How to raise a sewer manhole with bricks. Features of hatches leading to the basement, the nuances of doing it yourself and installing it under the tile
Almost every owner of a private house builds a basement in his own dwelling for storing canned food, vegetables from the garden and other products. A reliable hatch to the basement allows you to provide a lower temperature and optimal humidity in the cellar. Often the entrance is located on the floor in the kitchen or hallway of the house.
The access to the cellar can be closed either with a full door or with a floor hatch. The second option is more acceptable, since floor hatches save living space. The entrance to the basement should fit into the interior of the house and not stand out on the floor as a rectangular spot. An invisible floor hatch can hide the existence of a cellar from prying eyes. Such doors completely merge with the flooring in the room, often they do not even install handles or hinges.
Most hatches are rectangular in shape, although a semicircular basement door can be installed if desired. In addition, the material of the cover is different. Doors are made of wood, plywood or metal.
Technical requirements
The choice of a place for installing the manhole must be made based on the following rules:
- The entrance should be located in an inconspicuous place, but not near a wall. This requirement is due to the fact that the perpendicular surface will prevent the hatch doors from opening.
- If the entrance to the basement is located in the kitchen, then it should be in a place where it is not planned to install any kitchen furniture. The open manhole cover should not touch tables, cabinets and headset elements.
- The door leaf must support the weight of the person. It is best to strengthen it with additional iron partitions or a frame.
The hatch in the floor must have dimensions that will correspond to the dimensions of the owner. The minimum area of such a manhole is 75x75 cm. With a smaller opening, it will be extremely problematic to lower and remove products from the basement. It is worth immediately considering the shape and location of the handle.
The entrance to the cellar is provided with special supports, on which shutters are subsequently installed. For safety, it is better to attach at least four posts.
The manhole must be hermetically sealed, otherwise cold air will seep into the living space. In addition, the weight of the manhole cover must be taken into account. If it turned out to be too heavy, then it is supplied with special springs or an electric drive for more convenient operation.
Design features
To attach a hatch to enter the basement, you can use ordinary door hinges. These are reliable fasteners that require a minimum of effort and cost. It is advisable to use them only for a light wooden cover.
Another way to organize the entrance is to use bonnet hinges from the car in the hatch design. Spring-loaded latches allow you to fix the door in a stable position. Thanks to the lifting mechanism, even a fairly heavy door opens without much effort.
The metal structure of the door makes it not only strong, but also prohibitively heavy. In this case, the hinges must be with shock absorbers. In addition, you can build a semblance of a safe door using an electric motor and a few aluminum pipes. But such a cover can only be opened if the engine is connected to a power source.
Operation and care
The basement door needs periodic maintenance, as it is exposed to strong temperature changes and high humidity. About once a year, the hatch hinges and shock absorbers should be thoroughly lubricated.
From time to time, solutions are applied to the wooden door that repel moisture and prevent the development of fungus. The metal hatch should be cleaned of rust and painted.
How to choose the material and type of construction
When constructing the entrance to the basement, the door material is selected based on its location. If the manhole is installed in the corridor, and people will walk along it every day, then the cover is made of sheet metal to ensure reliability and safety.
If the choice of location for installation fell on a remote corner of the kitchen, then you can make a door out of wood. This option is suitable if parquet or a wooden board is laid on the floor.
In terms of design features, it is difficult to give universal advice. The most important thing is that the manhole cover does not interfere with movement around the room, withstand the weight of the owners and does not attract attention.
Making a hatch in the basement with your own hands
For self-production of a wooden hatch to the basement with shock absorbers, we will need:
- saw;
- a hammer;
- brush;
- screwdriver.
Necessary materials:
- floor boards;
- beam for supports;
- plywood;
- nails, screws;
- hinges with shock absorbers and a handle.
All work is done in the following order:
- First, from the side of the manhole, supports are nailed to the flooring from the boards, on which the lid will lie.
- Using a circular saw, boards are sawn into blanks, the length of which will be 0.5-1 cm less than the width of the hatch box.
