Howdy!

My garage always gets water into it when we have rain or a snow melt and I
was wondering what do to about it...

The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so water just
comes in around the doors or from the car and sits on the floor instead of
running back out.

Also, the 2x6 walls don't appear to have any gasket material under the
bottom plate. The walls are still empty - no insulation or drywall over
them. Outside is sheathed and covered in vinyl siding.

The pad is 24'x32' and we've got three single doors on the north side.

Is there any way to keep the water from coming in the doors that won't
interfere with their operation?

Is having no gasket under the bottom plate a big issue or will sealing along
the inside seam with caulk take care of the small amounts of water we get in
under the walls? The pad is very close to ground level so it doesn't take
much snow for the melt to come under the walls. Rain isn't much of an issue.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Noozer wrote:
Howdy!

My garage always gets water into it when we have rain or a snow melt
and I was wondering what do to about it...

The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so
water just comes in around the doors or from the car and sits on the
floor instead of running back out.

Also, the 2x6 walls don't appear to have any gasket material under the
bottom plate. The walls are still empty - no insulation or drywall
over them. Outside is sheathed and covered in vinyl siding.

The pad is 24'x32' and we've got three single doors on the north side.

Is there any way to keep the water from coming in the doors that won't
interfere with their operation?

Is having no gasket under the bottom plate a big issue or will
sealing along the inside seam with caulk take care of the small
amounts of water we get in under the walls? The pad is very close to
ground level so it doesn't take much snow for the melt to come under
the walls. Rain isn't much of an issue.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Your real problem was the contractor. I don't know of any idea that
will always work.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so
water just comes in around the doors or from the car and sits on the
floor instead of running back out.

Your real problem was the contractor. I don't know of any idea that
will always work.

I know... They came recommended and weren't the lowest bid. It was like
pulling teeth just to find a contractor who was interested in the first
place.

I'm just trying to make the best of the situation.

"Noozer" wrote:
My garage always gets water into it when we have rain or a snow melt and I
was wondering what do to about it...

The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so water just
comes in around the doors or from the car and sits on the floor instead of
running back out.

Also, the 2x6 walls don't appear to have any gasket material under the
bottom plate. The walls are still empty - no insulation or drywall over
them. Outside is sheathed and covered in vinyl siding.

The pad is 24'x32' and we've got three single doors on the north side.

Is there any way to keep the water from coming in the doors that won't
interfere with their operation?

Is having no gasket under the bottom plate a big issue or will sealing along
the inside seam with caulk take care of the small amounts of water we get in
under the walls? The pad is very close to ground level so it doesn't take
much snow for the melt to come under the walls. Rain isn't much of an issue.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

If you have any area to discharge to, cutting out a couple of inches in front of
the doors and installing a grate and drain may be your only reasonable option.
I take it the contractor isn't willing to try to "make it right"? Hard to
believe an competent contractor would argue that job has been done correctly.

Typically, you don't put any gasketing under the bottom plates, but they
*should* be PT wood if they're touching the concrete.

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:xJZpe.1619888$Xk.110634@pd7tw3no...
Howdy!

My garage always gets water into it when we have rain or a snow melt and I
was wondering what do to about it...

The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so water
just
comes in around the doors or from the car and sits on the floor instead of
running back out.

Also, the 2x6 walls don't appear to have any gasket material under the
bottom plate. The walls are still empty - no insulation or drywall over
them. Outside is sheathed and covered in vinyl siding.

The pad is 24'x32' and we've got three single doors on the north side.

Is there any way to keep the water from coming in the doors that won't
interfere with their operation?

Is having no gasket under the bottom plate a big issue or will sealing
along
the inside seam with caulk take care of the small amounts of water we get
in
under the walls? The pad is very close to ground level so it doesn't take
much snow for the melt to come under the walls. Rain isn't much of an
issue.

Any suggestions are appreciated!



Hello Noozer,

Is the site wet, as in ground water?
Are you heating the garage?
Was there visqueen put down below the slab?
Is there perimeter drainage?
Where do the gutter splashblock go?
How long ago was it poured?

There are many things that can make or keep a slab wet, most of them are not
contractor related.

David A
Pacific Garages Inc.

If you have any area to discharge to, cutting out a couple of inches in
front of
the doors and installing a grate and drain may be your only reasonable
option.

That's what I thought... Just wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking
anything.

I take it the contractor isn't willing to try to "make it right"? Hard
to
believe an competent contractor would argue that job has been done
correctly.

The pad was poured a few years back and we only put the garage up about a
year ago.

Typically, you don't put any gasketing under the bottom plates, but they
*should* be PT wood if they're touching the concrete.

