own safety:

1. When excavating in weak, unstable soils, starting from a depth of 1 m, install spacers and reinforcements from boards. The fact that the soil is crumbling is usually immediately visible;
2. Use protective equipment: gloves, mittens, sturdy boots, goggles, especially when working with a grinder or puncher;
3. Work with an assistant. It's much easier, faster and safer.

Such rules will help to cope with the work without harming your health.

Video

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

Own garage with a viewing hole is the dream of any car owner. So why not bring it to life with your own hands? After all, a garage pit will provide access to important parts of the car, which will allow you to perform inspection and repair work without contacting the car service masters.

Why do we need a viewing hole and what should it be?

Garage pit - the main assistant of a motorist. It allows you to perform diagnostics, maintenance and minor, and even major repairs of the car yourself.

It is worth remembering that the viewing hole is an increased source of moisture. So, the most important task in its construction is waterproofing.

A damp inspection pit will quickly nullify the microclimate in the garage, which will inevitably lead to the appearance of rust and mold.

The dampness coming from the inspection hole drastically reduces the comfort of being in the garage, especially in the cold season. And this is already dangerous to health, so the pit must be kept perfectly dry: oil drips or puddles of water are not allowed.

Before carrying out any major activities in the garage, you must:

• study the features of the soil under the garage structure and establish the depth of groundwater;
• assess the condition of the foundation.

Based on reliable geodetic data, as well as the requirements of building codes, it will be possible to make a technically competent and economically sound decision.

Attention: when planning a viewing hole, it is imperative to provide material for closing during downtime. This will eliminate the effect of excessive moisture on the bottom and lower part of the car body.

Dimensions

It is reasonable to place an inspection hole not in the middle, but closer to one of the side walls and in the depths of the garage. The already small area of ​​a cramped or narrow room, of course, should not be reduced. But it would hardly be advisable to build an inspection pit less than 2 m long.

The optimal depth is taken equal to the average human height (170-180 cm) in total with a small margin of 15-20 cm to increase the viewing angle of the bottom of the car.

The main requirements for entering the inspection pit are safety and ergonomics. If the garage is short, but wide enough, the entrance to the viewing hole can be made side.

The width of the garage pit directly depends on the size of the room and, of course, the dimensions of the car. In private garages, this value is assumed to be 70–80 cm for cars and 110–120 cm for trucks and minibuses.

Attention: it is better to take the depth of the inspection hole with some margin. At the bottom of the structure, it is always possible to equip an elevation, which will ensure the convenience of performing certain technical operations, while the passage under the machine placed on the pit will not be embarrassed by anything. In addition, special niches and recesses should be provided on the walls of the pit, in which it will be possible to fold tools or car parts.

Features of waterproofing and thermal insulation of the garage pit

It is necessary to choose materials for waterproofing and insulation of a viewing hole at the planning stage. This will allow you to correctly calculate the parameters of the structure and make a decision on its interior decoration.

Waterproofing materials

As a waterproofing for a garage viewing hole, you can use:

• bituminous materials (roofing material and its varieties, bituminous resin; service life 10–15 years);

• polymeric geotextiles (single and multilayer polymeric membranes on a self-adhesive basis; service life is at least 50 years);

• penetrating compositions (dry mineral or mineral-organic mixtures, diluted with water immediately before use; the service life is equal to the service life of the treated surfaces);

• oily clay in combination with refined products (in combination with modern materials, oily clay will increase the operational period of the main waterproofing);

• liquid rubber (emulsion, which includes latex, polymers and stabilizing agents; service life is about 25 years);

Waterproofing the garage pit must be carried out in conjunction with thermal insulation measures. The latter allow to reduce heat leakage through the floor and walls of the structure, as well as to minimize the amount of condensate formed due to temperature differences.

Thermal insulation measures

Extruded foam and expanded clay are excellent for thermal insulation of the inspection pit. The first is laid on the waterproofing of the walls of the structure and covered with a vapor barrier film, after which a concrete screed is poured.

Expanded clay is filled with sand and gravel cushion, equipped at the bottom of the pit. A vapor barrier is installed on the rammed pillow, after which the floor is poured or laid.

Attention: if the groundwater level is less than 2.5 m, it is necessary to organize a drainage system with drainage outside the garage.

Pit lighting and ventilation

The presence of a lighting system in the inspection pit is a prerequisite for comfortable and safe work. Lighting equipment should have low power and it needs reliable protection from moisture and mechanical damage.

In the garage pit you can install:

• lamps with voltage up to 36 V (fluorescent lamps);
• low-voltage lamps with a voltage of 12 V (LED lamps);
• lamps with a voltage of 220 V in a waterproof design (not lower than IP54);
• accumulator lamps with the tight case.

