Service Pit Cap

[MattRMagnum]

Hey Folks,

I've a service pit in my garage that I don't intend to use for the time being. I have neither the time, nor the tooling, to build myself a lid. I've found someone (a friend who runs a furniture business but also takes on odd projects like this) who will build me a custom metal cap to it, at a cost of around $2k.

Looking around, I can't seem to find many companies who build such a thing (or they build the nets/etc that hang in the pit, but I don't want that, I want a cap).

I don't have any pictures to share, because the P.O built a lid out of wood that covers the pit, but it fills that entire bay of the garage, and I need the space to store a soon-to-be-arriving car.

Description of pit opening: 16' long, 3' wide opening, with a 6" wide by 6" tall lip running around the perimeter. Pit itself is wider below, at around 4' wide once inside, and about 6' deep. I suspect the original owner, who built the garage, had a raised floor in it, as otherwise it's so deep you can't reach vehicles (or he was ridiculously tall).

Before I go forward with this, I thought I'd post here, and see if maybe there's an obvious solution which I'm missing.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I'd fill it with sand/gravel, compact and pour concrete.
Either that or build wood caps that fit in the 6"x6" lip (which I assume is 6" deep rather than 6" tall).

 

[kelpaso1]

If the lip is as Leaf describes you could lay 6X6's across the short span and then lay a piece of 1/2" plywood on top to make up the 6 inches. You could probably drive over that although I have not done the calculations.

 

[Fix Until Broke]

I'd go with 6x6's cut to 48" width. If you need to have them flush with the surrounding floor, I'd put a 2x6 (ripped to whatever thickness you need, or plywood) on the lip and then put the 6x6's on top of that.

Those should be strong enough to drive any car on for sure (as long as they're not all knotted up landscape timbers - make sure they're solid/heavy wood). Also, they'll come out easily and can be stored on the floor of the pit if necessary when the pit is in use.

Looks like you'd have about $500 in 6x6's using 12) 12' long at $38 each from Home Depot plus some shims/plywood to make it level if necessary. I'm pretty sure that many people would do that installation for $2k (I know I would ).

 

[matt_i]

Make sure you get a certification that the $2k cap can hold the weight of the vehicle and that you can remove it without the aid of a forklift.

 

[isb cornbinder]

My ex-employer had half inch thick steel sheets welded over the pits they do not use. Simpla and not to expansive.

 

[fasteddie]

If you don't want to do it yourself, I'm sure a carpenter could build you a wooden one as described by others for much less than $2K. I would build it in four sections so that a normal human could move them if needed. Even if you don't plan to do any automotive work, it's still a big storage space.

 

[lakeroadster]

I agree with the fella's saying to use wood.

As Eddie mentions 4 ft sections allows removal of however much space you need, rather than the entire 16 ft. If it were mine I'd build a sub structure to bring the boards up flush with the floor.

Something like shown below:

 

[Jeff Ivers]

You don't stipulate in your original post if the cap needs to support the weight of a car or if it just needs to support people walking on it and storing stuff on it. I agree with others on here that I would be inclined to go with wood. Build 4 4x4 foot sections so they can easily be lifted out and stacked. However, I would build it with 2x6 lumber on edge, spaced 12'' apart and capped with 3/4 inch plywood.

 

[kbs2244]

I agree with the woo sections idea.
But I would go with 2 foot x 4 foot sections.
Stronger and lighter.

 

[rlitman]

You don't stipulate in your original post if the cap needs to support the weight of a car or if it just needs to support people walking on it and storing stuff on it. I agree with others on here that I would be inclined to go with wood. Build 4 4x4 foot sections so they can easily be lifted out and stacked. However, I would build it with 2x6 lumber on edge, spaced 12'' apart and capped with 3/4 inch plywood.

Geez people. We have one person recommending he fill the hole with nothing by 6x6's, and you're calling for 2x6 spaced 12" OC.

Consulting a span table, 2x6 (stud grade; so the **** of the ****) spaced 16" OC can support 100 PSF live plus 20PSF dead load over a 5' span with a L/720 deflection (way more than good enough for a plaster ceiling underneath), and he only has a 3' span (which basically falls off the charts for a 2x6 joist, because 2x6 is so ludicrously overkill). Passenger vehicle parking garages only need a 40PSF rated floor, so are we planning to park armored vehicles over this pit?

The floor is supposed to be non-combustible, so if you do use wood, consider treating it with fire retardant or at least paint.

