Cellar Coal Hole Cover to Window

[zeeb]

I want to convert a coal chute cover to a window. Has anyone had experience of this?

The current cover is on street level and the angled chute flows in to the cellar.
The cast iron cover has gaps, which make the cellar very cold and with heavy rainfall small puddles appear at its internal base.

I'd like to secure glass to the underside of the coal chute cover with a strong glass glue and seal around the frame (outside to make it water tight). Has anyone successfully tried this without leaks?


Beneath the front door step, there are some holes which would serve for ventilation and i may add a further airbrick just to allow the cellar to breath.

I'd added some pics.
Any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[Tigercubrider]

I would speak to a glazier about glass choice- possibly laminated as somebody will manage to break it
You need to ensure that you don't just create a glass bottomed fish tank that fills with rain.
The victorians did it with glass bricks

A mate who had a coal hole in his garden had a small lantern over it. No good if you have foot traffic

 

[zeeb]

Hi Tiger,

Thanks for the suggestion.
One of my concerns is that placing glass to the underside of the coal cover, still means water will collect between the patterned gaps (glass bottomed fish tank as you call it), whereas I'd prefer if the water were to flow/run off.
A possible solution for this may be to use clear resin. Do you think this may work?

 

[JohnD]

it's more usual (with council permission) to construct a brick-lined pit in front of the house, with an iron grating over the top, and sufficient drainage at the bottom for rain to soak away, and a window looking out into this pit. I see you already have such a pit and grating, so you just need to improve the drainage at the bottom.

You won't get much light into the cellar.

 

[mattylad]

The chain is there for a good purpose, people have been known to lift the cover to break into the property - so you need to ensure you have a good secure method of retaining it.
If you put the glass on a slight slope then any water will run off, can this then be channelled somewhere?

How about lining the chute with reflective surfaces (stainless steel, mirror etc. ?) to aid the reflection of light. (like on of them thar light tubes).

For the glass, what about using those glass bricks? or see if you can get any of the glass bricks that were used for this purpose donkeys years ago?

 

[zeeb]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the reply. The reflective surface is a super idea.
Yep i do agree the chain is much needed. I can see people attempt to lift up. Perhaps if i use laminated glass this can have a cut out for the existing chain.

As for channelling any water, strangely the cellar does have a small hole about the diameter of a drainpipe and i suspect this is from the original victorian drainage system for this purpose. I could perhaps slope it as you say and have a small pipe (a bit like a boiler condensing pipe) and drainaway to this hole.

 

[mattylad]

If you have a pipe, put some form of accessible mesh filter to stop the pipe getting clogged.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Is it possible to remove the grate and refit it a little lower?
I would talk to a glazier but it might be possible to have a piece of glass let into the concrete with the grille below. Laminated glass is very tough and getting something capable of foot traffic may well be possible
https://www.houzz.co.uk/projects/2927951/light-well-covers