- A rectangle is cut out of plywood. Here you need to subtract 1 cm for the gaps between the door and the floor.
- All wooden parts are coated with drying oil, which repels moisture and prevents the development of fungus.
- Lathing for the crate is stuffed onto the plywood layer. Between the rails should put a layer of insulation. Boards are attached over the rails.
It is important that the height of the hatch matches the height of the floor. It is advisable to select a material that will match in width and thickness with the boards laid on the floor. The manufacture of hatches of this design does not require high costs or experience in construction.
Size calculation
Drawings of the entrance to the basement are made individually. It is recommended to follow the standards when calculating the dimensions of the manhole.
The optimal size of the hatch is 80x80 cm. In this case, the doors should be no more than 79x79 cm. It is better to choose a plywood sheet with a thickness of at least 10 mm, and a layer of wood - 25 mm. For the manufacture of a metal hatch, it is worth using sheet steel 1-3 mm.
Features of installation under the tile
The best way to hide the hatch in the cellar is to disguise it as a tile. For this, the manhole cover is made in a special way.
A blank is cut from sheet steel, corresponding to the size of the hatch. Corners are welded along its perimeter, which form the sides. Reinforcement is welded inside the walls, forming cells for tiles. After installing the hatch, the solution is poured onto the fittings. Tiles are laid on top.
The technology for creating a hidden floor hatch includes several stages: the selection and purchase of materials, the preparation of tools, the drawing up of a drawing, and directly the construction of the structure. The main requirements for the arrangement of the yard and the step-by-step progress of the work are described in the article.
Requirements for hidden hatches in the cellar
Having a basement in a country house or in a private house has a number of undeniable advantages. The utility room expands the usable area and provides warm, dry flooring on the ground floor. The disadvantage of the cellar is an increase in the cost of construction. Sometimes the cost of building a basement reaches ¼ of the total estimate for the construction of the entire house. Some try to save money by doing some of the work themselves.
The arrangement of the basement involves the organization of a separate or built-in entrance. It can be an ordinary door or a lyada (a hatch in the field). If the basement is located in a residential building, then a hidden hatch is placed. To do the work yourself, you need to think through everything in advance, taking into account the basic requirements for hidden structures of this type.
- The dimensions of the hatch are selected in accordance with the room and the main purpose of the cellar. The minimum dimensions are 75*75 cm.
- It is better to choose the location of the lyad not next to the wall. The door should swing open without any difficulty. It is important that the open lid does not touch objects on the floor and furniture.
- The cellar should be equipped with a simple and convenient opening mechanism.
- With a door weight of more than 10 kg, it is advisable to equip the hatch with an electric drive.
- The dimensions of the hatch must fully correspond to the basement shaft, and the joints must be airtight.
- You should take care of reliable supports around the perimeter of the hatch. During the day, the lid will be stepped on many times, and it must support the weight of all household members.
- It is advisable to equip the floor hatch with a smooth opening / closing system (gas lift). If there are animals and children in the house, then you will need a fixing device that restricts access to the basement.
- The cover material is selected in accordance with the existing or intended floor finish. For example, if a wooden board or laminate is laid, then the cover is mounted from wood.
Options for finished products: features of operation and installation
It is easier to choose a ready-made hatch design, and install it yourself. There are models of different sizes and types on the market. It will turn out to find an option that is optimally suited for laminate, tile or linoleum. Depending on the method of opening the door to the basement, there are three types:
If the floor is tiled, laminated or other finishing material, then to create a hidden hatch to the basement with your own hands, you need to choose filled aluminum or steel structures. A similar instance is a shallow rectangular container. After installation, the frame is filled with concrete mortar, after complete drying, the surface is lined.
Important! The concrete hatch has a significant weight, therefore, it requires the use of massive hinges and strong fasteners. A well-designed steel structure is capable of supporting weights in excess of 1 ton.
