Automotive lifts raise a vehicle up to store or work on it. Floor requirements for installing a lift ensure that no harm comes to you, the car or the area where the lift is installed. Because there are many models of automotive lifts, these requirements will vary. Check the manufacturer or dealer for further specifications.
Adequate space for the installation and operation of the lift is an essential requirement for safe automotive lift use. Two-post and four-post auto lifts have different spatial needs, and your specific auto lift will vary depending on its width and height. You'll have to make sure there is plenty of room for you to maneuver around the lift when the vehicle is in the air or the lift is in a passive position. Furthermore, tools and other items will need to move around the lift easily without bumping into it.
Automotive lifts must be built atop reinforced concrete that's rated for at least 3,000 pounds per square inch--or PSI. This measures how much weight in a single square inch the concrete can handle. Only concrete can be used because the auto lift distributes the weight of the car and the weight of lifting the car to its piers. These piers put tremendous weight on the floor. Anything not graded at 3,000 PSI or higher is very likely to crack. If this happens, the car and lift may fall, critically injuring you or someone else nearby.
The floor where an auto lift is installed should be level. Any slope in the floor may translate into the lift itself. If this happens, slight differences in the height of the vehicle on the lift will distribute the vehicle's weight irregularly. This will lead to distortions in the lift structure and may even result in cracks in the lift over time. If this slope of the floor can't be determined, you should consider hiring a site surveyor to survey the site. You can also pour a new level of concrete. If you do so, you have to wait at least 30 days for the concrete to cure.
