Rainwater, assisted by gravity, creeps, seeps and runs where it’s not welcome. Most garages are not designed to be completely watertight, however in case water ponds on the garage floor after each storm, then it may get old fast. Based on the positioning of this garage in relationship to the driveway, and the range of the issue, a couple of straightforward steps may help. In some instances, however, costly drainage steps are necessary to alleviate the issue.
Door and Floor Seals
On the base of the garage door is a flexible seal that goes from 1 side of this door to the other. When the garage door is closed, the seal must press snugly against the garage floor. Over the years, seals may deteriorate and rip, allowing water (in addition to insects and other pests) get under the garage door. Replacing the seal is valuable, but heavy runoff can still seep in at the edges of the doorway. You can also install raised rubber floor seals that resemble mini speed bumps. For minor water issues, the ground seals might help but they need to be replaced each year.
Guttering
Adding guttering for your garage may address the issue if the rainwater that’s seeping under the door is arriving from the garage roof. Install new gutters along the edges of the garage and then attach downspout extensions that carry rainwater away and out in the garage door. In addition to keeping rainwater out of this garage, diverting the water in the garage will protect its base.
Soil Grade
If the soil beside your driveway is greater compared to the driveway, rainwater will run onto the driveway instead of draining away in the garage. If this is happening, you can lower the soil level by the driveway, but take under account the water’s new path. Should you divert the water and it runs right into your neighbors’ lawn, you may have traded one problem for another.
Trench Drain
If the driveway slopes downward toward the garage instead of away from it, then the only way to keep out the rainwater would be to channel it away before it may run under the doorway. The best approach to do so is to set up a trench drain along the front of the garage. This entails cutting a narrow trench in the concrete, from 1 side of the driveway to the other, and inserting a steel or PVC U-shaped station in the trench. Concrete is pumped around the cap of the station, which can be flush with the driveway. An iron grate fits in the surface of the station, allowing water to enter the flow and drain through the station to the side(s) of this driveway. Periodically, you must remove the grate and clear the station of debris.