Bad grade on floor in garage

[StreetRacerX]

One of my biggest gripes this winter is the grade on my garages floor and what happens when snow or water accumulates in the garage, unlike most garages built today my garage lacks that concrete footing that goes around the outside perimeter of the interior, so when said snow melts it goes out towards the walls which is drywalled to the concrete floor and the drywall gets soaked.

What can be done to rectify the grade issue of the concrete slab? Its all over the place with low spots here and there, I've contemplated installing a grate system that goes around the inside of the garage and dump it into the little garden area on the front side of the garage and install a heat tape for winter but if there are any other ideas or any companies that anyone can recommend that would be great.

EDIT: Also looking for someone to finish the garage, I would like insulation and dry wall for the ceiling done before I install a unit heater this summer.

[InRich]

Calcana heater will solve both your problems, as it will dry the wet floors :thumbsup:

[StreetRacerX]

Originally posted by InRich
Calcana heater will solve both your problems, as it will dry the wet floors :thumbsup:

I actually prefer Modine Hot Dawg unit heaters as they are quite low profile and perfect for garages, never really been a fan of infrared heaters. That and the company I work for doesn't have an account there so I won't get any deals.

[Tik-Tok]

Vinyl baseboard

http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/rubber-baseboard-low-voc-floorscore-certified-51801-1520333.jpghttp://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/vinyl-baseboard-77721-7604833.jpg

[Maxt]

My old garage had the same problem, I contemplated doing what a friend of mine did, but I ended up rebuilding larger. He installed a foot high strip of aluminum diamond plate around the perimeter with butyl rubber sealant sealing it to the floor and behind the plate.

[Zorac]

mine does that too, i run a vent fan on a humidistat and park the cars on mats with a lip.

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
Vinyl baseboard

http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/rubber-baseboard-low-voc-floorscore-certified-51801-1520333.jpghttp://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/photo-g/vinyl-baseboard-77721-7604833.jpg

Unless you can somehow seal that to a concrete floor, you'll make a bad problem even worse by trapping the water behind the wall and growing mold.

[ExtraSlow]

My garage has this issue as well. It dries out really well if you leave the big door open a few inches overnight, but for some reason my wife can't remember to do that. That's one reason I will never finish this garage, the drywall would be destroyed the first winter.

[codetrap]

.

[ExtraSlow]

If the garage is built without that footer wall, I think it's typical to run the drywall right to the bottom of the studs.
Mine is built that way, there is no footer wall, just a totally flat slab and the studs go down to that. Having lived with that for a while, I would would never allow a garage to be built that way in the future. That bottom plate of framing gets soaked a couple of times a year.

[Nufy]

My garage is like that to a more extreme degree...

After many years the garage has settled and I get leakage into the garage from the outside from melting snow, heavy rain etc...

Hard to do drainage when everything around it is 6-8 inches above the finished slab...

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by CapnCrunch


Unless you can somehow seal that to a concrete floor, you'll make a bad problem even worse by trapping the water behind the wall and growing mold.

Well yeah, I thought that would be obvious, lol.

[CapnCrunch]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


Well yeah, I thought that would be obvious, lol.

I only mentioned it because that in my experience, that vinyl baseboard isn't very stable and it's usually just a stick on type of install. Water, or even high humidity causes it the peel away, so I don't know how effectively you could seal it?

[StreetRacerX]

Thanks for the responses, I'm going to be putting a unit heater in and hopefully that doesn't make the garage a sauna , only other thing I can think of is have channels cut into the concrete around the inside perimeter grading towards the garage door, my concern then would be the water freezing the door to the slab lol

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by CapnCrunch


I only mentioned it because that in my experience, that vinyl baseboard isn't very stable and it's usually just a stick on type of install. Water, or even high humidity causes it the peel away, so I don't know how effectively you could seal it?

Proper prep and Flexible outdoor caulking.

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by CapnCrunch


Unless you can somehow seal that to a concrete floor, you'll make a bad problem even worse by trapping the water behind the wall and growing mold.

even if you seal it to the floor, water will still wet the drywall since concrete is porous

the only way is to elevate your drywall away from the water source. If it was me, i'd just trim the bottom 5 inches of drywall and replace with a waterproof drywall product

[bspot]

I'd put in a through the wall fan such as a Broan 509 on a humidistat.

I would also cut off the bottom inch of the drywall all the way around.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by FixedGear


even if you seal it to the floor, water will still wet the drywall since concrete is porous

the only way is to elevate your drywall away from the water source. If it was me, i'd just trim the bottom 5 inches of drywall and replace with a waterproof drywall product

Tile!! :D

You just need to trim the drywall up an inch or so, to avoid wicking. Then seal the joint at the bottom of the tile with silicone, where it meets the concrete.


http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o312/CalgaryDave/House/IMG_3350_zpsxsfywels.jpg

[AndyL]

One customer I helped - had a big hump at the centre - so drained to all edges... Contractor sawcut 2 slit trenches - about a 1/4" deep (average - took some play i recall) and 2" or so apart around the perimeter and out under the door. Gave the water a channel to flow outside.

[jeffh]

Dave, that green monster furnace is a thing of beauty, probably still runs as good as the day it was first installed.

Andy, thats probably the best and most cost effective long-term fix to a a wet n moldy situation.

[AndyL]

DIYable too - mentioned it to a few people as a solution to puddles.

Really it's just chalkline a grinder with a concrete blade - and a shit ton of patience and a few dust masks (then paint/sealer of the whole floor)

[Nufy]

Originally posted by AndyL
DIYable too - mentioned it to a few people as a solution to puddles.

Really it's just chalkline a grinder with a concrete blade - and a shit ton of patience and a few dust masks (then paint/sealer of the whole floor)


if you put the blade on a skill saw you can control depth much easier.

[AndyL]

You may have a point there - but it might have to get recut too - not like they use laser scree systems in new home construction... But it would probably be easier with a circ saw.

[Swank]

Anyone have experience with garage mats like these?

http://www.elite-xpressions.com/flooring_parksmart_cleanpark.htm

My floor dries up reasonably quick, but containing the dirt/gravel on something that I could drag out and sweep/hose off would make keeping the garage clean a lot easier.

[StreetRacerX]

Probably go the concrete saw cutting route, after the new gates, and gas line to the garage is run. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Nufy]

Anyone have experience with hydraulic jacking ??

I would like to raise my garage about 6 - 10 inches to solve my drainage problems from the outside.

Is there a ballpark per sq foot cost or are they usually custom quotes.