One of the most popular solutions is 36 V fluorescent lamps in a protected waterproof housing. They are consume a small amount of electricity, which is beneficial for long lighting periods. The same can be said about LEDs, the use of which provides a high level of electrical safety.

When lighting an inspection pit with equipment operating under a voltage of 220 V, it is necessary to carry out a hidden laying of electrical wiring with mandatory waterproofing of the latter, and close the lamps with shades with a grill; all metal elements of the system should be grounded from a single circuit led outside the garage.

Battery-powered lamps are rarely used to illuminate inspection pits due to the high cost, as well as the difficulty of repairing or replacing damaged elements. However, if it is impossible to equip stationary lighting, such equipment is the most suitable solution.

Attention: sockets and switches cannot be installed in the inspection hole. For the convenience of performing certain types of work, it is recommended to equip a garage pit with a portable lamp with a special housing (with a carrying handle, a stand for stationary installation and a hook or clip for hanging) on ​​a protected electric cord with a length of at least 4 m.

As for the ventilation of the garage pit, in most cases it is left natural.

Forced air exchange is advisable to organize in tight spaces where exhaust gases quickly accumulate, as well as in garages installed in areas with a high level of groundwater.

Ventilation in the garage is equipped in the following way:

1. An exhaust outlet with protection against wind blowing and rainwater ingress is arranged under the ceiling of the garage on the leeward side.
2. The supply hole is made at a distance of no more than 50 cm from the floor, preferably closer to the inspection hole, on the windward side.
3. The exhaust and supply ventilation openings are closed with a metal or plastic grate.

Attention: to increase the intensity of air exchange, the exhaust outlet of the garage ventilation can be equipped with a fan of small or medium power, powered by a switchboard or battery.

We build a viewing hole in the garage with our own hands (with drawings)

The garage pit should be located in such a way that it is possible to park the car on it at a certain angle. This will facilitate access to certain parts of the machine, as well as simplify the performance of many technical operations. The length of the structure depends on the length of the machine (including a margin of 1 m).

Project

A thorough approach to the matter during the construction of a garage pit will help nothing more than a preliminary calculation of its parameters. And it is performed based on the size of the machine, but with some margin in case the latter is changed in the future. For example, if the length of the Opel Kadett is almost 4 m, then the length of the Scoda Octavia is 4.6 m.

Let's take an average value of 4.5 m and get that, taking into account a margin of 1 m, the length of the inspection pit will be 5.5 m.

The depth of the structure should be taken in accordance with the growth of the garage owner. With an average of 175–185 cm, the normal depth of the inspection hole for work will be at least 195 cm, and the width sufficient for free movement and performance of technical operations will be at least 0.8 m. viewing hole parameters:

• length 5.5 m;
• width 1 m;
• height 1.95 m.

You can transfer the obtained dimensions to paper using an axonometric projection or a flat image.

In the second case, two drawings will be needed - for the projections of the structure on the vertical and horizontal planes.

When creating a drawing of an inspection pit, it is necessary to take into account the thickness of the hydro-, heat- and vapor barrier, as well as the concrete screed. This will allow you to more accurately determine the amount of earthworks.

Attention: if the garage is used only for storing the car, it is more convenient to place the inspection hole in the center of the room. In the event that, in combination, the room is used as a mini-workshop or storage room, it is better to move the central axis of the structure closer to one of the walls. With the car put on the pit in such a garage, there will be enough space for passage and work at the workbench.

Instrument preparation and material collection

After approving the construction project, you can start purchasing materials. In order not to waste time, it is worth preparing in parallel the tool that will be needed in the process. It doesn't hurt to include in the list of necessary:

• construction tape measure, marker, knife;
• pickaxe, crowbar, shovels and bayonet shovels;
• building level;
• concrete mixer;
• welding machine;
• powerful puncher or chipper;
• concrete cutter;
• hammer, pliers and a set of screwdrivers;
• circular saw with cutting circles for metal;
• construction trowel;
• electric drill with a mixer for mixing the solution;
• buckets and containers for water, building mixtures and mortar.
• bitumen heating tank;
• burner for gluing roofing material;
• shaft for laying bitumen;
• grater for leveling concrete surfaces.

In search of forces and means to implement the project, one should not forget about the impressive list of building materials. It includes:

• cement, sand and crushed stone or gravel (for the production of cement mortar, concrete and sealing pad);
• expanded clay and / or gravel (as a stabilizing and heat-insulating pad under the floor screed);
• insulation (extruded foam);
• surface waterproofing (penetrating composition for the treatment of concrete surfaces);
• drainage pipe;
• reinforcement with a diameter of 10–12 cm (for reinforcing the floor of the inspection pit);
• boards, wooden blocks, nails and wire (for the construction of formwork);
• brick (in the case of building walls using brickwork)
• vapor barrier film (to prevent the accumulation of condensate on the walls and floor of the inspection pit);
• steel corner 20 * 20 mm (for framing the upper perimeter of the viewing hole);
• boards and beams treated with an antiseptic and waterproof paint (for the manufacture of a viewing hole cover);
• rolled roofing material;
• bituminous resin (mastic).