The choice of materials for the manufacture of a hidden do-it-yourself hatch
To implement the project, you can use wood or metal. In this matter, it is important to maintain a reasonable balance between the weight of the structure and its strength. When creating a hatch made of wood, boards with a thickness of 2.5 mm are often used. The top finish of the lid is made with 1 cm plywood. With the help of transverse rails, the boards are interconnected, forming a single sheet. To extend the service life, the wooden door must be treated with drying oil.
The construction of a durable metal hatch is made of steel sheets with a thickness of 3-4 mm. Styrofoam or expanded polystyrene foam is used as a heater.
An important aspect of convenient use of the cellar hatch is a properly selected handle and hinges. For these purposes, an ordinary door handle will not work, as it will rise above the floor level and cause inconvenience when walking. It is better to use folding handles that can be easily lowered or raised. If there are young children in the house, then it is advisable to install removable models. Some craftsmen often cut recesses in wooden hatches and place hidden handles in them.
When making hinged lids, you will need hinges. It can be ordinary models of door hinges or from the hood of a car. When installing hinges for hidden hatches with your own hands, you need to take into account some of the nuances:
- it is better to use products with springs - this will provide easier opening of heavy covers;
- hinges from the car fix the hatch in the open position, which eliminates the possibility of the cellar door slamming.
Important! For a hidden hatch, you need to take mortise hinges. If the hinged models are lined with laminate or tiles from above, then subsequently such a structure cannot be repaired.
Conventional hinges are not suitable for aluminum or steel lids. Here it is necessary to use gas shock absorbers.
Creating a hidden metal structure
For the manufacture of metal hidden revision hatches with your own hands, you will need the following materials and tools:
- sheet metal (steel) with a thickness of 3-4 mm and 1 mm;
- metal corner - 4-5 cm;
- Door hinges;
- thermal insulation material;
- rubber compressor;
- primer for metal processing;
- Bulgarian;
- welding machine, electrodes;
- grinder;
- screwdriver;
- electric drill;
- self-tapping screws.
The assembly diagram of the metal hatch is presented below.
General order of work:
- Preparation and insulation of the hatch:
- from steel in 3-4 mm cut the desired sheet, for example 75 * 75 cm;
- weld a corner along the perimeter of the sheet from the inside;
- weld stiffeners, dividing the hatch area into 4 sectors;
- clean the welds;
- place a heater between the jumpers;
- from the back of the cover, attach thin sheet steel and fix it with self-tapping screws to the corners.
- Installation of the cellar opening frame:
- cut the steel corner according to the dimensions of the hatch opening;
- weld a quadrangular frame from the corners;
- fix the frame to the concrete with anchors;
- trim the end of the frame with a sealant.
- Door fixing:
- weld reinforced hinges to a metal frame;
- weld mating elements to the cover;
- install gas closers;
- fix the cover;
- coat the steel parts with linseed oil.
Metal floor hatch in the garage: video.
How to make a hidden hatch under the tiles with your own hands
Drawing development
It is necessary to develop a sketch of the future design in advance. The hidden floor hatch (drawing by hand) should schematically display the main parameters of the structure:
- box dimensions (length, width);
- the thickness of the opening and the frame used;
- placement of loops on the lid and hatch opening.
Do-it-yourself hidden hatch for tiles: drawings
Arrangement of floor screed
The first step is to take care of the evenness of the floor in which the hidden hatch will be placed. The whole alignment process is carried out in several stages:
- Determine the level of the finished flooring. It is necessary to provide for the thickness of the tile (about 8 mm) and glue (4 mm).
- Prepare cement mortar and set beacon profiles.
- Flange the opening, leaving about 10 cm around the perimeter as a support under the hatch cover.
- Make a floor screed, according to standard technology.
tiling
After the concrete mortar has completely hardened, it is necessary to try on the hatch by attaching it to the opening. At this stage, it is desirable to perform a preliminary layout of the tiles. Tiling starts from the corner of the wall, located in the most prominent place. Trimming and laying of tile material when finishing a niche is carried out only after the final installation of the hatch frame.
Before installing the frame, the location of the hatch should look approximately like this.
Frame and slope finishing
The design of the ends of the opening is performed in the following order:
- Attach the frame to the niche, level it.