Definately treated lumber.

Is the site wet, as in ground water?

Site is definately not wet.

Are you heating the garage?

No heat yet.

Was there visqueen put down below the slab?

??? Lots of crushed rock and rebar.

Is there perimeter drainage?

Not as much as I'd like, but I will be resolving this.

Where do the gutter splashblock go?

These both drain away from the garage so don't contribute to the water.

How long ago was it poured?

4(?) years ago? Garage is only about a year and a half old.

There are many things that can make or keep a slab wet, most of them are
not
contractor related.

The slab was definately not poured with any slope and this is why the water
doesn't drain out. The rest is just a result of bad planning on my part.

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:xJZpe.1619888$Xk.110634@pd7tw3no...
Howdy!

My garage always gets water into it when we have rain or a snow melt and I
was wondering what do to about it...

The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so water
just
comes in around the doors or from the car and sits on the floor instead of
running back out.

Also, the 2x6 walls don't appear to have any gasket material under the
bottom plate. The walls are still empty - no insulation or drywall over
them. Outside is sheathed and covered in vinyl siding.

The pad is 24'x32' and we've got three single doors on the north side.

Is there any way to keep the water from coming in the doors that won't
interfere with their operation?

Is having no gasket under the bottom plate a big issue or will sealing
along
the inside seam with caulk take care of the small amounts of water we get
in
under the walls? The pad is very close to ground level so it doesn't take
much snow for the melt to come under the walls. Rain isn't much of an
issue.

An almost grade-level slab, and no perimeter masonry stub walls (usually
concrete block) under the frame walls? In other works, your garage is just
sitting on a flat slab? No wonder it is wet inside. Any blown rain will
come in right under wall, once felt or whatever fails. At a minimum, I'd dig
a slit trench around the outside, maybe a foot wide and deep, and fill it
with gravel, and provide a low spot if possible for water to drain to from
the trench. It could be oozing up right through slab- once it is wet,
nowhere for it to go downhill to. Other posters are right- design flaws
galore here.

I know it wouldn't be practical, but if cost was no object, something like
this would **** me off enough to jack up garage and pour a proper sloped and
drained slab, with footings, under it, and then set garage back down. Garage
floors up here in the northland are poured after garage is built, and the
slab rests on ledge of the footings and/or foundation for the perimeter
wall. By local standards, what you have is a walled-in carport. Don't caulk
the inside of the sill plate- that will just keep the sills wet forever, and
even pressure-treated won't hold up under that. Do something on the outside
to keep water out.

aem sends...

On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 16:01:33 GMT, "Noozer" wrote:

Is there any way to keep the water from coming in the doors that won't
interfere with their operation?

I glued a strip of 2" x 1/2" wood on the floor and let the garage door
sit on it to get it aligned and to squeeze down the glue. The glue
should form a watertight seal. In anycase seal the seam with latex or
silicone caulk. That 1/2 in strip should form enough of a barrier to
keep the water from seeping in.

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:xJZpe.1619888$Xk.110634@pd7tw3no...
Howdy!

My garage always gets water into it when we have rain or a snow melt and I
was wondering what do to about it...

The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so water
just
comes in around the doors or from the car and sits on the floor instead of
running back out.

Also, the 2x6 walls don't appear to have any gasket material under the
bottom plate. The walls are still empty - no insulation or drywall over
them. Outside is sheathed and covered in vinyl siding.

The pad is 24'x32' and we've got three single doors on the north side.

Is there any way to keep the water from coming in the doors that won't
interfere with their operation?

Is having no gasket under the bottom plate a big issue or will sealing
along
the inside seam with caulk take care of the small amounts of water we get
in
under the walls? The pad is very close to ground level so it doesn't take
much snow for the melt to come under the walls. Rain isn't much of an
issue.

Any suggestions are appreciated!



A bit unusual to pour a slab, meant for a building, not to be 6" above grade
for the finish surface at its lowest point. Read over your replies to
others. The slab is about 4 years old. Yet, the garage was built 1.5 years
ago. In the interim, between the garage slab and the garage building
erection, something may have happened. An overzealouz landscaper may have
added topsoil, and as a consequence, the lack of above ground clearance as
an example.. This is not the fault of the contractor who built the garage.
If the slab holds the same top surface to soil grade as when is was poured,
there may be a detail or two that the slab contractor and owner failed to
communicate to each other.

Slab sounds like a basic flat, level +/- 1/8". No provision for a car to
drive into, no downsloped apron. So, don't see any problem except that what
was allowed by the person who orginally contracted the slab.