Attention: the amount of building materials is accepted depending on the size of the pit with a 2–10% margin.

Garage floor demolition and excavation

To implement the construction plan, the first step is to free the territory. Everything superfluous from the garage will have to be removed for a while, as well as prepare a site outside the premises for storing land.

The next steps will be:

1. On the floor of the garage, with the help of chalk, a corner and a rule, the outlines of a viewing hole are drawn.
2. The resulting rectangle is increased by 10–15 cm on each side, which is necessary for the convenience of earthworks.
3. Along the lines that turned out this time, the floor is being disassembled.
4. If the garage floor is made of concrete, you will first have to work with a concrete cutter, and also get acquainted with the capabilities of the chipper found on this occasion (in extreme cases, a high-power puncher armed with a chisel).
5. When working with reinforced concrete, you need to remember about reinforcement. In a standard reinforced concrete slab, it is located at a depth of 5 to 10 cm. The metal skeleton of a concrete screed must be carefully cut with a circular saw, for which you first need to expand the cut with a puncher or a chipper.
6. After removing the layer of concrete with reinforcement, it remains to remove the remains of the screed.
7. The dismantled concrete floor opened up access to the ground under the garage, in which it is necessary to dig a foundation pit 195–200 cm deep, 115 cm wide and 5.5–5.6 m long.
8. When performing earthworks, you should regularly monitor the vertical level of the walls of the pit and the depth of the latter, and also make sure that there is no water in the pit, and that its walls do not crumble as they deepen.

Attention: if necessary, the walls of the excavation can be temporarily reinforced with wooden beams. It is advisable to take the earth obtained in the process of digging a trench outside the premises so as not to clutter it up. In the process of preparing the pit, you need to work in warm clothes, because as the pit deepens, the humidity level will increase, and the temperature in the garage will also decrease.

Waterproofing a garage pit: important points

No tricks will save the viewing hole from flooding in the event of groundwater rising or heavy rainfall, and the garage itself from dampness, fungus and mold, if you do not pay due attention to water drainage. This can be done only with the help of a drainage system: it will provide protection against the penetration of rainwater and soil moisture under the inner perimeter of the room.

Self-installation of drainage

To install the drainage system, you will need drainage pipes wrapped with geotextile, as well as a piece of PVC pipe with a diameter of 100 mm and connecting elements.

The length of the drainage will correspond to the outer perimeter of a separate garage building. The output of the system is arranged at a distance of at least 5 m from the garage. It is highly desirable that the drain be carried out into a nearby ravine or other natural depression in the soil.

If there is none on the site, the drainage outlet will need to be brought into a special container, which must be buried at least 20 cm below the drainage level and equipped with a pump for pumping water with a float.

The drainage must be equipped with a manhole, in the role of which you can use a PVC pipe vertically installed and connected to the drainage perimeter. The upper end of the latter is closed with a protective cover.

Installation of the drainage system is carried out in several stages:

1. Around the garage building, at a distance of up to 0.5 m, a trench is dug with a depth equal to the depth of the garage foundation and up to 0.5 cm wide.
2. A 10 cm cushion of sand and gravel is laid at the bottom of the drainage ditch (to protect the system from destruction under the influence of soil pressure).
3. The sand cushion is covered with a geotextile film.
4. Drainage pipes are laid in the trench and connected into a closed system with an outlet to a tank or a natural depression on the ground.
5. The drainage is covered with a pillow of a mixture of sand and crushed stone (gravel), which in the process must be carefully, but carefully (so as not to damage the pipe) tamped.

With the installation of drainage, the weakest point in the garage waterproofing system - the sole of its foundation - will be reliably protected from water penetration from outside the structure. As a result, the requirements for moisture protection of the inspection pit will decrease.

Attention: from above, the drainage can be covered with soil, turf or concrete screed (the choice is at the discretion of the garage owner). It is better to install a plastic water drainage tank, since it will last much longer than a metal one, and use the drainage drain to water the garden, provided that chemicals used in car care do not get into it.

