garage lift installation questions
Discussion
Difficult to say without drilling through it. Ours wasn't - the builders appear to have just dumped all the rubble they had from building the house (possibly from building the whole estate) in a big hole then poured concrete over the top. The whole mess was about six feet thick, it certainly wasn't going anywhere. 
If it's block and beam you'd get through to the void with a decent length SDS drill bit. I'd expect a block and beam floor to be able to take the weight anyway.
If it's block and beam you'd get through to the void with a decent length SDS drill bit. I'd expect a block and beam floor to be able to take the weight anyway.
Depends on the construction and how wide the beams are etc. See http://www.supremeconcrete.co.uk/sitefiles/uploads... page 4 for examples. My garage floor is B&B and has 4 different laydowns of blocks and Beams within it (I know because I laid them) due to needing different floor loadings for different places.
Sadly mine is not strong enough for a lift - wish it was, but I have a neighbour with one if I get desperate!
Sadly mine is not strong enough for a lift - wish it was, but I have a neighbour with one if I get desperate!
kambites said:
Difficult to say without drilling through it. Ours wasn't - the builders appear to have just dumped all the rubble they had from building the house (possibly from building the whole estate) in a big hole then poured concrete over the top. The whole mess was about six feet thick, it certainly wasn't going anywhere.
If it's block and beam you'd get through to the void with a decent length SDS drill bit. I'd expect a block and beam floor to be able to take the weight anyway.
Op wants to stack cars ( as per his other thread on this) This will put over 3t load on the floor, ok for a solid floor but may be not for a block and beam. If it's block and beam you'd get through to the void with a decent length SDS drill bit. I'd expect a block and beam floor to be able to take the weight anyway.
At 500 centres block and beam will take circa 300kg/ m2 . Over a 3 m assumed span to a child wall under the floor. With 2 cars at circa 1500kg each plus the lift at circa 800kg , it has to handle 3.8t plus.
To be sure you need to investigate what floor you have and have a structural engineers advice.
https://www.milbank.co.uk/load-span-tables/
SMB said:
...plus the lift at circa 800kg
The lift won't even be close to that. I doubt it'll be 300kg.When I fitted my Automotech two-post, the only things that weren't easily one-man-carryable were the two posts. They were one-man-manhandleable, including walking them around the floor, and moving them from vertical to horizontal and back. A four-poster simply doesn't have to stand the same forces as a two.
TooMany2cvs said:
SMB said:
...plus the lift at circa 800kg
The lift won't even be close to that. I doubt it'll be 300kg.When I fitted my Automotech two-post, the only things that weren't easily one-man-carryable were the two posts. They were one-man-manhandleable, including walking them around the floor, and moving them from vertical to horizontal and back. A four-poster simply doesn't have to stand the same forces as a two.
https://www.garageequipment.co.uk/Garage-Lifts/4-P...
TooMany2cvs said:
SMB said:
...plus the lift at circa 800kg
The lift won't even be close to that. I doubt it'll be 300kg.When I fitted my Automotech two-post, the only things that weren't easily one-man-carryable were the two posts. They were one-man-manhandleable, including walking them around the floor, and moving them from vertical to horizontal and back. A four-poster simply doesn't have to stand the same forces as a two.
It took 3 people to move the ramp with the hydraulic ram on it (safely). The rest, to be fair, was luggable, though my Mrs nearly had a heart attack when she saw me sliding a cross brace into two posts solo - the whole lift thing could have been Darwinian on many levels
(Ref the 13A question...in my last place, because running new cables would have been a pain, and it didn't need it. I am pretty certain the specs on mine were sub-13A load...regardless, it works fine. In the new place, running a new cable/higher capacity would be easily doable. But it's not needed for mine and at present cba
The whole barn block needs to come down at some point which is a slightly more problematic job budget wise!).I don't know the relevant building regs, but I'd be astonished if anyone would build a modern garage which couldn't take 4 tonnes spread roughly equally over eight fairly large contact points as the OP will have.
You are of course right though, it's always better to check.
You are of course right though, it's always better to check.
Edited by kambites on Monday 26th February 19:58
kambites said:
I don't know the relevant building regs, but I'd be astonished if anyone would build a modern garage which couldn't take 4 tonnes spread roughly equally over eight fairly large contact points as the OP will have.
You are of course right though, it's always better to check.
These being the same regs that mean builders can build garages too small for modern cars.......You are of course right though, it's always better to check.
Edited by kambites on Monday 26th February 19:58
kambites said:
Building regs are there for safety more than practicality. Having a garage you can only fit a classic mini into isn't dangerous, it's just daft.
Agreed but by design therefore you won't get 4t of load in there. As someone said earlier they built their own floor and they know it won't take the weight. My garage floor was built 16 years ago, b&b on 500 centres , only discovered when they were exposed during building work.AW10 said:
When you jump up and down the garage floor does seem to sort of bounce - does that suggest a block and beam floor rather than a slab sitting on the soil? No air bricks through which the house with a b&b floor does have but perhaps air bricks are irrelevant for a garage?
Solid concrete obviously won't bounce, so Sounds like b&b to me, but as said you need an expert to confirm.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff