Covering manhole in patio

andre_xs

We live in a terraced house and the waste water pipes run ~2m distant from the house in the back. We have two of them in our garden. For access, they have a heavy metal cover which can be lifted up. We are in the process of redoing the slabs of the patio, which surround these covers, and I was considering laying the slabs a little higher, so that I could cover the manhole-cover with something nicer than the rusty heavy-duty metal. This, of course, must be very easy removable. I thought about a max height of 1.5-2cm approx, some kind of wood or a plastic sheet or so. We need to be able to walk over it, but it doesn't need to carry any weight, because it will lay flat on the solid metal cover.

Does anyone have any idea how we could do this? We have these very standard concrete-grey patio slabs (60x60, 4.5cm thick)

maisie_cat

You can buy manhole covers that are like a tray and fill the tray with whatever your patio is finished in. 

andre_xs

Thanks, but I can't go so much higher with the surroundings that I would be able to fill such a tray with slabs (it also would get very heavy and not that easily removable anymore...). Slabs are 4.5cm thick, i.e. I would need to be 4.5cm plus the height of the frame (it will add some height for stability...)

Mutton_Geoff

andre_xs said:

Thanks, but I can't go so much higher with the surroundings that I would be able to fill such a tray with slabs (it also would get very heavy and not that easily removable anymore...). Slabs are 4.5cm thick, i.e. I would need to be 4.5cm plus the height of the frame (it will add some height for stability...)

It's better to invest the time and effort to do it properly.

andre_xs

That indeed looks very nice!

andre_xs

Just a follow-up question: I presume that those replace the original manhole cover? Or is the original cover (usually metal) still underneath the paving-cover? In other words, you need to lift two covers up to get to the sewer.

Mutton_Geoff

andre_xs said:

Just a follow-up question: I presume that those replace the original manhole cover? Or is the original cover (usually metal) still underneath the paving-cover? In other words, you need to lift two covers up to get to the sewer.

Those replace the original cover. Any half decent builder will rework the concrete around the drain access to accommodate the new lid and then lay the slabs/blocks to match the rest of the patio/driveway.

TELLIT01

We had recessed covers when our drive wall block paved.  The recessed cover either fits directly into the old frame, or the old frame is easily replaced, I'm not sure which.