Dealing with water in the garage

"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich) 01/19/2018 at 10:17 • Filed to: Garagelopnik

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One of my goals this year is to get the garage insulated. But there’s something I want to make sure I do right, and that’s deal with water that drips off the car when I pull it in. Whoever poured the concrete pad for the garage didn’t slope it toward the large door or anything like that. It’s all just reasonably level, which means if I drive a wet or snowy car into the garage, the water runs sideways toward the walls. It’s already got as few things wet that way, and I’m wondering what the best way is to deal with it. I want to make sure I don’t end up with water reaching the sills (board along the bottom of the wall), and rotting it out.

Any ideas on how to handle this?

functionoverfashion > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:26

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I used to have a garage like this. Unfortunately there’s no easy answer, I don’t think. I used to use a big floor squeegee to get most of the water out, after it started to melt. Basically one trip out to the garage at some point within 2 hours after coming home, to push most of the slush and water outside.

Also, a box fan helps keep air moving and dry things out more quickly.

Wacko > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:27

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no drain in the floor?

TheRealBicycleBuck > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:28

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http://allgaragefloors.com/best-garage-floor-mat-snow/

Herr Quattro - Has a 4-motion > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:29

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Most likely, you’ll either have to completely have to redo the floor, or, cut grooves into the floor, and install grates.

Or, if the water always goes to the outside, you could do very shallow grooves that lead to just drains. You’ll just have to plumb them...

crowmolly > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:33

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There are probably a few ways you can deal with it.

1.) Cheap and easy- add something along the walls that’s “disposable” so it takes the damage vs. something else. Can be simple like plastic moulding that you caulk to the floor (to seal it and prevent water from getting under).

2.) Do something with a floor coating (like epoxy) where it will be easy to squeegee the water out when you drive in.

3.) Rent equipment to resurface the floor yourself, and grind it until it drains how you want. Probably epoxy then too.

Funktheduck > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:33

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https://www.flexsealproducts.com/shop/

Get a few cans of the spray and seal the edges?

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:38

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As a couple have said, cutting a slot or two to move water toward the doors would work, and then you can install a plastic floor, similar to racedeck, but Costco has a less expensive option, same stuff. That’s what I have and it makes it nice in winter as the slush and meltwater just goes to the nearest joint and then under the floor and out the door. I’ll hose it down in the spring, but that’s it. Keeps from having big puddles to walk through. But you’d still have to address the drainage issue with yours, and the channels would do the trick. Just make sure to keep the cutting wet or use a vacuum or respirator while cutting. That silica dust is bad shit.

shop-teacher > Wacko 01/19/2018 at 10:43

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Most places outlawed those a long time ago.

SmugAardvark > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:43

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You could line your garage floor with sponges.

I mean, it would be gross and stinky within a couple of days. But I bet it’d be fun to walk across until then.

Future next gen S2000 owner > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:44

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Grind the concrete to put a slope on it.

kanadanmajava1 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 10:47

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I have an heating oil storage room that is located partially underground. Water seeps in but it has a drain with pump to gather and remove the water. However the floor isn’t sloped properly and water pools in a wrong place. I used an angle grinder with a “stone disc” to cut a narrow groove leading towards the drain. It looks ugly but it did remove the water pooling area.

E92M3 > Future next gen S2000 owner 01/19/2018 at 11:27

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This^ Any company that installs epoxy floors has the equipment to do this. They remove a mm (or two) of concrete so the epoxy will adhere properly. You want someone with experience to do this.

LOREM IPSUM > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 11:27

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Just a friendly reminder to wear an N95 or better mask whenever you’re cutting, grinding, or otherwise working with dry concrete.

Silica dust is a serious inhalation hazard.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Wacko 01/19/2018 at 11:33

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Nope, no drain.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > kanadanmajava1 01/19/2018 at 11:37

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I’m wondering about doing something similar - cutting a shallow groove or two that slopes toward the big door.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > LOREM IPSUM 01/19/2018 at 11:39

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I carpool with a guy who’s wife works at a respiratory clinic. I’m reminded often by him to wear a respirator. :p

Chariotoflove > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 11:48

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Whoever poured that slab was incompetent. I vote for cutting grooves or regrading the floor. You need to protect the walls from rot. Grinding concrete is messy. Good luck.

kanadanmajava1 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 11:50

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Before I settled for the angle grinder method I was thinking about using a hand router with couple of properly aligned guide rails. You could get a bit wider and very accurate groove with these.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Chariotoflove 01/19/2018 at 12:05

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Whoever built the entire garage was incompetent. There’s so many odd little things wrong with it. Like they put the downspouts together the wrong way, then caulked the heck out of it because it leaked. Well duh.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > kanadanmajava1 01/19/2018 at 12:07

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That’s not a bad idea. I recall my brother using a hand tool like that to cut designs in concrete. I’ll have to ask him where to find one.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 01/19/2018 at 13:03

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Installing a plastic floor might be tricky. I do a lot of wood working, and I imagine it would plug up full of saw dust in no time.

Wacko > shop-teacher 01/19/2018 at 14:48

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really, every modern garage i’ve seen here in canada does have a drain.

shop-teacher > Wacko 01/19/2018 at 16:03

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Interesting. Maybe it’s a US thing then. I haven’t seen a garage built after say the early 70's or so with a drain.

Wacko > shop-teacher 01/19/2018 at 16:50

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maybe they think people drain oil in there??

it might not be legal here either

shop-teacher > Wacko 01/19/2018 at 18:01

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I believe oil and other fluid dumping was the big issue.

MINIGTI > BaconSandwich is tasty. 01/19/2018 at 18:19

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Good idea about the grooves. One side of my garage seems to often have water or moisture standing and the wall sills are a little rotten looking. Need to do something about it.