#15 building felt is commonly used under the bottom (sill) plate before
erecting the walls. Gonna be fun trying to get that under there now.

Vinyl siding is loosely attached to walls. Was not meant to keep out water
in the form of melted snow pressed against the vinyl siding. Its needs a
continuous vapor barrier between the vinyl siding and the sheathing.

My garage always gets water into it when we have rain or a snow melt
and I was wondering what do to about it...
The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so
water just comes in around the doors or from the car and sits on the
floor instead of running back out.
Also, the 2x6 walls don't appear to have any gasket material under the
bottom plate. The walls are still empty - no insulation or drywall
over them. Outside is sheathed and covered in vinyl siding.
The pad is 24'x32' and we've got three single doors on the north side.
Is there any way to keep the water from coming in the doors that won't
interfere with their operation?
Is having no gasket under the bottom plate a big issue or will sealing
along the inside seam with caulk take care of the small amounts of
water we get in under the walls? The pad is very close to ground level
so it doesn't take much snow for the melt to come under the walls.
Rain isn't much of an issue.

The bottom of the outside wall "should" be at least 6" above the ground.
Otherwise you could end up with rot and/or water damage in the future.
Still, having said that, I've got a shed that sits about 4" above ground
and is still in perfect shape after 15 years.

The ideal option would be to jack up the garage, tear out the slab, and
repour a new one. But, that's a lot of work, and a lot of expense.

Second option might be to jack up the garage, and pour a small perimeter
wall around the perimeter (or mortar in a row of concrete block). Then add
a layer of sill sealer, and lower the garage back down. I'd apply a
waterproofer to the outside of the block wall to minimize water seepage.

The siding should also overlap the foundation by an inch or so. Any rain
that runs down the wall will drop off onto the ground and not follow the
bottom edge under the wall.

A cheap alternative would be to caulk on the OUTSIDE of the wall at that
gap. You don't want to trap water under the wall, so don't caulk on the
inside.

As for water that finds it's way into the garage from the cars, you could
try renting a concrete grinder and grinding a slight slope into the slab.
It might be easier to grind shallow "troughs" of sorts that would collect
the water and direct it out under the garage doors. I did something similar
on my own garage where the edge of the slab was higher than the sloped
floor. Water would pool right inside the garage doors. I used a 7" hand
grinder to bevel the front 8" or so, and haven't had any problems since.
You can rent large walk-behind grinders at most rental stores for big jobs
like yours.

On the outside of the building, do anything you can to get the water away
from the garage. Slope the ground away from the garage, install a perimeter
drain system to direct the water away, etc. Obviously, good gutters will
help a lot if they drain out away from the garage.

As for the garage doors, they should have rubber seals on the bottom where
they contact the floor. Assuming this is the case and you still get
leakage, they do make rubber seals you can apply to the floor (search for
"garage door seal" on Google). The door comes down and sits on the seal and
any rain that makes it under the door gets directed out. The biggest
problem I see with these is any water that is in the garage (i.e. from the
cars) won't be able to drain out either.

If you get leakage around a walk-in entry door, you could add a storm door
on the outside. This will help protect the opening and direct water away
before it has a chance to seep in the door. You could also build a small
roof over the door to shield it from the weather.

Good luck!

Anthony

A bit unusual to pour a slab, meant for a building, not to be 6" above
grade
for the finish surface at its lowest point. Read over your replies to
others. The slab is about 4 years old. Yet, the garage was built 1.5
years
ago. In the interim, between the garage slab and the garage building
erection, something may have happened. An overzealouz landscaper may have
added topsoil, and as a consequence, the lack of above ground clearance as
an example.. This is not the fault of the contractor who built the
garage.
If the slab holds the same top surface to soil grade as when is was
poured,
there may be a detail or two that the slab contractor and owner failed to
communicate to each other.

Slab sounds like a basic flat, level +/- 1/8". No provision for a car to
drive into, no downsloped apron. So, don't see any problem except that
what
was allowed by the person who orginally contracted the slab.

#15 building felt is commonly used under the bottom (sill) plate before
erecting the walls. Gonna be fun trying to get that under there now.

All true... Bad planning on my part. I would have expected the contractor to
point out any flaws in my plan, but I assume he just did what he was told.

Vinyl siding is loosely attached to walls. Was not meant to keep out
water
in the form of melted snow pressed against the vinyl siding. Its needs a
continuous vapor barrier between the vinyl siding and the sheathing.

Garage has Tyvec wrap under the siding.

The bottom of the outside wall "should" be at least 6" above the ground.
Otherwise you could end up with rot and/or water damage in the future.
Still, having said that, I've got a shed that sits about 4" above ground
and is still in perfect shape after 15 years.