Protection against moisture and dampness

With the waterproofing of the pit, the main construction begins. This problem is solved in several steps:

1. A pillow of gravel 10–15 cm thick is laid and compacted at the bottom of the pit, which is covered with 5 cm of sand on top.
2. The walls of the inspection pit are laid with a layer of greasy (red) clay.
3. A ruberoid is spread on the surface of the floor. This must be done with an overlap of 10–15 cm and with the same margin protruding onto the surface of the walls.
4. The overlap lines of the roofing material laid on the bottom of the pit are soldered with a burner or glued with molten bitumen mastic. The latter is laid using a special shaft.
5. Similarly, the roofing material is laid on the walls. The vertical and horizontal corners of the pit are additionally glued with bitumen or soldered using a special burner.
6. On top of the roofing material with mandatory gluing of all corners and joints, a vapor barrier made of a thick polyethylene film is laid.

Do-it-yourself floor and walls of a viewing hole

If the hydro and vapor barrier of the pit is ready, it's time to proceed directly to the construction. To do this, you need to prepare in advance the construction site, tools and materials necessary for the preparation of concrete, insulation and reinforcement of the screed.

Filling the floor

Construction begins with floor screed. Its filling is carried out according to the following method:

1. At the bottom of the pit, covered with waterproofing, it is necessary to lay 10–15 cm of rough concrete (grade not lower than M200). The latter is prepared on a concrete mixer in proportions from 1: 3: 4.5 (cement: sand: crushed stone).
2. After partial drying, the surface of the rough screed is leveled with a special grater made of wood or hard foam.
3. If necessary, the rough screed is covered with a layer of insulation (extruded foam 5 cm thick).
4. On top of the thermal insulation pad or, in the absence of such in the project, the rough screed, the reinforcing cage of the floor screed is mounted. To do this, you will need steel reinforcement with a diameter of 10 mm and wire or welding, with which the mesh will be fixed before pouring the screed.
5. On a concrete mixer or using a mixer, a cement-sand mortar is prepared in a ratio of approximately 1: 4, which is poured onto the reinforcing frame so that the thickness of the screed is at least 5 cm.
6. 2-3 hours after pouring the concrete, its surface is leveled with a grater, after which you can begin to build the walls of the inspection pit.

Attention: pouring rough concrete and reinforced screed must be done in 1 step. Therefore, for work you will need at least 2, and preferably 3 pairs of hands. Draft concrete before warming must be allowed to dry completely, which will take at least 3 days. The same period is necessary for the upper reinforced screed in order to be able to walk freely on it during the construction of the walls of the inspection pit.

Wall construction

The walls of the inspection pit can be made of both brick and concrete. In the second case, before starting work, you will have to install the formwork. For this, a cut board or plywood and wooden beams are suitable. In addition, it is desirable to reinforce the walls of the inspection pit with a mesh of steel wire or reinforcement.

At this stage, it is necessary to deal with the laying of electrical wiring, which, according to electrical safety requirements, must be hidden. To do this, you need to hide the wire in the corrugation, stretch it along the surface of the walls and bring it to the installation points of the lamps, and then fix it on the reinforcing mesh, for example, using plastic ties.

The walls are poured in tiers of 30–40 cm in height. In the process of pouring the walls, the mortar should be carefully tamped with a crowbar or a bayonet shovel - this will remove air from the concrete. Before pouring each subsequent tier, it is necessary to let the previous one dry, for which you will need to wait about 2-3 days.

When building brick walls, the thickness of the masonry is taken equal to the width of the latter. Masonry is carried out in a checkerboard pattern with the obligatory binding of corners and careful grouting. At the final stage of the construction of the walls, care must be taken to ensure that the latter protrude above the floor screed in the garage room by at least 5 cm. This will eliminate the possibility of foreign objects slipping into the pit or accidentally driving the car wheel when placing it in the pit.

After laying the brick walls, it is necessary to wrap the hydro and vapor barrier inside the structure and backfill the soil from the outside of the walls. In this case, the soil should be carefully compacted.

Attention: when laying brick walls or pouring them out of concrete, one must not forget about auxiliary niches. In order to make them in concrete walls, you will definitely need to build formwork liners of the appropriate size from the boards. When working with bricks, there is no need for such liners, but with them it will be much more convenient to lay bricks around a niche. Upon completion of pouring the concrete walls of the inspection pit, the formwork can be removed no earlier than after 6-7 days. Brickwork can be considered ready for further work in 4–5 days.

How and with what to close the viewing hole?

Even before the start of pouring or laying the walls of the inspection pit, it is necessary to prepare a mortgage frame. She will crown the side of the structure - the latter is set up a little higher than the garage floor or flush with the latter.

For the manufacture of the frame, you will need a pre-stocked steel corner, a circular saw with cutting discs for metal and a welding machine with electrodes.

The size of the frame is selected according to the inner or outer perimeter of the walls - the corner must stand as required by the cover sheet. By the way, if it is planned to equip the inspection hole with one, the frame must be turned downward at an angle.

Fixing a metal structure is best done using anchors or dowels, for which you will have to make appropriate holes in concrete or brick, as well as in metal. Finally, so that the frame does not rust during the operation of the garage pit, it must be sanded, primed and painted before installation.

Various materials can be used to make the pit cover. For example, you can make it sectional from metal frames covered with steel mesh, or in the form of a wooden shield from edged boards with a thickness of 35 mm or more.

It should be remembered that the thinner the canvas, the easier it is to lift it, so you should not take too thick a tree or shields with a heavy frame.

You can make a cover for a viewing hole in the following way:

Attention: when closing the pit, the outer edge of the lid sheet is in contact with the mortgage frame. Therefore, often the structure is additionally sheathed along the edges with steel or plastic tape. The thickness of such a sheathing will have to be taken into account even before cutting the canvas, and to fix it in advance, buy special fasteners. By the way, the lid can be equipped with special mechanisms that will allow partial opening of the inspection hole.

Video: step-by-step independent construction of a garage pit

Building a viewing hole in the garage is not an easy task. Therefore, their solution should be started, thoroughly prepared and, preferably, in consultation with those who have experience in such work. Competent planning, as well as attention to the issues of thermal and waterproofing of the premises, antiseptic finishes and electrification will ensure comfortable operation of the cellar and will expand the amount of home food stock. With proper organization of work, the construction of a viewing pit should take no more than 10 days, while the construction of a cellar may take about a month with an average density schedule.

March 24th, 2016 Admin

Car repair is often associated with an extensive range of works. In some cases, access to components and assemblies is possible only from below, which cannot be done without a lift or viewing hole. 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 pit 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 about how you can independently equip a viewing hole.

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 ​​\u200b\u200byour garage, how deep it freezes, at what depth groundwater is located, etc. These data will greatly affect the configuration of your pit (depth and degree of waterproofing);

2) Draw up a detailed drawing indicating the dimensions of the pit and its location relative to the walls of the garage;

3) Determine the necessary building materials, buy them and bring them to the right place, the same goes for tools.

Designing a viewing hole for a garage

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

• In the center of the garage, if it contains only a car and items necessary for it, such as operating fluids, spare tires, etc .;
• Closer to one of the walls, if the garage is also a storage of various household items, i.e. also used as a shed. But remember, you can’t place the pit too close to the wall, otherwise it may collapse!

Don't forget to also provide a plank floor for the pit to cover it when not in use.

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

1) The length must match that of the car with an increase of 1 m, which is needed to equip 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) Depth should be done based on your height. At the same time, it should be taken into account that you, standing in the pit, 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 pit on the garage floor and get down to business.

What you need to dig a trench under a viewing hole

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

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

We build the walls of the observation pit

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

The viewing hole must have walls, otherwise it will inevitably begin to crumble. There are quite a few options for creating walls, the most common of them are discussed below:

1) The simplest option is to use roofing material or foil isol, on top of which there will be a number of boards “painted” by mining (this slows down the decay process) or slate, but not wavy, but flat.

2) You can plaster the wall by throwing a rough “fur coat” on a metal mesh, and after it dries, bring out even walls with a new portion of the mortar.

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 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 even and not burnt. If the bricks are old, they must be cleaned of dirt. It is better to choose a classic masonry mortar, 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 to the mixture. The solution will become more liquid and will harden longer, which will give you a large margin of time for laying and correcting flaws.

Naturally, the walls must be made even. To do this, before laying, pull the lace. For control during the masonry process, use a plumb line or building level.
If desired, small niches can be built in brick walls. During repairs, it will be convenient to put tools, spare parts and other small things in them.

Whatever method of erecting walls you choose, they must be strengthened with strapping so that the structure is strong and cannot collapse. For this purpose, a steel corner 50 × 50 × 5 mm is excellent. It is necessary to weld a contour from it, and in such a way that, on top, it is possible to easily lay the cover from the boards, which was mentioned above.

The finished masonry can be left in its original form or plastered, and then painted in any color. In addition, the floor for warmth can be covered with wooden flooring.
If you are a resident of the Far North, it is important to take care of thermal insulation. As a heater, it is better to use 5 cm polystyrene foam. Despite the 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 it was not possible to find the relevant documents, you will have to drill a well or dig a hole. Water appeared already at a depth of 2 m.? Then you can’t do without waterproofing, otherwise in the spring your pit will turn into a mini-pond with melt water. Moreover, it is necessary to do waterproofing, strictly before the start of pouring the floor and erecting walls.

How to choose waterproofing material

At the moment, the most widespread are 3 types of waterproofing:

• polymer membranes.

Considered the most reliable material. The service life is unlimited. In view of such outstanding qualities, the material is very expensive, and not every car owner will be able to overpower his 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;

• Roll materials based on bitumen (roofing material, rubemast, foilsol, brizol, etc.).