 

[firebirdparts]

right. 2 x 4's are overkill for this job, so the framing lumber to close this, assuming you don't want to drive on it, is going to cost about $10, unless you have a scrap pile. Plywood is the expensive part, and you'd need 2 sheets.

I would not be inclined to spend $2500 on it.

Now, if you want to drive on it, that's different.

 

[rlitman]

Different how? I just re-ran the numbers on AWC's site:
https://www.awc.org/codes-standards/calculators-software/spancalc

2x4 doug-fir, stud grade, 100PSF live, 20PSF dead, 16" OC, L/720 deflection, works out to 3' 4" maximum span. So yeah, you can EASILY drive on this if you did it with 2x4's.

A more realistic use of 2x4, L/360, 40PSF live, 10PSF dead gives you a maximum span of 5' 2". So, even if this trench were 2' wider, you could still cover it on 2x4's and drive on it!

 

[MattRMagnum]

You don't stipulate in your original post if the cap needs to support the weight of a car or if it just needs to support people walking on it and storing stuff on it.

It doesn't need to support a car. It's narrow enough that I can drive a car over it, if I had a smaller lid on it (the current lid is 7' wide and 8" tall, and was seemingly designed by someone with a couple tubes of wood glue and junk lumber).

The floor is supposed to be non-combustible, so if you do use wood, consider treating it with fire retardant or at least paint.

Totally forgot to mention: this is why I was going towards metal. The car which is going to sit on top of it is constantly leaking one fluid or another (it's a project car that'll forever be a project car).

I'm thinking of stealing the 4' long section idea that was suggested above. The guy I've been talking to about setting it up was thinking 8' long sections, but that'd wind up being quite heavy. Four 4' sections would be vastly more manageable.

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

Can't you just throw a rug over it like Wile E. Coyote or the 3 Stooges would do?

 

[lakeroadster]

Totally forgot to mention: this is why I was going towards metal. The car which is going to sit on top of it is constantly leaking one fluid or another (it's a project car that'll forever be a project car).

..... since you mentioned leaking fluids, does the pit have an exhaust fan? Sounds like an explosion looking for a place to happen.

 

[fasteddie]

Wait, you're bringing in a project car and you don't want the grease pit? I don't get it.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I think I would fill it in and when you are ready, buy a lift.

 

[Ilikeike]

Our old shop had a pit, we just cut 2"x4" about 4' long to span across it to lay in the 2" recessed lip,until we could fill it in and install a lift. The 2x4" were just so nobody fell in the confined space, it wasn't intended to support a vehicle.

I'd fill it with sand/gravel, compact and pour concrete.
Either that or build wood caps that fit in the 6"x6" lip (which I assume is 6" deep rather than 6" tall).

I was wondering this myself, 6" tall I wouldn't be able to get a car over anyway, I think my old Camaro has about 3" clearance under it, wife's grocery getter isn't much more.

I think I would fill it in and when you are ready, buy a lift.

 

[finn]

Fill the pit, cap it with concrete, and use the rest of the $2000 as partial payment for a lift.

 

[MattRMagnum]

..... since you mentioned leaking fluids, does the pit have an exhaust fan? Sounds like an explosion looking for a place to happen.

No, that was also part of why I wanted a metal lid, so that that if anything misses the drip tray, it'll just sit on the middle, or run down the cover itself, and not soak into the wood.

Wait, you're bringing in a project car and you don't want the grease pit? I don't get it.

I've a 2 post lift in a different bay.

Fill the pit, cap it with concrete, and use the rest of the $2000 as partial payment for a lift.

Long-term, I'm planning to use it as storage. I've one classic car that's hard to find parts for, and am in the process of acquiring another, but getting the bay capable of storing soon-to-be-acquired car is priority one, at the moment.

It'll eventually see use as storage, but for now it's just inconvenient.

 

[Copymutt]

Since your not driving on it, I see now issue with 2x stock laid flat every ft. Cover w/ 1/2” ply, cover that w/ thin alum. Sheet stock for the oil. Make a few sections to be manageable. I’d love to have that to keep my Homebrew fermenters at an optimal temp. Never give up space.

 

[lakeroadster]

Another idea... Take the 2 grand, add a little more $$, and put a 4 post lift over the pit.

Then you can store your car, use the drip pans on the lift to catch whatever leaks out of the car, and you can access the pit for storage by lifting the car up.

 

[bad_idea]

There are NFPA guidelines for building a flammable storage cabinet out of wood. Properly coated I see no issue for building a couple pit cover lids out of wood. I would paint them (all sides) with an oil resistant paint. Use drip trays to catch most of the oil. That leaves $1500 or so in your pocket to buy parts for that rare car.

 

[Kmp259]

Try McMaster Carr.....steel grate.....

 

[ZRX61]

All the wooden pit boards I've ever seen were usually 4x8's, 4x10's or 4x12's... or a combination of all three..

 

[1931S/X]

Metal deck, mesh, and pour concrete

 

[HotrodHR]

Fill the pit...

It's a safety and potential fire hazard, a hassle to climb up and down into to store parts, and not to mention that it could flood and ruin all those valuable parts stored there.

I see and accident waiting for a place happen, followed by a lawsuit. I wonder if that would be covered by your property insurance.

 

[MattRMagnum]

Fill the pit...

It's a safety and potential fire hazard, a hassle to climb up and down into to store parts, and not to mention that it could flood and ruin all those valuable parts stored there.

I see and accident waiting for a place happen, followed by a lawsuit. I wonder if that would be covered by your property insurance.

Well, it's an accident on my property, so my insurance company would cover it, but I may discuss the matter with my agent.

Damage to car parts left down there? No, probably not, since that'd technically be categorized as flood damage, most likely.

My plan to turn it into storage is going to be a multi-year effort. This year I'm going to get a cap built, and get the cracks in the concrete sealed, and see if that reduces the amount of water collecting it in (I turn the sump pump on-and-off manually so I can gauge this). Next year I'm planning to put a heavy sealant on the inside, and then likely paint it a light color, so it'll be less dark inside. It'll then sit for another year, to gauge water collection, and once I've had two years with minimal need for sump pumping, I'll start putting in stairs, raised flooring, and shelving units. I think I can get ~120 cubic feet of storage space with a path down the middle, so I'm reluctant to fill it, since that's a LOT of room... especially if I put big, cumbersome things like wheels, tires, and headers down there.

 

[bad_idea]

This is one of those times it would help to have your location listed. If you are in an area with a high water table (like mine (and the ENTIRE Southeast)) then you may have water rising up, not leaking in from outside sources.

 

[rlitman]

This is one of those times it would help to have your location listed. If you are in an area with a high water table (like mine (and the ENTIRE Southeast)) then you may have water rising up, not leaking in from outside sources.

Yes, and if the water table is higher than the floor level, while there's no problem with pumping the water out, sealing it out can lead to trouble, as the water pressure can damage the structure.

 

[MattRMagnum]

This is one of those times it would help to have your location listed. If you are in an area with a high water table (like mine (and the ENTIRE Southeast)) then you may have water rising up, not leaking in from outside sources.

I usually don't list a location, as that's resulted in weird/uncomfortable conversations on other forums. That said, I'm in the PNW, just a bit north of Seattle.

I've seen the water running down the pit (the floor is slightly sloped towards the drain pit) from several cracks where the sides meet the bottom of the pit. While some water would naturally raise up through the drain pit in the winter when the water level rises, I think most of it is getting in through these cracks. My hope was that sealing them would allow me to keep the pit basically clear of water.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Geez people. We have one person recommending he fill the hole with nothing by 6x6's, and you're calling for 2x6 spaced 12" OC.

Consulting a span table, 2x6 (stud grade; so the **** of the ****) spaced 16" OC can support 100 PSF live plus 20PSF dead load over a 5' span with a L/720 deflection (way more than good enough for a plaster ceiling underneath), and he only has a 3' span (which basically falls off the charts for a 2x6 joist, because 2x6 is so ludicrously overkill). Passenger vehicle parking garages only need a 40PSF rated floor, so are we planning to park armored vehicles over this pit?

The floor is supposed to be non-combustible, so if you do use wood, consider treating it with fire retardant or at least paint.

Thanks for checking the load tables and pointing out he could go to 16" on center. I recommended the 2x6 because the thickness of that on edge topped with 3/4 plywood would give him a level floor without shimming. If fluid drips and fireproof are an issue, why not build with lumber and go to a sheet metal shop and have drip pans made to fit the top of each section? I still think you would come under $2000 by a considerable amount.

 

[bad_idea]

I usually don't list a location, as that's resulted in weird/uncomfortable conversations on other forums. That said, I'm in the PNW, just a bit north of Seattle.

