A pit is a special recess that surrounds a basement window opening. The presence of such a design contributes to the penetration of light into the room and the removal of natural precipitation.
Immediately it should be noted that the pit is a mandatory design in case the window opening is located at a level below 20 cm from the ground. Neglecting this requirement leads to a significant increase in the likelihood of basement flooding during spring snowmelt.
Destination
A pit is an element of a structure that restricts access to the part of the wall where the basement window is located. With this tool, the overall improvement of the basement increases. In particular, the free penetration of natural daylight increases the comfort of residents in the premises under the building. Therefore, the pit is not only a protective structure, but also an element that contributes to the ease of operation of the facility.
Shape
According to the shape, the pits are made in the following versions:
- Square.
- Rectangle.
- Trapezoid.
- Semicircle.
Shapethe pit must necessarily comply with building codes and rules for the construction of the structure. When starting to design an object, it is worth checking this point with a specialist for future home improvement.
Device of pits
Organization of the structure to provide access to the window basement is carried out in stages:
- Work begins with the preparation of a small pit, the height of which must correspond to the parameters of the window. As for the length of the recess, it is desirable that it be about one and a half times the basement opening.
- The depth of the pit is calculated taking into account the laying of the flooring, which should be approximately 25-30 cm below the base of the window frame.
- Further, drainage is organized. For these purposes, most often they resort to drilling a small well in the central part of the prepared pit, where the corrugated pipe is placed. Such drainage is brought into the common drain or under the wall to the level of the backfill.
- To equip the walls of the pit, a wooden formwork is made, which allows you to pour a layer of concrete with a thickness of about 15-20 cm. After the cement has hardened, you can take care of laying the lining in the form of bricks, natural or artificial stone, and other materials that can withstand moisture.
Alternatively, you can use the installation of the finished structure. Today, factory molds for organizing pits are made of plastic, propylene, galvanized steel.
In the end
As you can see, the arrangement of pits is an extremely important task when commissioning a building that has basements with basement window openings. Despite the presence of specific nuances in the preparation of the design, resorting to the above recommendations, even an unprepared master is able to cope with such work.