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

• Penetrating waterproofing.

A very effective way to prevent water ingress. More expensive than roll materials, but it has an unlimited service life.

Waterproofing a viewing hole in the garage: stages of implementation

Waterproofing should start from the floor. First, compact the surface tightly, then pour an even layer of clay on it, sand on the clay, and gravel on it. Pack each layer carefully. The total thickness of all these layers should be 30 cm.

• Roll-bitumen materials

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

Rolled waterproofing will be most correctly laid in U-shaped strips, giving an overlap of 20 cm. The corners must be turned so that the strips remain on a flat section of the floor or wall.

The joints are glued with molten bitumen, but you can also use a bitumen solvent, which will melt the roofing material and it will seize. Take the excess strip along the steps outside the pit - cut it off later. After the 1st layer (along and across), let the bitumen at the joints cool down, and proceed to layer No. 2. In 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 mix that is diluted with water before use. To prepare a solution, per 1 kg. the mixture requires about 0.3 liters. water.

It is very important to mix the mixture thoroughly so that no lumps remain. Then the solution is applied to the wall with a 1 mm layer. If the walls near the pit are brick, then it is required to apply another layer to the finished wall in order to reliably clog 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 out, as if “binding” it.

Together with a waterproofed brick wall, it can withstand water pressure up to 20 atm. Its service life is not limited.

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 leaking, propane tends to go down (it is heavier than air), which means that it will inevitably fall into the pit.

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

The first is a pipe led through the wall to the street. Through it, clean air will enter the pit. The second is also a pipe installed opposite the flow pipe, but it is not output through the wall, but through the roof. Its upper end should rise above the garage by no more than a meter. Pipes can be both steel and 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 a viewing hole in the garage - how to hold the light

You can work in a viewing hole without stationary light sources, limiting yourself to a headlamp. However, it gives 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 does it in compliance with all safety standards;

2) Lighting should be uniform, you may need several lights;

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 should be with intact insulation, ideally double.

Lamps suitable for garage lighting are low and high voltage:

• 12 volt bulbs;
• lamps for 36 volts;
• 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 with a protective casing, since an open lamp will not last long due to moisture and pollution.

Incandescent lamps in the pit should not be used. They heat up during operation, and if you touch them, it is easy to burn yourself. The light from them is too bright, which harms vision. In addition, they consume a lot of energy, and if there is a voltage drop, they can spark and burst, which is fraught with injury and fire.

Fluorescent bulbs are good because they have a wide variation in color, use little electricity, and last a long time. However, they are not suitable for a pit, because they are sensitive to cold - when the ambient temperature drops below 5 degrees, they become unreliable. They must be disposed of in a special way, since they contain mercury.

Energy-saving lamps have all the advantages of fluorescent and an almost complete absence of disadvantages, with the exception of a higher price and difficult disposal: they also contain mercury.

LED lamps are the most perfect, because they combine all the positive characteristics of other light bulbs. There is no mercury in them, but the price is very high, and for good lighting they need several pieces, which not everyone can afford.

Also in the garage it is useful to have a carrier lamp or a mobile 36-volt lamp. They can come in handy if you need to consider the place of repair better.

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

In the garage room, the viewing hole becomes simply irreplaceable. With it, you can regularly carry out an almost professional technical inspection, make a planned replacement of parts, as well as repairs, if necessary. Of course, if a car enthusiast devotes enough time to his car, repairs and inspects it himself, he just needs to equip the room accordingly. Today we will learn how bricks can be built. We will define all the most important stages, useful tips, find out which algorithm to build a pit. In addition, we will consider a specific algorithm for building a viewing hole made of bricks.

First of all, you need to carry out complex preparatory work. Now we will highlight all the most important points.

ground water

One risk factor is of great importance - the level of groundwater rise. The final success of the work on the construction of the inspection pit largely depends on this. In some cases, it is necessary to abandon the construction of such a pit or cellar. You need to be prepared in advance for the fact that the water level will be critical.

Unfortunately, in some settlements there are no specialized geological services at all, where relevant surveys are carried out. But you can independently determine the level of groundwater rise with a fairly high accuracy. This is done in the following way. You need to dig a hole 2.5 meters deep. Watch how high the water rises. When the worst forecasts are confirmed, that is, the waters lie too close to ground level, it is better to refuse to build a viewing hole. Of course, purely theoretically, it is possible to provide waterproofing even in such a situation, but then the pit will look more like a bunker, it will take a lot of effort and investment in construction, and the danger of flooding will still remain.

Another option that will help to cope with the natural risk factor is the arrangement of drainage. It happens that a motorist takes care of his car professionally, he needs an inspection hole, but there is no opportunity to choose another site. In this case, high-quality groundwater drainage should be done. A special drainage well is dug outside the garage, where water is drained. But such work is laborious and requires significant investments.

