GAP floor hatch is designed to create an invisible entrance to basements, cellars, basement floors, and technical rooms of mostly private houses. It is also possible to use Gap outdoors, but under a canopy and under the condition of limiting constant contact with water.
GAP floor hatch is designed for lining with materials of medium weight, namely laminate, linoleum, ceramic and vinyl tiles, ceramic granite up to 16 mm thick or other materials of similar weight.
The structure of the hatch consists of a steel corner frame and boards connected by an axial Navvy hinge. The hinge has a closed bucket, where part of the slat enters when the hatch is fully opened. Opening is semi-automatic and is provided by gas springs.
The steel corner frame is 40x40x3 mm in size. The body of the ladder is made of steel profiles 25x40x2mm and stiffeners (steel profile 20x40x1.2mm). The sides of the body of the door are connected by stiffeners to strengthen and protect it from deformation under heavy loads. From above, the door is covered with KNAUF gypsum fiber sheet (GFS) 10 mm thick. A rubber seal is placed between the surface of the door and the corner, which is attached around the perimeter of the door. Depth the design of the hatch in the closed condition near the hinge is 90 mm, near the holders of shock absorbers - 155 mm, in near the frame - 40 mm.
Profiles for hidden hatches in the GAP floor are used exclusively from electrowelded carbon cold-rolled black steel, which undergoes phosphate treatment and is covered with polyester powder paint, which ensures its anti-corrosion. Welds are made by the MIG method according to the international standard DIN EN ISO 5817.
The hatch opens semi-automatically perpendicular to the floor at 90° using industrial gas shock absorbers fixed on special holders. In addition, the hatch is equipped with a rotary latch lock, which can be opened with a special key both from the outside and from the inside. The lock closes automatically when the hatch is closed. In most cases, when the lock is opened, the hatch opens without additional effort, but if the hatch cover is heavy and the hatch does not open on its own, it is necessary to use a lifting handle, for which an additional hole on the ledge and a decorative plug are provided.
To open the hatch:
The number of gas shock absorbers to be installed on the hatch is determined at the factory, calculating the load level based on information about the material, weight, area of the hatch cover and the side of the hinges. For the hatch, springs are used without a damper (tensioner) and without the possibility of adjusting the gas pressure in them.
Navvy hinges provide for the possibility of emergency disassembly of the door.
The minimum possible size of the structure with one door is 600 L x 600 W (W is a side of the hinge) mm, the maximum is 1000 L x 1200 W (W is a side of the hinge) mm. A design with two doors is not provided. If you need a hatch of larger dimensions, the MARAUS model is recommended.
GAP ® construction is designed for a maximum load of 400 kg/1 sq.m. to walk freely on it.
Important! A load greater than the recommended one may cause deformation of the hatch frame, and the hatch will not open! Any car hitting the hatch will also cause deformation.
Recommended overall size of the hatch should be 10 mm smaller from opening in the overlap between the premises to allow for an installation gap.
If you need to calculate the size of the hatch according to the tile size, measure the dimensions of the tile that will be placed on the ledge, taking into account thickness of the seams between tile fragments (approximately 2-4 mm). To the measured dimensions of tiles with seams add the width L (perpendicular side of the hinge) 35 mm. It is needed so you can take into account part of the Navvy ® hinge bucket on which tiles from floors and cuts at an angle of 45 degrees. 8 mm should be added along the length of W (side of the hinge).
If you followed these conditions, the tile should be placed on the edge so that it stands behind its limits 5 mm from three sides of the hatch, except the side where the hinge will be placed. The tile should not protrude of the side of the hinge!
Important !!! Light /useful/free hatch space with one door is smaller than the overall one by the width of the hinge of 100 mm from one side and the width of the corner of the frame by 40 mm from three others sides.
Important!!! Installation of hatches is possible only in a horizontal position;
Important!!! In the standard version, hatches do not contain fastening elements or holes;
Important!!! It is forbidden to operate the hatch with connected gas springs until the work on laying the floor covering is finished!
Before starting work, it is necessary to remove the gas springs from the hatch (if they were installed). The manufacturer always ships products with the gas springs removed. The gas springs are packaged separately from the other elements of the hatch and nested in the rear of the hatch.
