You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Is there a way to pave over a manhole on a patio so you can lift the slab if access is needed?
I know you can get recessed trays but most of the examples I've seen online still make it standout as the tray itself adds extra lines to the layout on addition to the mortar lines.
Can you lay a couple of slabs just on a sand bed over the cover, or any other way so they can be lifted? Breaking a slab if it's ifted wouldn't be a major problem as I could always keep a few spare slabs.
Go with the recessed tray. One day it might be someone other than you looking for the access cover.
Can you lay a couple of slabs just on a sand bed over the cover...
That's exactly what I did. I've had them up a few times too and when United Utilties had to have a look down they were impressed I'd done that. Apparently most people don't bother then get all uppity when the jetting teams start levering their patio up.
On a related note, out of curiosity, if I build an extension over an inspection chamber manhole (leaving it accessible under an inset bit of flooring/insulation), will my new room smell of shite?
Dad laid sand over but put small stone on one corner so the slab rocked a little when you stood on it. Made it easy to find, helped get it raise a bit when it needed lifting and wound Mum up no end.
On a related note, out of curiosity, if I build an extension over an inspection chamber manhole (leaving it accessible under an inset bit of flooring/insulation), will my new room smell of shite?
You can't be serious? a manhole inside your house won't pass planning consent, check the submitted drawings for the extension, it will have an new inspection hole outside and the original one inside sealed, you would also presumably have insulation over it/under the flooring.
Presuming it's a soil pipe running from toilet then you can get gas back up the pipe from the septic tank, whether it seeps out the manhole cover is down to how well it's sealed I guess, if you lift it though inside the house and it's a stinky one the whole house will spontaneously vomit then move out for a week.
Is there a way to pave over a manhole on a patio so you can lift the slab if access is needed?
Rather than put a bed of sand over the cover then have to fart about sweeping sand off to inspect it, if you put a blob of cement in each corner away from the cover and put a bit of cling film over then lay the slab gently on without squashing it down, just level, it will sit on the 4 corners and leave the manhole cover clear below.
My neighbours have a recessed tray and it's brilliant
Please put a recessed tray in. When one of my jetter crew turns up you’ll want them to get access as soon as possible when your lounge is being flooded with sewage. Not worth the hassle. Oh and get the proper metal ones as well, the ones with the plastic lifting sections are terrible and break if there is any resistance to movement when you try and lift them, such as when they’ve been down a couple of years and dirt/muck has jammed them a little.
On a related note, out of curiosity, if I build an extension over an inspection chamber manhole (leaving it accessible under an inset bit of flooring/insulation), will my new room smell of shite?
No. You'll have to pipe through the chamber and relocate it to an external area.
Cheers for that. I feared that would be the case!
No. You’ll have to pipe through the chamber and relocate it to an external area.
Not always the case. We have a foul pipe running across the back out our terraced house (and all the neighbours). We don't have an extension but lots of people do and they have an internal chamber on the same line. I'd much rather build over it and move the inspection chamber but apparently that's not an option
Not always the case.
A friend who lives nearby built over a man hole cover, leaving an access hole in the side of his house. Bit hard to explain as it's very odd.
He had a drain on his property, with inspection cover, which was for the Co-op next door but he couldn't get them to move it (huge long legal wrangling story) and in the end just built over the inspection cover leaving a small gap for access, which Building control were OK with, or at least they didn't object.
We have a couple of covers in the front lawn. Made a brick feature round them, fillerd over with stone and put a big pot on it. We have had to access them a few times, so just move the pot and brush the stones away. I'd go with loose laying paving over the manhole.
Please put a recessed tray in
what b230ftw says. Anything else is just messing around really. nothing worse than trying to find an access point that someone has cleverly hidden, better to do it properly. You won't notice the lines of the trays after a few weeks and when you do you will be happy you did it properly. We have a tray in our kitchen for the rainwater tank and we just don't notice it now. The tray isn't even exactly one tile in size, the tiles are just cut to fit the regular pattern and slotted into the tray. Trying to use the tray as the start point would be horrible