- Fill the gaps between the screed and the metal frame with cement mortar (it is necessary to use the composition of the M500 brand).
- Allow the solution to completely harden.
- Trim the tiles and revet the remaining area around the opening.
- Align the slopes of the niche - install beacons and “pull out” with cement mortar.
- Line the slopes with tiles using SM-11 glue.
- Before the adhesive dries, it is better to fix the tile with ordinary tape.
- Install delimiter crosses.
Cover mounting
For the manufacture of a do-it-yourself hidden hatch for tiles, a galvanized steel body with couplings for installing handles is used. Reinforcement is placed in a metal box, the frame is filled with concrete, and tiles are laid on top flush with the ends of the cover.
Finishing involves grouting tile joints and installing removable handles.
Do-it-yourself hidden hatch under the tiles: video.
Electric inspection hatch: installation features
To facilitate the lifting of the heavy hatch door and protect the basement from the penetration of thieves, the hatch can be equipped with automation. The easiest way is to build a folding mechanism. To make it, you need to prepare:
- electric motor;
- duralumin pipe;
- steel sheet;
- steel rods;
- Bulgarian;
- apparatus for welding;
- toggle switch (switch) for 3 positions;
- the presence of a power source.
The mechanism is mounted on a ready-made hinged cover, the opening angle of the hatch will be less than 90°. The principle of operation is as follows: the electric motor receives a signal from the remote control, activating the shaft. The rod rises by 80° and the device fixes the hatch in the open state. The second toggle switch sends an impulse through the control panel and starts the reverse thrust on the motor. The rod descends and pulls the door behind it.
A hidden hatch is a practical option for arranging a basement entrance. The lid and lifting mechanism must be safe and easy to operate. It will be possible to create a hatch with your own hands, without the involvement of expensive equipment and the help of professionals.
Equipping his country house, the owner tries to equip a place for food storage, preservation or other things. A stone cellar in a garage, an underground under a building with an entrance from a kitchen or corridor, a basement located on the street are just a few options for construction. The premises for household needs must be sealed. The hatch, designed to close the home cellar, will help protect food from debris and regulate the microclimate in the "dungeon".
Nuances of construction: we design a door
At the stage of developing the location of the cellar lid, the following factors must be taken into account:
- The entrance should not be located next to the wall, so that there is room for opening the sash.
- If it is planned to equip the underground in the kitchen, then the hatch is placed where the kitchen set will not stand. It is important that in the open position the lid does not touch the furniture and other decorative elements.
- The basement made under the house must be equipped with a reinforced door that could withstand the weight of a person.
- The optimal dimensions of the cellar and entrance should correspond to the dimensions of the owners.
Preparatory work
Having found the ideal place for an underground room and the placement of the entrance to it, we proceed to the arrangement of the door. Before you make a hatch, comfortable and reliable, for a cellar with your own hands, you should choose the optimal parameters of the manhole. It is made of such a width and height that it is possible to freely lower products and preservation into it.
The size of the hatch directly depends on the proportions of the body of the owners. So that a person does not have difficulty descending into the room, make a hole with an area of at least 75x75 cm. At this stage, it is necessary to take into account the future placement of the handle.
The entrance must be equipped with special supports, on which the lid to the cellar is placed. To ensure structural strength, it is better to install four main rods.
Materials used for the cellar entrance
When choosing the type of door, the location of the basement is taken into account. Do-it-yourself cellar cover can be made from the following materials: wood, metal, and in some cases tile. The use of each of them has a number of features associated with their further operation. 
DIY wooden door
A wooden cover for the cellar is made if the floor in the house is covered with a wooden board. Natural materials perform a visual masking of the subfloor and lighten the mass of the structure. To make it, you need a set of tools - a hammer, a saw, a screwdriver, a brush. It is also necessary to prepare the following list of materials:
- floor boards;
- slats for lathing;
- support bars;
- screws, nails;
- drying oil;
- plywood sheet;
- thermal insulation film;
- chalk, pencil;
- pen;
- shock absorber, hatch hinges.
