----- Original Message -----
From: "ameijers"
Newsgroups: alt.home.repair
Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2004 8:54 PM
Subject: Driveway/Garage Drainage Problem



"Howie" wrote in message
...
Last August, we got a guy in to install a new concrete driveway
connecting
to our garage (for cash if you know what I mean). The guy didn't slope
it
correctly and, when it rains, the water run directly into the south-east
corner of our garage (see photo here):
http://eteamz.active.com/amtrakfastb...es/garage3.jpg.

The water runs along "line B", instead of along "line C" like it should
of
(see photo from above).

Somehow, I have to get the water to run along "Line A" (it appears to be
the
best way to route the water), here is another couple of photos:
http://eteamz.active.com/amtrakfastb...es/garage1.jpg,
http://eteamz.active.com/amtrakfastb...es/garage2.jpg.

I just put in a paving stone patio a couple of weeks ago. My questions:

1) Should I call the guy up and complain? What can he do about it?
Remove
the driveway? What if he doesn't want to do anything about it? I can't
sue
a guy that I paid cash to do the job can I?

2) Could I use a layer of "Top and Bond" and make a 1 high ridge along
the
edge of the large garage door and along the rest of the garage south
where
the water should run (along line A)?

3) Any other comments / advice / tips / suggestions?

Forget about trying to get patch mix to hold together as a curb- first
time
you drive over it, it would break apart. You may be able to find some sort
of heavy rubber or metal garage threshold molding you can fasten down with
construction adhesive and some ramset studs, to coax the water where you
want it to go. Proper solution, short of ripping out end 8 feet of
driveway
and starting over, is to rent a concrete saw (or hire someone) to cut a
slit
trench in front of garage door.

What do you mean by a "slit trench"?

You then dig out and form a concrete trough
and cover it with a grate to drive over. Trench is sloped to whichever end
provides best drainage.

Would I slope this trench in the opposite direction as "line A" in the
photo?

If you get a lot of water, you may need a catch box and drywell to accept
the runoff.

We don't a whole lot of rain, but occasionally....

You don't want to encourage the water to
pond near the house, the better to avoid wet basement, etc.

The driveway is highest along the house, so that's not a problem...

Your local precast concrete place should be able to set you up with all
the bits you
need for DIY, or a real paving company could knock it out in a couple
days.
Of course, if you hire out, you should have them crunch the numbers both
way- drain trench vs. repaving end section. No idea what to say about
going
after the original guy. Tradesmen working off the books like that are
usually pretty judgement-proof. Unless you can guilt him into trying
again,
probably SOL. And if he screwed up something basic like that the first
time,
do you really want him working for you again?

I don't care, as long as he fixes it, and it doesn't cost me for him to fix
what he screwed up.


aem sends...