In my concrete sectional garage, used as a workshop, is a manhole
cover some 8" below the surface of the concrete floor. The edges
of the hole are rounded over, from when whoever installed the
garage and floor, something like this:


##### #####
###### ######
####### ####### # = concrete floor.
####### #######
#######------ --------####### - = cast iron cover.
*******= =******* * = hardcore, I imagine.
*******= =*******
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%% % = subsoil, I should think.
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%=######V#######=%%%%%%% V = drain
%%%%%%%=##############=%%%%%%%


Anyway, the cover is cracked, and the deep hole in the middle is
dangerous. Sometimes, the smell is unpleasant. I want to bodge this,
not spending money. If I stitch-drill around the top, or zap it with
my Stihl saw, break out some concrete, and put in a frame of 4x2
treated, muck up behind the frame, batten and cut a piece of
shuttering ply to fit, will that do the job? Any better (cheap) ideas?

In article ,
Chris Bacon writes:

Anyway, the cover is cracked, and the deep hole in the middle is
dangerous. Sometimes, the smell is unpleasant. I want to bodge this,
not spending money. If I stitch-drill around the top, or zap it with
my Stihl saw, break out some concrete, and put in a frame of 4x2
treated, muck up behind the frame, batten and cut a piece of
shuttering ply to fit, will that do the job? Any better (cheap) ideas?

A new manhole cover and frame is around a tenner, IIRC.
I replaced a broken one about a year ago. Use a proper
cast iron one though -- the pressed steel ones tend to
go 'pong-ping' as you step on them. You could probably
mount the new one level with the floor quite easily.
In this situation, you might be required to fit a sealed
manhole cover to prevent smells.

--
Andrew Gabriel

On Wed, 05 Oct 2005 21:05:10 +0100, Chris Bacon
wrote:

| In my concrete sectional garage, used as a workshop, is a manhole
| cover some 8" below the surface of the concrete floor. The edges
| of the hole are rounded over, from when whoever installed the
| garage and floor, something like this:
|
|
| ##### #####
| ###### ######
| ####### ####### # = concrete floor.
| ####### #######
| #######------ --------####### - = cast iron cover.
| *******= =******* * = hardcore, I imagine.
| *******= =*******
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%% % = subsoil, I should think.
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%=######V#######=%%%%%%% V = drain
| %%%%%%%=##############=%%%%%%%
|
|
| Anyway, the cover is cracked, and the deep hole in the middle is
| dangerous. Sometimes, the smell is unpleasant. I want to bodge this,
| not spending money. If I stitch-drill around the top, or zap it with
| my Stihl saw, break out some concrete, and put in a frame of 4x2
| treated, muck up behind the frame, batten and cut a piece of
| shuttering ply to fit, will that do the job? Any better (cheap) ideas?

Manholes need to be properly sealed, The bodges you suggest are not a good
idea.

I you jump on the cracked manhole cover do you feel worried?
If not, put a sheet of thick polythene under the manhole cover and seal it
with grease. You will have to replace it eventually, which is *not*
expensive or difficult.

--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk
The London suicide bombers killed innocent commuters.
Animal rights terrorists and activists kill innocent patients.

Dave Fawthrop wrote:
On Wed, 05 Oct 2005 21:05:10 +0100, Chris Bacon
wrote:

| In my concrete sectional garage, used as a workshop, is a manhole
| cover some 8" below the surface of the concrete floor. The edges
| of the hole are rounded over, from when whoever installed the
| garage and floor, something like this:
|
|
| ##### #####
| ###### ######
| ####### ####### # = concrete floor.
| ####### #######
| #######------ --------####### - = cast iron cover.
| *******= =******* * = hardcore, I imagine.
| *******= =*******
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%% % = subsoil, I should think.
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| %%%%%%%=######V#######=%%%%%%% V = drain
| %%%%%%%=##############=%%%%%%%
|
|
| Anyway, the cover is cracked, and the deep hole in the middle is
| dangerous. Sometimes, the smell is unpleasant. I want to bodge this,
| not spending money. If I stitch-drill around the top, or zap it with
| my Stihl saw, break out some concrete, and put in a frame of 4x2
| treated, muck up behind the frame, batten and cut a piece of
| shuttering ply to fit, will that do the job? Any better (cheap) ideas?

Manholes need to be properly sealed, The bodges you suggest are not a good
idea.

I you jump on the cracked manhole cover do you feel worried?