The manhole to the cellar with parameters of 80x80 cm must be equipped with a door of a slightly smaller area, which ensures a good fit to the floor and a small gap of 5 mm.
We perform the following steps:
- To begin with, on a draft version of the underground flooring, we nail 4 beams for support.
- We cut the floorboard into blanks of 79 cm.
- Cut out a 79x79 cm square from a plywood sheet. 1 cm will be a gap between the floor and the door, preventing deformation as a result of high humidity or temperature changes.
- For the crate of the inner part, we cut the slats into segments of 79 cm.
- Before connecting all the elements of the hatch for a home cellar, we cover them with drying oil, which provides protection against fungus and moisture.
The height of the structure must correspond to the dimensions of the floor covering, so it should be made multi-layered. The first layer is plywood with lathing, the second is thermal insulation (the insulated hole prevents drafts and the passage of warm air from the house). A finishing layer is applied on top - the board is fixed. The surface finish must match the thickness of the flooring. So that the cellar lid does not stand out too much, the top boards are nailed parallel to the floor. 
Self-manufacturing of a metal hatch
Metal structures are distinguished by reliability and durability in comparison with the previous version. Steel sheet is most often used for arranging a cellar in a garage. For manufacturing you will need:
- steel sheets, the thickness of which is 1 mm and 3 mm;
- metal corner about 3 or 4 mm;
- loops;
- anchor;
- gas closer;
- foam sheet or other material to insulate the entrance;
- primer;
- rubber seals;
- tape measure, knife, screwdriver, welding and angle grinder.
Now the question arises - how to make a cellar cover from a steel sheet in the garage with your own hands. We perform the following manipulations:
- We cut out a sheet of 80x80 cm from a metal sheet.
- Along the perimeter of the steel square billet, from the inside, we weld a corner and stiffeners. Visually, the area can be divided into 4 sectors.
- We insulate the structure with foam or other material.
- On top of the insulating layer, we overlap sheet steel with a thickness of 1 mm. Its edges are bent and fixed with screws.
At this stage, the work for the cellar was completely ready. It remains only to carry out the installation work, which includes the following steps:
- the frame is set to the input. Fragments of the steel angle are welded together, forming a square corresponding to the parameters of the hatch opening.
- the frame is fixed with anchors to concrete. One side of the frame will be the support of the structure.
- the protruding edges of the metal lining are sealed with gaskets to reduce heat loss and protect against mechanical damage.
- the cellar lid is attached to the frame with reinforced hinges. For comfortable opening, it is recommended to equip with a gas door closer.
The steel hatch to the basement can also be used in the house. The finish layer should be covered with plywood or other wood material that resembles the floor in the room. 
Tile is a popular kitchen wall and floor covering. The presence of an underground room under the house obliges to design the entrance in the same style. To make a hatch under the tile you will need:
- steel corner:
- sheet steel 3 mm;
- solution;
- tile;
- fittings.
Unlike the production of a metal manhole, the entrance under the tile is made easier:
- A blank is cut from a steel sheet corresponding to the parameters of the hole in the basement. This will be the bottom of the structure.
- Corners are welded along the perimeter, forming sides. Reinforcement in the form of cells is fixed inside them.
- The entrance frame of the cellar is made of corners and recessed into concrete.
- The structure is connected to the support with reinforced hinges.
- The solution is mixed and tiled elements are applied.
Decorate the lid with tiles laid out according to the scheme. When decorating the surface, adhere to the geometry of the floor covering. 
Cellar lid hinges
When equipping a hatch in the cellar with your own hands, use ordinary door hinges. They are suitable for a wooden cover, but when open, it will not be able to be fixed in a certain position. For fixing, options from the domestic auto industry are suitable - bonnet hinges that can ensure that the door is fixed in any position.
To facilitate the lifting of a heavy hatch, use a special mechanism, which consists of a twisted spring, a spigot mount, a steel bar, a hinge with a bracket and screws.