Properly determine the size of the viewing hole

It is very important to immediately accurately determine the optimal parameters of the viewing hole. It should not be too large, but it is also inconvenient to work in cramped quarters. Everything must be correctly selected, of course, in accordance with the dimensions of the car.

Let us dwell on the methods for determining the key parameters.

• Pit length. Consider the parameters of the car. Typically, the standard length of a viewing hole for a passenger car is approximately 4-5 meters. To equip a convenient descent with an attached or monolithic ladder, you need to add one more meter. These are good parameters that are focused on comfortable, rational use of the viewing hole. You will no longer need to regularly move the car during repair work, as happens if the pit is too small, short.
• Width. Here the distance between the wheels of the car plays a key role for you. The standard parameter for modern cars is a pit with a width of 75-80 cm. This width will be quite enough, while it is not too large.
• Depth. Everything is strictly individual here. Of course, they work standing up in the inspection pit. Some dig shallow holes so as not to provoke pressure and groundwater leakage, but it is inconvenient to work while sitting on a stool. It is better to make a good deep viewing hole. Approximately 15 cm is added to the height of the motorist. When there are any doubts about the depth (for example, when several people with different heights are planned to work in the pit), of course, it is better to make it larger. After all, if necessary, you can simply make a small platform under your feet.

When the parameters are determined, it is necessary to make a drawing, and write all the exact dimensions on it. Then this scheme is transferred to the construction site, digging a pit.

Construction methods

The construction process will largely depend on the method of arranging the viewing hole. The best option is to lay the foundation immediately, even at the stage of erecting the strip foundation and the basement of the garage. In this case, the excavator also digs the pit. At the same time, work is underway to waterproof, ventilate and insulate the pit with the garage as a whole.

But quite often you have to deal with construction after the construction of the garage box. Of course, then you have to dig the pit manually.

Pay attention to one significant point. You will need soil from the development, so that later you can fill your sinuses with it, as well as raise the level of the floor in the room. The fact is that the floor of the garage is made at a mark higher than the road on which the car leaves.

Building a viewing hole

It's time to consider in detail how to build a brick inspection pit with your own hands. Let's start by clarifying some points.

Specify the size of the pit

We have already talked about the parameters of the viewing hole. But it is important to remember: the pit must be larger than the pit! Consider the following settings.

You have to lay out a leveling layer, which will consist of gravel, crushed stone and sand. The standard thickness of such a layer is 50-100 mm. This must be added to the depth.

The bottom is made of concrete with a grade of 150-200, the thickness of which is approximately 100 mm. This is also reflected in the depth of the pit.

Width and length also increase, since the thickness of the brick walls is 250 mm when building in one brick. In addition, a gap of about 30-40 mm should be left between the masonry and the wall of the pit, in order to then make waterproofing from the outside and sealing backfill with soil.

Work algorithm

You will need crushed stone, concrete grade 200, cement, gravel and sand, as well as waterproofing sheet materials (izolon), plaster, brushes with shovels, a level, an attached stepladder, a metal corner, boards, polystyrene foam for insulation, metal pipes and gratings for a ventilation device .

Let's move on to the step-by-step instructions.

1. First of all, all the markup from the drawing is transferred to the garage floor in the place where you decided to make an inspection hole.
2. Then you need to dig a pit. The bottom is carefully cleaned, after which the floor is arranged in the pit. In the process of working in the pit, it is better to go down the ladder.
3. After leveling the floor, a horizontal waterproofing of the bottom is performed. Use roll materials, for example, the well-known isolon. The material is popular, proven. You can take roofing material, in extreme cases - a thick plastic film.
4. Be sure to bring the edges of the waterproofing material 50 cm beyond the bottom of the pit. Then they are wrapped, attached to the outer surface of the brickwork.
5. An important stage is the concreting of the bottom. Here it is necessary to immediately take into account the dimensions of the concrete base. If the pit is planned with a width of 75 cm, add the thickness of the brickwork (50 cm along the perimeter), and also make a margin of 5-10 cm. As a result, the width is 140 cm. The width of the concrete base is calculated in the same way.
6. Reinforcement is optional, although for greater reliability and durability it is still better to lay a reinforcing metal mesh. If you took the concrete mix M-200, and the thickness of the concrete bottom is more than 80 cm, it is quite possible to do without reinforcement.
7. Then there comes a time when it is necessary to allow the concrete to harden. This will take at least 3 days.
8. Now it's time to start laying the brick walls of the inspection pit. Carefully make orders, use a level so that the masonry is adjusted horizontally. There are enough walls in one brick. Do not forget that you need to leave a gap between the walls of the pit and the masonry.
9. Perform thorough plastering of the walls on both sides. A good solution is to plaster the masonry in parallel with the construction of the walls. So, having laid out 4 rows, it is necessary to cover them with a layer of plaster outside and inside.
10. Pay more attention to the exterior wall decoration. High-quality coating waterproofing is required. Use bituminous mastic, hot bitumen. Such waterproofing is necessarily carried out in two layers. This is indispensable, since it is precisely such a measure that will prevent the appearance of dampness in the inspection hole. Otherwise, the walls will draw moisture from the ground.
11. When the masonry is fully completed, external waterproofing is done, it is the turn of backfilling the existing sinuses. Here you will need the soil left over from digging the pit. It is covered with 15 cm, carefully rammed, then the next layer is made. This layer-by-layer ramming is also very important. The best solution is to add clay to the soil. The compacted clay layer will become a reliable additional barrier to moisture penetration, as well as a monolithic support for masonry.