I wouldn't step on it, let alone jump on it. Th idea above, which
may not have been well explained, is to leave the thing where it
is, 8" below floor level, and put a "cover" over the whole thing,
flush with the floor, which can be sealed. At the moment, there's
a loose sheet of ply on the floor, which has edges which one may
trip on.


If not, put a sheet of thick polythene under the manhole cover and seal it
with grease. You will have to replace it eventually, which is *not*
expensive or difficult.

If I was to replace it, it would be with one flush with the floor
level, which would mean getting a cover about 8" bigger all around
than a "!standard" one.

On Thu, 06 Oct 2005 10:08:40 +0100, Chris Bacon
wrote:

| Dave Fawthrop wrote:
| On Wed, 05 Oct 2005 21:05:10 +0100, Chris Bacon
| wrote:
|
| | In my concrete sectional garage, used as a workshop, is a manhole
| | cover some 8" below the surface of the concrete floor. The edges
| | of the hole are rounded over, from when whoever installed the
| | garage and floor, something like this:
| |
| |
| | ##### #####
| | ###### ######
| | ####### ####### # = concrete floor.
| | ####### #######
| | #######------ --------####### - = cast iron cover.
| | *******= =******* * = hardcore, I imagine.
| | *******= =*******
| | %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| | %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%% % = subsoil, I should think.
| | %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| | %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| | %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| | %%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
| | %%%%%%%=######V#######=%%%%%%% V = drain
| | %%%%%%%=##############=%%%%%%%
| |
| |
| | Anyway, the cover is cracked, and the deep hole in the middle is
| | dangerous. Sometimes, the smell is unpleasant. I want to bodge this,
| | not spending money. If I stitch-drill around the top, or zap it with
| | my Stihl saw, break out some concrete, and put in a frame of 4x2
| | treated, muck up behind the frame, batten and cut a piece of
| | shuttering ply to fit, will that do the job? Any better (cheap) ideas?
|
| Manholes need to be properly sealed, The bodges you suggest are not a good
| idea.
|
| I you jump on the cracked manhole cover do you feel worried?
|
| I wouldn't step on it, let alone jump on it. Th idea above, which
| may not have been well explained, is to leave the thing where it
| is, 8" below floor level, and put a "cover" over the whole thing,
| flush with the floor, which can be sealed. At the moment, there's
| a loose sheet of ply on the floor, which has edges which one may
| trip on.
|
|
| If not, put a sheet of thick polythene under the manhole cover and seal it
| with grease. You will have to replace it eventually, which is *not*
| expensive or difficult.
|
| If I was to replace it, it would be with one flush with the floor
| level, which would mean getting a cover about 8" bigger all around
| than a "!standard" one.

I assume that the = sign above is brickwork. If it were mine, I take off
the manhole cover and surround, build up the brickwork to just below the
height of the garage floor, and put in a new cast iron cover the same size
as the original at the level of the garage floor. I have added a few
layers of bricks to a manhole and it is not difficult, or expensive.

If you are unhappy with the above, I would definitely try to seal the
existing cover with thick polythene and grease to trap the smells. Any
bodges above would not be part of the sewer and are not that important.



--
Dave Fawthrop dave hyphenologist co uk
The London suicide bombers killed innocent commuters.
Animal rights terrorists and activists kill innocent patients.

On Wed, 05 Oct 2005 21:05:10 +0100, Chris Bacon
wrote:

In my concrete sectional garage, used as a workshop, is a manhole
cover some 8" below the surface of the concrete floor. The edges
of the hole are rounded over, from when whoever installed the
garage and floor, something like this:


##### #####
###### ######
####### ####### # = concrete floor.
####### #######
#######------ --------####### - = cast iron cover.
*******= =******* * = hardcore, I imagine.
*******= =*******
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%% % = subsoil, I should think.
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%= =%%%%%%%
%%%%%%%=######V#######=%%%%%%% V = drain
%%%%%%%=##############=%%%%%%%


Anyway, the cover is cracked, and the deep hole in the middle is
dangerous. Sometimes, the smell is unpleasant. I want to bodge this,
not spending money. If I stitch-drill around the top, or zap it with
my Stihl saw, break out some concrete, and put in a frame of 4x2
treated, muck up behind the frame, batten and cut a piece of
shuttering ply to fit, will that do the job? Any better (cheap) ideas?


Some idtiot who owned my house before me, simply poured in a plug of
concrete. This is a possible solution, if you have other suitable
rodding access to the drain.

Rick