An expensive option, but a reliable option is a mechanism for raising the cellar hatch using a remote control. The device consists of an electric motor automation system installed on the structure, a toggle switch and a power source. 
Basement entrance sealing
Insulation of the entrance to the cellar prevents cold air from entering the living room from the underground room. Reliable sealing eliminates the penetration of moisture and odors.
To ensure the microclimate inside the basement, the following materials are used as insulation:
- polypropylene (suitable for the cover of cellars located on the street);
- Styrofoam;
- expanded polystyrene;
- glass wool.
To seal the entrance, a felt tape and a door seal are used, which exclude air inflow, mechanical damage to the frame when the lid is closed.
Properly equipped cover in the cellar is the key to comfortable use of the basement. Before you make it yourself, you need to decide what the hatch will be, what it will be made of and how it will open. Thinking through every detail of the design, you can rationalize the operation of the basement and the preservation of the crop for a long time.
Everyone would like to have a basement under the floor in the house. You can talk about the pros for a long time. Firstly, this is an additional room, which has an almost constant temperature and humidity throughout the year, regardless of the season. Allowing you to use yourself as a vegetable store, as a warehouse, a workshop, etc.
And in this regard, it is important to equip the entrance to the basement with an aesthetic and reliable hatch.
1. Ease of opening and closing;
2. Presentable appearance;
3. Reliability.
Ease of opening
It is very important that when opening, it opens without extra effort, and when closing, the hatch cover does not fall with all its might, trying to beat off any limb, but closes smoothly. Reliable fixation of the manhole cover is also equally important. The opportunity to be closed, and even worse - to get a cover on the head, will not please anyone.
The advantages include the reliability and solidity of the design. Due to the mass, it does not hang out and does not creak when walking on it. A solid fastening in the opening is also required. The mechanism for fixing the cover in this design is simply vital. The handle is usually made removable, you can use a regular eyebolt. Various sealing materials are used for sealing.
Making a basement hatch with your own hands
The hatch for the basement can also be made with your own hands, for example, wooden. For the frame use bars 100 x 50 mm or thicker depending on the load. The cover is made of boards 30-40 mm on top of the boards GVL is glued on top of which the floor covering is laid. If it is necessary to install a hidden hatch, it must be lowered by the thickness of the floor covering. Loops for this will require mortise. You can also make a hatch from metal with your own hands.
From the materials you will need:
There is no need to explain to a Russian what a basement is. Almost every private house has such a room where conservation is stored or a workshop is equipped. The complexity of the basement lies not only in the fact that it is subject to the penetration of dampness. This phenomenon is successfully combated by waterproofing the foundation and the floor in the basement. The entrance to the cellar, cellar or basement, as a rule, is located inside the house. Two rooms, upper and lower, are separated by the floor of the first floor and ... a manhole cover. But we will dwell on this in more detail. Consider the types of hatches and how best to arrange them with your own hands.
manhole cover
The basement manhole cover is an integral part of the floor. It must be reliable in many respects.
- First, stepping on it, there should be no fear of falling down. It must withstand the weight of an adult.
- Secondly, the cover must serve as a temperature and moisture barrier between the underground and the living space. Odors and cold air should not freely pass through the gaps of the opening. This can be a source of drafts.
- Thirdly, it should be easy to open and fix in a certain position to avoid injury when using the basement.
At first glance, the cover of the basement manhole, Lyada, as it is also called, is not an archi what a complex device. But if you want the entrance to be aesthetically designed, perform its functions and at the same time not be striking, then its design must be carefully thought out. Let's not touch the material of manufacture for now. Consider options for the basic design of the hatch.
The form
A round lid or any other shape but with rounded edges is good for exterior hatches, but not for interior hatches. The most common shape for a basement hatch is square. The square provides the hatch with structural rigidity. Under it, just adjust the finishing material for the floor. The location of the loops can be arbitrary.
Rectangular hatches are more practical. They allow you to position the cover along the wall, providing easy access to. In this case, it is desirable to place the loops on the long side of the lid. Then, when using the basement, you can safely walk up / down the stairs without fear of injuring your head. In addition, it is most convenient to raise or lower some kind of cargo with such a hatch. Open headroom provides more freedom of action.
