Decking with manholes underneath - HELP PLEASE

sylwright

My husband is planning on decking a patio area that is currently paving flags and very uneven and has two manholes in it.

He is planning on putting two removable panels in the decking to allow access to the manholes.

Can anyone offer any suggestions about this, I've looked on various sites but can't find anything about decking which isn't just a straightforward job.

Thanks

raymond

Just put the decking over them, if you need access then worrry about it when it happens. If you screw the decking to the joists it wont be a big problem.

Malestrom

Thats all very well if the joists dont cross over the manholes....better to build in something thats easily removeable now than struggle later. Having said that, i've turfed over both of mine! :rotfl:

nelly_2

make sure the joist dont go over them then just screw it down as normall, and give the manholes a hose through 1st.

star1_2

My decking covers a manhole, but I just built a neat surround around the manhole, and then made a "cover" in decking - with battons on the back, that keeps it together, with the same spacing as the decking alongside it. It's effectivly a removable pannel that matches the decking alongside it. The edge that supports the battons gives it strength and is as safe as the rest of the decking to stand on.

If you need to lift it up just prise it up with a screwdriver at the edge - and hey-presto - neat access to the manhole cover.

plumb1_2

star1 wrote:

My decking covers a manhole, but I just built a neat surround around the manhole, and then made a "cover" in decking - with battons on the back, that keeps it together, with the same spacing as the decking alongside it. It's effectivly a removable pannel that matches the decking alongside it. The edge that supports the battons gives it strength and is as safe as the rest of the decking to stand on.

If you need to lift it up just prise it up with a screwdriver at the edge - and hey-presto - neat access to the manhole cover.

Yes thats the correct way to do it star1, rather than the cowboy answers above.
When acess is needed to the manhole, i expect they put the blame on someone else, to embaressed too own up to making a botch job:mad:

star1_2

Just a word of warning to those who might consider "blocking" or covering over their manhole cover ....

I had an extension built on my house approximatly 5 years ago - and learnt a great deal with regards to what local authorities and Water companies prefer and what can happen if a manhole access is built over, or within a property (so I guess this would apply to decking etc.)

I was told by Thames Water - that in the VERY unlikly event - "IF" emergancy access was needed to a manhole to "shift a blockage", they have the legal right to gain emergancy access, to a property (and don't have to pay repair costs), if the householder chooses to keep a manhole "inside" or somehow block it. I chose to divert the drain and have a manhole outside of the property so as to remove this risk (however slight it might have been).

All I would say with regards to the "Decking issue" - is .... in an emergancy and access is needed you want to get to the route of the problem ASAP (even if it's just to check if the manhole is clear) .... you don't want to start trying to remember where the cover is, looking for the screwdriver - then discover the screws have rusted etc (you can guess the rest) .... then later have to put it all back .... Spend an extra couple of hours when putting down the decking - make yourself an "access hatch" one day you might be glad you did !

JennyW_2

our decking covers a manhole. It's no problem, we know where it is and it's easy enough to just remove the boards

sylwright

Thanks to everyone for your helpful advice.