How can I stop water from getting in my garage?
Question:My driveway has a poor slope which is pitched to the garage. I often get lots of water in there. I know that I can get the drive redone, but it's too costly at this point. Does anyone know of a very low cost solution?
Answers:
The seal at the bottom of your garage door may need to be replaced. You can also install a drain at the lowest point of the slope, but that will also be costly, as you will have to cut through the driveway surface, depending on where the drain needs to be.
My driveway does the same thing, and luckily, the lowest point of the slope was just off the to the side of the garage. My husband cut out about half a square foot of the concrete and installed a drain, which led through buried pipe down the length of the driveway, out into the street. It cost about $400 and definitely saved us the hassle of always cleaning up water in the garage and mold on the garage walls.
sand bags
Put in a drain grate between the edge of the concrete and the driveway binder and top-coat. You would basically dig a square trench, pour a concrete footer with a lip on both sides to hold the grate, and run the water to a another location away from the garage (and lower than the driveway).
Unless you know what your doing, don't do it yourself. Once you cut unto the driveway, you only have one shot at doing it right the first time. Screw up and it will 1. Look like a cob-job and 2. Possibly not work as well as it should.
You need to route a potentially large amount of water in another direction fast, to eliminate it from your garage.
Think and rethink, measure and remeasure before you start demolition. Once you start it, you have to finish the job.
You can install a trench drain where your drive meets your garage. This system can be bought in pieces and installed the width of your driveway. There are many out there, but this is the one that I have had the most success with. It snaps together, and is easy to install. Here is the link:
http://www.mcnichols.com/products/trench...
You'll need to cut the concrete the width of your driveway, and dig out a little dirt for the drain to fit in, but it is a relitivly easy install. Attach the drain to a peice of perforated drain pipe and burry that drain pipe in your yard. Make sure to surround that drain pipe with gravel. Silicone the joint between the drive and the drain. That's all there is to it. Good Luck.
I've taken the time to actually read your question. The short answer is "no," there is no low cost solution to your problem if there is a lot of water pooling in your garage. Yes, you can install a drain, but that is no easy task. However, if the driveway is not too sloped, you can purchase a rubber "lip" that will run across your driveway in front of your garage. This will only work, however, if the water has someplace to go and the slope is not too great.
Yes it is called a shop vac.
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