1. Preparation of the opening.
Prepare an opening of the correct geometric shape (rectangular or square) with 90° corners in the concrete or wooden floor. The thickness of the overlap between floors should be at least 200 mm. If the overlap is less than 200 mm, you need to provide additional fasteners to fix the hatch. Do not start laying the finishing lining before installing the hatch!
Fixation of the hatch in the opening.
The GAP hatch is installed exclusively in the middle of the opening in the concrete or wooden floor.
Calculate the level to which the hatch frame and the hinged part will fall so that the top of the door is at the same level as the rough floor. Move down from this level by 1-2 mm. This will be an assembly line. Mark it on the walls of the opening.
Prepare steel corners for fixing the hatch (not supplied with the hatch). For the front and side parts of the hatch frame, there should be at least 3 corners, size 40x40x3 mm, for the hinge part of the hatch - at least 3 corners, size 50x50x4 mm. Fasten these corners with one side to the walls of the opening so that the other side is turned to the top and a shelf is formed at the level of the assembly line. You can fasten the corners in any convenient way: on 2-3 anchors, on reinforcement, by welding to a metal frame, etc. Lower the hatch onto the shelf from the corners and screw its frame to it with countersunk head screws. Separately fasten the shock absorber holders to the wall of the opening.
Make sure that the hatch is installed without distortion of the frame and in one plane with the surface of the wall or ceiling.
Fill the gaps between the concrete floor and the manhole frame with cement or another fixative and sealing solution.
If an electric "warm floor" is used in the place of installation of the hatch, we recommend using steel anchors 60-100 mm long and 6-10 mm in diameter instead of corners. Choose the length and diameter of the anchors depending on the size of the hatch and the material that will be attached to the structure (the heavier the hatch, the stronger the required anchors). Install the anchors so that the distance between them is 200-300 mm, no more than 200 mm from the side of the hinges.
Facing
After installing the hatch in the mounting opening, apply the facing material. Make openings in the facing material for the key and, if necessary, also for the lifting handle.
Apply a layer of tile adhesive to the gypsum fiber lath, following the recommendations for its use.
Stick the facing material on top. The tile should be placed on the floor so that it protrudes no more than 5 mm from three sides of the hatch, except the side where the hinge will be placed. The tile should not protrude of the side of the hinge!
To minimize the width of the gap in the area of the hinge attachment, where the facing material from the floor side meets the hinges, cut the thickness of the tile from the inside at an angle of 60°. This will make it possible to achieve the width of the seam between the bucket of the hinge and the floor no more than 2 mm wide.
After finishing laying the facing material, open the hatch door to 90° and connect the gas springs to the hatch with the stem down.
After completion of installation, it is not recommended to walk on the hatch for 3 days.
Important!!!
Before closing the hatch, it is necessary to check that there are no foreign objects on the frame of the hatch, and that the seal is correctly inserted;
Gas springs, and especially the rod, should not be exposed to impact, contamination, or exposure to aggressive environments;
The fastening strength of facing materials should exclude their separation or damage when opening the hatch. When operating the hatches, water/dirt must be avoided in the hatch hinges to avoid jamming or corrosion. In case of deterioration of hatch door opening properties, it is allowed to lubricate these elements with lubricants.
Conditions of storage and transportation.
4.The products must be stored exclusively indoors at a temperature from +5 to +55 degrees Celsius, relative humidity no more than 70%;
5.It is forbidden to store the products near open heat sources closer than 2 meters;
Important!!! To achieve the maximum concealment of the hatch, the floor covering material should be laid after installing the hatch, in the direction from the hatch to the walls. It is necessary to calculate the placement of the covering fragments so that the seams are located along the contour of the hatch.
Important!!! Do not leave children unattended when the hatch is open, as the hatch is a heavy construction with sharp metallic protrusions, and carelessness in its handling can lead to severe injuries and bodily damage. Be cautious!
Important!!! When closing the access door, make sure that no children, domestic animals, birds or other living creatures are trapped between the frame and the door.They can be injured or killed when the access door is closed.
