Soakwell Grate Replacement
Rusty or damaged grate?
Something both residential and commercial property managers may encounter is the grates on older soakwells are often rusty and eventually require replacing. This is often the case when the grate has been paved over.
The catch is that the frame of the grate is set into the soakwell cover when the concrete is poured, preventing replacement in the future.
The only proper way to truly fix the problem is to remove the existing soakwell cover and grate and replace it with a new rust resistant one. This is because it is impossible to replace the frame and the rusting process inside the concrete will eventually and suddenly cause the cover to fail under load.
However if the owner deems that there is no risk, perhaps if no vehicles directly traverse the soakwell cover, then the grate can be chopped out of the existing frame and a new one inserted. This will however retain the existing frame.
Tip! - A common misconception is concrete soakwells are stronger than polypropylene soakwells when in fact they are considered equal for normal road traffic (Class C Trafficable).
General Information
All About Soakwells is based in Perth, Western Australia and strives to always provide the right advice to avoid having to conduct expensive repairs in the future. We have over 10 years experience installing and repairing soakwells.
We recommend only using trafficable covers (150mm thick), even for places that only receive pedestrian traffic as the standard covers are only 75mm thick.
We can cut and resurface both concrete and ashphalt.
We specialise in working with property managers for residential and commercial buildings by ensuring clear communication between contractor, manager and tenant to minimise disruption.
How do you replace a soakwell grate?
Generally the process is as follows:
- Cut out the hinges of the existing soakwell and remove any rusted material,
- Cut a new grate from it's frame (supplied by soakwell manufacturer),
- Galvanise cut area's to prevent corrosion,
- Set new grate in existing frame and mortar in place.
We do not recommend this process for commercial properties due to liability, should the cover suddenly fail due to the condition of the old frame.
If the issue was caused by the grate being paved over, repaving will result in it reoccuring. The solution is to change the soakwell cover for one with a grate raised 100mm for concrete/paving instead of flush.
General Information
All About Soakwells is based in Perth, Western Australia and strives to always provide the right advice to avoid having to conduct expensive repairs in the future. We have over 10 years experience installing and repairing soakwells.
We recommend only using trafficable covers (150mm thick), even for places that only receive pedestrian traffic as the standard covers are only 75mm thick.
We can cut and resurface both concrete and ashphalt.
We specialise in working with property managers for residential and commercial buildings by ensuring clear communication between contractor, manager and tenant to minimise disruption.
