scissor lift covers

[Lkdelta]

Anyone park the vehicle over a scissor lift "in the floor", in an area that has bad weather?

I'm looking for some durable ideas to keep the salt mess out the base of the lift.
Thinking maybe 3/4 plywood wrapped in sheet plastic?

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I'm thinking about getting a sheet of diamond plate steel to cover mine when I drop it in the ground....It would double as a table top....

 

[Mazdaspeed]

That problem has crossed my mind too when I was looking at the flush mount scissor lifts...how to keep the melting snow/salt **** off of it. It would have to be something you could drive over and durable enough that it wouldn't break if you're on/off it daily, solid enough to support a regular jack/stands if need be, flush fit with the floor so there's no bump or trip hazard, and light enough that it could be lifted off when you want to use the jack.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

That problem has crossed my mind too when I was looking at the flush mount scissor lifts...how to keep the melting snow/salt **** off of it. It would have to be something you could drive over and durable enough that it wouldn't break if you're on/off it daily, solid enough to support a regular jack/stands if need be, flush fit with the floor so there's no bump or trip hazard, and light enough that it could be lifted off when you want to use the jack.

Im thinking about having a steel frame (or maybe a steel box) surrounding my lift, which is the exact height as my lift...This way the diamond plate would rest on the frame and lift top equally..And have the diamond plate even with the concrete.I might even weld the outer side of the steel box to the rebar that would be drilled into the original slab...

 

[Lkdelta]

I cant weld the diamond plate pieces together to form a 6ft X 6ft cover.
Diamond plate seams would allow the gunk down in there?...
and no time to ever dry out

 

[zkling]

Anyone park the vehicle over a scissor lift "in the floor", in an area that has bad weather?

I'm looking for some durable ideas to keep the salt mess out the base of the lift.
Thinking maybe 3/4 plywood wrapped in sheet plastic?

Can you post a pic of your lift or how it is recessed? I could see different solutions for different lifts.

So we are talking about a ~6'x6' area?

 

[Lkdelta]

Can you post a pic of your lift or how it is recessed? I could see different solutions for different lifts.

So we are talking about a ~6'x6' area?

I have some pics of my lift project when we cut the hole and put it down flush with the floor
Post #501

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35433&page=26

 

[zkling]

The wheels are turning.

-Do you want to cover the entire thing or just the middle potion?
-Where will you be wanting to load it? Ex, do you want to be able to put a wheel in the center of the lift?
-Which way is your floor pitched?

Does the top of the lift when full lowered actually sit flush with the floor? In a few of those photos it almost looks like the lift is proud of the surrounding concrete. I'm thinking some type of resin board, backed with metal strips for rigidity and edged with rubber to create a gasket. :

 

[RickP]

You'll need something attached to the floor permanently to make sure its waterproof, like a concrete lip, or metal trim piece with caulk under it. Then your cover would only have to be structural, not waterproof. I like the plywood idea - maybe treated plywood instead of covering it with plastic sheets.

 

[Lkdelta]

The wheels are turning.

-Do you want to cover the entire thing or just the middle potion?
-Where will you be wanting to load it? Ex, do you want to be able to put a wheel in the center of the lift?
-Which way is your floor pitched?

Does the top of the lift when full lowered actually sit flush with the floor? In a few of those photos it almost looks like the lift is proud of the surrounding concrete. I'm thinking some type of resin board, backed with metal strips for rigidity and edged with rubber to create a gasket. :

Cover entire thing,
I'm not driving any vehicles over the covered center portion
The floor seems fairly level, it was all built when I moved in.
The lift plates are very close to flush with the garage floor. Eliminates trip hazards during summer, and we dont go out there as much during the cold season

 

[tc-cad]

I too am concerned about keeping salt and snow slush out of my pit. I have recently purchased a Snap-on Cobra scissor lift. Dual pad lift like the Ever Eternal style. I will only have a small space around the lift pad but still i am sure salt and slush will find its way in there. I was thinking about screwing down a plastic cover overlaping the lift pad. This would only be used in the winter months. Summer time the plastic cover would be stored. Since I haven't poured my concrete yet I can build the threaded nuts into the concrete curb area. Maybe Dairy liner could be used since it is realitively cheap and very thin. Not sure if it would be water tight but close to it.

 

[zkling]

I think what I would do is build a ladder type frame out of angle and box tubing for support structure. Then cover that by attaching a piece of sealed wood, or thick plastic sheet if $ allows. Then trim the edges with a ramped piece of rubber to act as a gasket. Make sure the gasket surface is below the bearing surface of the frame that way when it is in place it will compress the gasket creating a sealing surface preventing water from getting down into the lift area. Hope I described that well enough. : Hence I asked which way your floor is pitched, hopefully not towards the center.

First off what I would do though is seal/paint the recess that the lift sits in with a bright color paint. Although you may have a problem with that since it is such a new pour.

 

[tc-cad]

I was just at Costco this weekend and saw a 7.5' x 17' Garage floor covering for $169. I would think something like this would keep the majority of the crud out of the lift area during bad weather.

This is what I am going to do.

 

[Vvmvbb]

I commuted all winter in the slop and parked over this every night, and for whatever reason, there was never any sign of water in the pit.
If I ever noticed big piles of slush on the floor in the morning, I'd push broom it out - nothing more.

How heavy is diamond plate? Don't forget you'll have to move the cover and carry it somewhere...3/4" ply is heavy enough.