Advice! If you are planning to make a basement hatch cover with your own hands, then you need to consider its shape. It depends on how convenient it will be for you to use the hatch.
Having decided on the form, you can begin to choose a place to enter the basement.
DIY manhole cover
Place to enter the basement
The choice of the shape of the hatch is directly related to the place where you will organize the entrance to the basement. First of all, you need to find a place for him in the house so that the open lid does not block the passage. The approach to the hatch must always be free. Therefore, it is necessary to provide free space in front of it. At least 1000 x 1000 mm. The location of furniture near the entrance to the basement is undesirable. Moisture will condense on the wood surface and eventually damage the surface of the furniture. In addition, it is necessary to provide that this place is well lit. Then the hatch will not pose a danger to people living in the house. The most preferred option is when the entrance to the basement is located against the wall. Then the open cover will not interfere with free passage, and the ladder can be fixed to the wall. With such an organization of the entrance, the underground space will become much more spacious and functional.
Hatch dimensions
For whatever purpose you use the basement, you will need to enter and exit it. Agree, spending so much time, money and your own strength to make a small, narrow and uncomfortable hatch with your own hands does not make sense. The dimensions of the opening should not be less than 750 x 750 mm. Then an adult of average build will have no difficulty in penetrating the underground.
When choosing the size of the cover and its location in the room, it is necessary to take into account the finishing material for the floor. This is not a prerequisite. But if you can avoid a lot of trimming when laying parquet, laminate, wood flooring or ceramic tiles, you will save time and money. The size and shape of the basement hatch that you want to make with your own hands does not always depend on your desire and the allotted place for entering the basement. If you organize it on a wooden floor, then its width cannot exceed the distance between the supporting beams.
Pen
The handle should be comfortable not only for opening. Is it possible to call a safe and convenient place where you constantly run the risk of tripping over an object sticking out of the floor? But what about children or elderly households? It is best if you can make a handle with your own hands that can be easily removed and inserted if necessary. When the handle is constantly on the hatch, children can get into the basement out of sheer curiosity. On a steep descent, this can be dangerous and can cause you a lot of anxiety. Of course, you can buy a metal mortise handle in the store, which leans back and hides in the level with the hatch, or you can make or order an eyebolt. This is the same bolt, only instead of a hex head it has a ring. If necessary, you remove the plug on the surface of the cover, screw it into the nut fixed on the inside, and open the hatch by pulling the ring. It is better if the diameter of the eyebolt is 10 or 12 mm, and you can store it with the key to the basement.
Loop features
Hinges for the lid must be selected very carefully. If you install simple door hinges, then over time they will sag. In addition, they will protrude above the floor level. Such hinges can only be used if the hatch is made of wood. Pay attention to car loops. Especially those that hold the hood or trunk. These loops are made in the form of a bracket and hide inside under the hood cover. You do not have to buy or make your own hands just such samples. Moreover, not every trunk or hood hinges open at 80 - 85 °. Otherwise, it will be inconvenient for you to use the hatch. But you can order a welder or make them yourself. There is a spring in their mechanism. It also ensures a smooth ride.
Do not be surprised, but for the smooth opening of the lid into the basement, you can use car shock absorbers. Take a closer look at how smoothly the same heavy hood of a foreign car opens and does not fall, thanks to two thin shock absorbers. Of course, if you make your cover from metal 3 mm thick, insulate it from below, put tiles on top, then the shock absorbers will need to be selected according to the load.
By the way, for this version of the invisible cover, it is not necessary to use sheet metal. It is enough to weld the contour from the corner with the edge up and weld the rod edges in the middle of the height. To the outside, weld another contour from the same corner, only with the edge down. On the second, horizontal edge, the lid will rest on the frame. The inside is filled with mortar. Insulation and sheathing are installed from below. As a result, you will get a reliable reinforced concrete floor, on which you can lay tiles.
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