Picture this scenario, you arrive home from a weeklong vacation, let’s say Miami. All smiles, you head into the house and decide to check if everything is as you left.
You run into the garage and what meets your eyes is nothing short of bewildering. Alas! A pool of water right under your car. The least of your expectations, right? Unfortunately, there was a cloudburst a few days ago, and you now have to deal with the menace.
Apparently, you have been experiencing this before but not to such an extent. Now it is about time you do something about it because it is no longer the little drips from your car that dry up quite quickly.
How to Stop Water from Coming into the Garage
The water pools could cause severe problems, and you really aren’t ready for that. This article takes you through various methods on how to stop water from coming into your garage.
Fix your Door and Floor Seals
At the very bottom of your garage door, there is a seal that stretches from one end to the other such that when the door is dropped, it presses against the floor of the garage. Within time, this rubber seal wears off and lets in water when it rains.
You must replace the seal to keep water from flowing into the garage. Alongside the door seals, you can also install rubber floor seals that resemble mini bumps to effectively keep the rainwater away.
Install Trench Drains
Water flowing into the garage is not what anyone thinks of when purchasing a house. But with time, you realize the possibility and have to deal with the consequences.
If your home faces a steep slope, chances are your garage lets in water. A solution to this problem is constructing trench drains.
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Before the drains are installed, you will have to dig through the concrete into the ground from one side of the driveway to the other, just at the garage door’s front.
Install the trench drain inside the ground and ensure it fits properly. When water flows downhill, it goes straight into the drain and is deposited somewhere else.
Installing Gutters
In most homes, gutters are constructed around the house, but sometimes builders omit the garage door. Installing gutters around the garage will prevent the water that spouts and seeps under the door.
Not only does it prevent water from flowing into the garage, but it also protects the foundation. Install new gutters around the garage perimeter and attach downspouts so that the water goes away from the garage.
Raising the floor
Raising the floor of your garage is another option, although quite expensive. The floor should be extended to desired heights as long as it resolves the rainwater problem. When water flows towards the garage, it hits the barrier, the raised floor, and changes direction.
Raised floors work best with trench drains. Of course, you don’t want stagnant water right at the front of the garage.
It is the best alternative to this problem, but the only downside is that it doesn’t come cheap. You will have to part with construction labor costs and materials.
Water Leaking into Garage Under the wall
It is not unusual sighting seeing patches of water stains or water drops on your garage walls. It is usually because of plumbing errors or issues with humidity, among many other things. The sight is, however, never pleasing at all.
You should strive to understand the cause of the problem since continuous leakages may damage the garage and set you back a lot of money in repairs.
Some of the signs that show your garage is leaking are moldy smell, water on the floor, paint peelings, and wall stains. The sight is pretty unwelcoming; hence you have to do something about it as soon as possible.
While constructing garage walls, always inspect the water pipes to ensure none is leaking. The builders should use suitable material when finishing up the construction to prevent damage to the walls in case of leakage.
How to Seal Garage Walls from Water
Of course, you don’t want your garage walls to completely get ruined. You must fix the problem as soon as possible because continuous exposure means more significant damage and costly repair.
Below are some of the ways how to seal your garage walls from water.
Repair Broken Pipes
Broken pipes are among the leading causes of dampness under the walls of your garage. As a result of faulty piping, the most effective remedy is to repair or replace the piping.
It may require you to break parts of the wall finishing to access the pipes, but you can always fix it. Maybe the pipes are old, rusted, and are beginning to lose shape. Having a plumber replace the entire system is necessary.
Once the leaking pipes are replaced or repaired, your garage will be back to its new form.
Waterproofing the Garage
In most houses, the garage adjoins the house but usually doesn’t have the same finishing as the main house. Waterproofing is usually not a necessity in garages since they are not meant to be hospitable.
But the dampness can get to your nerves. The foul moldy smell is nothing anyone can be comfortable with. The most effective way to waterproof your garage is by using Tanking slurry. Usually, it is used when constructing basements to prevent groundwater from penetrating the floor.
The tanking slurry will help avoid the dampness in your garage walls when applied correctly.
Fix the Roof and Gutters
Your roof and gutters could be the reason your garage is inhospitable. Rainwater gets through the roof and trickles down through the ceiling and into the walls.
When such continues for a while, the garage walls soak up water. To prevent this from happening, you need to fix your garage roof and gutters so that the water flows to the right place.
How do I stop Water from Coming under My Garage Door?
A garage full of water is not what you look up to when you open the doors in the morning. Often the water gets through the door after a heavy downpour.
You need to stop the water from flowing into the garage because you risk so much. First, you could be electrocuted when the current leaks to the ground.
Worse still, the water could be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Below are some of the ways you can use to prevent water from coming under the garage door.
- You can construct gutters around the garage to trap the water that spouts from the roof. New gutters are not expensive, and you can easily install them.
- Landscaping will help in leveling the ground such that the raised side directing water to the garage is put on a much lower level than the front of the garage. The water will now take a different direction away from the garage.
- Constructing trench drains is another method you can use. Dig a trench at the garage’s front and install a new trench drain that will trap the water that flows into the garage.
- Also, you can raise the garage floor to the height of your choice. Raising the base means that the outside will be on the lower side, so water can’t get in. You can also construct a trench drain, so no water stagnates at the front.
How do I protect my walls from water damage?
The best way to protect your walls from water damage is by waterproofing the external and internal walls. After construction or repairs, apply Tanking slurry on the walls, which acts as waterproof against groundwater and leaks.
Why is water leaking in my garage?
The reason behind water leakages in your garage could be broken water pipes in the walls or leaking roof and ceiling.
Also, groundwater tends to come up and gets absorbed by the garage walls. Fixing the garage leakages is important because progressive leaks make the garage inhospitable.
Why does my garage floor get wet when it rains?
There are a couple of reasons why this happens. First, it could be because of condensation. When it rains, the cool temperatures outside condense the vapor from the garage, making it wet.
Also, it could be because of leaking ground. High water levels due to the rain make it possible for water to get absorbed through the concrete floor.
A wet garage is not what anyone would want after a heavy fall. For most people, that is where they do their side projects and also park their cars. Stagnant water or dampness makes it inhospitable and destructive.
The foul moldy smell and wall stains are not what anybody would want in their garage. There are several ways of preventing the water from getting into the garage.
Such include constructing trench drains, landscaping, replacing garage door seals, and repairing broken pipes. Doing this will help protect your garage from water and the expenses in case of massive damage.
It is necessary to stop water from coming under the door. Now you have an idea of how to stop water from coming into the Garage.