I know this now... I've even considered digging around the garage and
pouring a footing around it... making the current floor a floating floor.
Still would need to find some way to seal this and joint between the current
slap and new "footing".

Not really a footing since nothing would be resting on top of it. Top would
be sloped to run water away from the building. Wood walls would still go
down to the slab though.

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:xJZpe.1619888$Xk.110634@pd7tw3no...
Howdy!

My garage always gets water into it when we have rain or a snow melt and I
was wondering what do to about it...

The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so water
just
comes in around the doors

stop the water before the door:
-regrade and relevel the drive and adjacent ground [better, all around the
slab]
-install surface [+roof?] drainage

or from the car and sits on the floor instead of
running back out.

I guess an additional sloped cement screed would not be durable at this
minimal thickness. Perhaps you can find locally a liquid application floor
finish that can be built up to make a slope?

snip

"Noozer" wrote in message
news:uWjqe.1637585$Xk.954831@pd7tw3no...
A bit unusual to pour a slab, meant for a building, not to be 6" above
grade
for the finish surface at its lowest point. Read over your replies to
others. The slab is about 4 years old. Yet, the garage was built 1.5
years
ago. In the interim, between the garage slab and the garage building
erection, something may have happened. An overzealouz landscaper may
have
added topsoil, and as a consequence, the lack of above ground clearance
as
an example.. This is not the fault of the contractor who built the
garage.
If the slab holds the same top surface to soil grade as when is was
poured,
there may be a detail or two that the slab contractor and owner failed
to
communicate to each other.

Slab sounds like a basic flat, level +/- 1/8". No provision for a car
to
drive into, no downsloped apron. So, don't see any problem except that
what
was allowed by the person who orginally contracted the slab.

#15 building felt is commonly used under the bottom (sill) plate before
erecting the walls. Gonna be fun trying to get that under there now.

All true... Bad planning on my part. I would have expected the contractor
to
point out any flaws in my plan, but I assume he just did what he was told.

Vinyl siding is loosely attached to walls. Was not meant to keep out
water
in the form of melted snow pressed against the vinyl siding. Its needs
a
continuous vapor barrier between the vinyl siding and the sheathing.

Garage has Tyvec wrap under the siding.



If you have any house wrap laying around, take a real close look at it. Its
woven plastic. Now, imagine water type hydraulic pressure from the side if
this housewrap is on the walls. Not hard to believe this water is seeping
in.

Lil' Dave wrote:
"Noozer" wrote in message
news:xJZpe.1619888$Xk.110634@pd7tw3no...
Howdy!

My garage always gets water into it when we have rain or a snow melt
and I was wondering what do to about it...

The contractor who poured our pad did not put any slope on it, so
water just comes in around the doors or from the car and sits on the
floor instead of running back out.

Also, the 2x6 walls don't appear to have any gasket material under
the bottom plate. The walls are still empty - no insulation or
drywall over them. Outside is sheathed and covered in vinyl siding.

The pad is 24'x32' and we've got three single doors on the north
side.

Is there any way to keep the water from coming in the doors that
won't interfere with their operation?

Is having no gasket under the bottom plate a big issue or will
sealing along the inside seam with caulk take care of the small
amounts of water we get in under the walls? The pad is very close to
ground level so it doesn't take much snow for the melt to come under
the walls. Rain isn't much of an issue.

Any suggestions are appreciated!



A bit unusual to pour a slab, meant for a building, not to be 6"
above grade for the finish surface at its lowest point. Read over
your replies to others. The slab is about 4 years old. Yet, the
garage was built 1.5 years ago. In the interim, between the garage
slab and the garage building erection, something may have happened.
An overzealouz landscaper may have added topsoil, and as a
consequence, the lack of above ground clearance as an example.. This
is not the fault of the contractor who built the garage. If the slab
holds the same top surface to soil grade as when is was poured, there
may be a detail or two that the slab contractor and owner failed to
communicate to each other.

Slab sounds like a basic flat, level +/- 1/8". No provision for a
car to drive into, no downsloped apron. So, don't see any problem
except that what was allowed by the person who orginally contracted
the slab.

#15 building felt is commonly used under the bottom (sill) plate
before erecting the walls. Gonna be fun trying to get that under
there now.

Vinyl siding is loosely attached to walls. Was not meant to keep out
water in the form of melted snow pressed against the vinyl siding.
Its needs a continuous vapor barrier between the vinyl siding and the
sheathing.

I suspect you mean a water resistant barrier, rather than a vapor
barrier?

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit