Homemade hatch for the crawl space from waterproof plywood, by Wouter

On this page, Wouter shares his experience with making a crawl space hatch from waterproof plywood. He provides useful steps and tips for this practical job. With his DIY approach, Wouter has created a sturdy and durable hatch that makes access to the crawl space easy and is highly resistant to moisture. Follow his steps and make your own hatch for the crawl space.

Wouter's description

The hatch above the hole in the crawl space sagged. There is always water in the crawl space. So a new, water-resistant and sturdy hatch was needed, which you can stand on without risking your own life.

How I made this project

The opening measures 80.0 x 60.0 cm. This has a metal corner profile of 3.0 cm high all around. Two layers of 15 mm plywood, glued together waterproofly, fit into this. Above this, in the tiled floor, is a recess of 124.0 x 120.0 cm. The large piece of plywood fits into this. This large piece is glued to the smaller one, creating a very sturdy hatch consisting of three layers of waterproof plywood. This is sealed on the edges and then primed and given a high-gloss finish. Recesses for two handles have been milled into it. The hatch was then sealed on the edges and primed all around and then finished with a high-gloss lacquer. Finally, the handles are attached.

Dimensions of my DIY project

124.0 x 120.0 x 4.2 cm