If you want to conduct lighting in the viewing hole, immediately provide niches for lighting fixtures in the masonry. It is also worth making an additional large niche for storing the most popular tool, wrenches.

We equip a viewing hole

It is important to carry out a sufficiently voluminous additional work in order to fully equip the viewing hole in the garage.

niches

They are useful for lighting fixtures and tools. They need to be provided in the process of laying brick walls. The optimal dimensions for a standard niche are as follows: a depth of 12 cm, a height of 25-30 cm, and a length of about 50-75 cm.

Water collection

A pit is a very useful thing in a viewing hole. After all, even with impeccable waterproofing, you will need to somehow get rid of moisture that can be carried on the wheels, drip from the car. The best option is to make a liquid collector at the bottom of the inspection hole. To do this, a minimum slope is made to one corner. There is a small hole dug. It is also cemented so that the edges do not collapse. Since it is possible to accidentally step there, the pit is covered with a strong grating.

Ventilation

It is advisable to make forced or natural ventilation in the inspection pit. Use metal pipes, a small fan. Ventilation will help to quickly eliminate all harmful fumes from the pit, as well as prevent the formation of condensate. And it is much more comfortable and safer to be in such a space.

Strengthening the edges of the pit

The edges of the pit should be well reinforced. Be sure to do this so that the pit does not crumble, withstand the pressure of the wheels of the car. You will need a metal corner No. 45-50. A framing frame is welded from it around the entire perimeter of the viewing hole. In order for the frame to be securely fixed, anchor outlets with a diameter of 6-10 mm must be welded to the outer sides. They should be located every 25 cm. When the garage floor is additionally concreted, they enter the concrete base.

We close the hole

To protect the pit from all external influences, it is desirable to close it for those periods when it is not in use. It is worth considering this point already at the stage of welding the corners for the frame. Weld them so that the boards fit comfortably into it along the narrow side.

Wheel stops

Consider the moment the car enters the area above the viewing hole. So that the wheels do not even accidentally fall into it, it is necessary to specially install limiters for them. To do this, take a metal profile: corner, channel or pipes. The metal frame should rise above the floor, protecting the pit from the arrival of the car.

Warming

A good solution is to insulate the viewing hole. For this, sheets of expanded polystyrene are suitable, which can simply be glued to brick walls.

Lighting

Take care of lighting the space of the pit. Install lamps in pre-prepared niches, run cables in plastic channels. Lighting will ensure comfortable work at any time.

Step-by-step instructions with a photo from the garage

A step-by-step instruction with a photo allows you to get a visual representation of the process of building a viewing hole made of bricks with your own hands.

1. At first it was easy to work: there was sand digging.
2. Then the clay went, so it became more difficult to dig.
3. Made a waterproofing box out of isoplast. Temporarily laid the boards for fixing.
   
4. Installed reinforcing mesh.
   
5. Started laying brick walls.
   
6. Made niches on the sides.
   
7. Recesses of different sizes: for tools, for lamps.
8. Nishi also decorated with metal frames.
   
9. The niche for the lamp is small.
   
10. I took a part of concrete, two parts of cement and gravel. Made a concrete pour.
    
11. He poured concrete carefully: inside the floor, outside, around the pit, to further strengthen it.
    
12. Carefully plastered the walls.
    
13. I made a socket for a portable lamp in my pocket.
    
14. Ran the cable.
    
15. He inserted a lamp into the niche.
    
16. This is what the finished pit looks like with lighting.
    

Video: learning to make a viewing hole

You will be able to better understand all the intricacies of building a viewing hole in the garage if you watch the following video material. You can make a hole with your own hands. The main thing is to remember all the important tips, the algorithm of work. A complete picture will be obtained after watching the following video: it describes in detail and shows with a specific example how to build a viewing hole in the garage.

Be careful, act carefully.