I've been on this forum a good number of years and have not had any negative effects from posting my location. This is a pretty good group of people here. Welcome to the forum btw.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I usually don't list a location, as that's resulted in weird/uncomfortable conversations on other forums. That said, I'm in the PNW, just a bit north of Seattle.

I've been on this forum a good number of years and have not had any negative effects from posting my location. This is a pretty good group of people here. Welcome to the forum btw.

We have a basic privacy gentleman's agreement here. If you want to post you complete location, go ahead. A general location like Seattle area or PNW is good enough.

But, don't use your skills or GoogleFu to post another's location. Doing so will get your post deleted, a nice PM and continued action in that manner will get you banned.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Well, it's an accident on my property, so my insurance company would cover it, but I may discuss the matter with my agent.

Damage to car parts left down there? No, probably not, since that'd technically be categorized as flood damage, most likely.

My plan to turn it into storage is going to be a multi-year effort. This year I'm going to get a cap built, and get the cracks in the concrete sealed, and see if that reduces the amount of water collecting it in (I turn the sump pump on-and-off manually so I can gauge this). Next year I'm planning to put a heavy sealant on the inside, and then likely paint it a light color, so it'll be less dark inside. It'll then sit for another year, to gauge water collection, and once I've had two years with minimal need for sump pumping, I'll start putting in stairs, raised flooring, and shelving units. I think I can get ~120 cubic feet of storage space with a path down the middle, so I'm reluctant to fill it, since that's a LOT of room... especially if I put big, cumbersome things like wheels, tires, and headers down there.

Personally, I think you're fighting a losing battle and it's going to be a PITA. To each their own but I would still suggest filling it and adding a 4 post lift over it as you already have a 2 post.

If you haven't seen it already, many members here have had good luck utilizing space above their over head door unless you have raised tracks.

 

[garagelogician]

No need to overthink this. Just use lumber. A local brewery was recently opened in a former auto repair shop. They had at least 6 pits to cover so they could install brewery equipment and have the rest of the space for the bar, seating areas, etc. All they did is frame it and laid down 2x6s like decking.

If that is good enough for the building inspector for a public business, should be fine for your garage.

 

[brooktre]

I had a pit put in a garage years ago. The insurance wanted a cover that would support a person. I built it out of 2x4s and plywood in several sections that could be moved by 1 person. It was easy and inexpensive. Mine rested on the garage floor level and I had plenty of clearance to drive a car over. My cars leaked fluid, but I don't recall that being an issue. I would get a carpenter to give you an estimate.

 

[sreeb]

Hey Folks,

I've a service pit in my garage that I don't intend to use for the time being. I have neither the time, nor the tooling, to build myself a lid. I've found someone (a friend who runs a furniture business but also takes on odd projects like this) who will build me a custom metal cap to it, at a cost of around $2k.

Looking around, I can't seem to find many companies who build such a thing (or they build the nets/etc that hang in the pit, but I don't want that, I want a cap).

I don't have any pictures to share, because the P.O built a lid out of wood that covers the pit, but it fills that entire bay of the garage, and I need the space to store a soon-to-be-arriving car.

Description of pit opening: 16' long, 3' wide opening, with a 6" wide by 6" tall lip running around the perimeter. Pit itself is wider below, at around 4' wide once inside, and about 6' deep. I suspect the original owner, who built the garage, had a raised floor in it, as otherwise it's so deep you can't reach vehicles (or he was ridiculously tall).

Before I go forward with this, I thought I'd post here, and see if maybe there's an obvious solution which I'm missing.

Picture?

Do you intend to drive on it?

Is the lip a ledge?

Mine has a ledge which is spanned by 4" *6"s laid sideways.

 

[MattRMagnum]

Personally, I think you're fighting a losing battle and it's going to be a PITA. To each their own but I would still suggest filling it and adding a 4 post lift over it as you already have a 2 post.

If you haven't seen it already, many members here have had good luck utilizing space above their over head door unless you have raised tracks.

Truthfully, you're probably right that it's a losing battle. I'll be sure to post updates on here as time goes by, so everyone can see and learn or laugh at how things pan out.

If I had the clearance for a 4 post, I would totally do that, but the roof in my garage isn't high enough to permit one. I only get about 4' off the ground with my 2 post... and while I love the idea of ripping the roof off my garage, adding more height and a second story to it, that's a lot of money I simply don't have.