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The article contains an illustrated master class on the installation of a hidden hatch and finishing the entrance to the cellar. You will learn how to properly organize this work by breaking it down into stages. Photos of the result at each stage of work will allow you to correctly and accurately perform the installation and facing of the hatch.
The overlap above a concrete or brick cellar is usually tiled. This section of work is complicated by the fact that there is a hatch in the plane. We will tell you how to correctly mount and coat it.
Screed laying
The round-hollow floor slab was not initially pierced, therefore the shape and size of the horizontal opening were taken based on the dimensions of the inventory hatch.
The first step is to make a leveling floor screed. To do this, you need to determine the level of the finished floor (top of the tile), subtract the thickness of the tile (8–10 mm) and the adhesive layer (4–6 mm) from it. Then install the beacons (with cement mortar !!!). In this case, the manhole should be flanged with temporary sheets (gypsum board, plywood).
Lay the screed according to the standard procedure, aligning with the beacons.
Installation of the hatch frame
After the screed has hardened, the access hatch should be installed in the mounting niche, carefully checking that it matches the level of the finished floor. In parallel, you can try on tiles.
Begin laying tiles from the most visible corner or wall, gradually moving whole tiles towards the manhole.
Attention! Do not trim tiles before installing the hatch frame.
Before installing the frame, the site should look something like this:
Before installing the frame, you need to check the correct installation and the approximate location of the seams that will fall on the hatch cover.
The hatch frame can be installed on temporary fasteners and on foam, but after adjusting the level, it must be unfastened. Fill the cavities between the metal of the product and the screed with a high-strength assembly compound or a mortar on M500 grade cement. The edge of the frame should match as closely as possible to the level of the finished floor..
Facing the frame and slopes
After the mortar has dried, you can start laying tiles around the hatch. In this case, the trimming of the tiles must be saved – they will go to the lid facing.
The next stage is finishing the slopes of the manhole. For this you need a regular cement mortar. For convenience, you can strengthen the beacons from the profile guide from below.
The manhole with the hover planes will look like this:
Now you can start tiling the slopes. Use CM-11 or an analogue as an adhesive; cement mortar is also allowed. In our case, it is convenient to apply the popular technique of finishers – so that the tile does not slide under its own weight on a vertical plane, it can be fixed to a fixed element with ordinary tape.
We veneer all slopes in a circle, setting limiters-crosses.
Finished view of the installed and framed frame:
Cellar lid manufacturing
The invisible inventory cover is a galvanized steel box with two welded-in sleeves for mounting handles. To make it part of the floor, it must be filled with a basic mortar (screed) and tiled. The selected factory cover model allows this. To do this, fit reinforcement and mortar into it..
Attention! The set may not have a reinforcing mesh, it may be with a large mesh (120×120). In this case, either select a mesh with a smaller mesh (50×50 mm), or reinforce it with an additional layer of nylon, road, polymer or fiberglass mesh.
The mixture should be leveled with a spatula so that the tiles are flush with the edge of the lid, taking into account the thickness of the adhesive.
Then place the cover in the designed position and cover with tile scraps. If the trims are broken, cut the elements from the new tile that match the pattern.
After the adhesive has hardened, grind the tile joints. The final look of the product:
This type of cladding will have to be in place in any interior decorated with tiles. It can also be used outdoors, in the pool, or for setting up a hiding place. The sides in aluminum or stainless steel (depending on price) block the draft thanks to a special step system. The cost of such an inventory hatch is from 20 to 60 cu. e. depending on material and dimensions.
I really enjoyed reading this text about hidden hatch installation and decoration for cellars. However, I would like to know if there are any specific materials or techniques that are recommended for ensuring durability and functionality of the hidden hatch? Additionally, are there any creative ideas or suggestions for decorating the hatch to seamlessly blend with the cellar’s overall aesthetic? Thank you!