# Garage problems....



## nwksremodeler (Aug 24, 2007)

This project started a year ago with the customer wanting some options for siding and controlling the problem of getting water in their garage. I inspectected the site several times after it had rained, once after almost a 3" rain there was enough water inside the garage for ducks :laughing:. I determined that one of the major problems was the amount of backfill between the house and garage that was pushing the water towards the garage and disrupting the flow. The backfill was within an inch of the top of the slab, one little puddle and in the garage it went. This is represented by the first picture, not very well though. So after some talking and shooting the site with the laser we removed 16 yds of dirt from between the house and garage. The biggest problem is that there is such a small amount of slope to the backyard to help with the situation. This is represented by picture two. This has helped tremendously, atleast it isn't all setting next to the garage now. But there is still two problems: one, the moisture will still wick up the side of the slab and into the garage. Second this is the north side of the garage so during the winter snow layed here and did the same for months. Is there any great suggestions to stop these problems??? The customer would really like to install a foam backed vinyl siding but with all this wicking going on the Masonite and OSB is all ready rotten and probably the plate I don't want to add to the problem. The lumber yard suggested replacing the OSB with cement board to control that part of the wicking, but the plate could still absorb water. Would adding a flashing with a sealant on the back side extending an inch below the siding and several inches above the slab do any good?


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

I think I would have picked the garage up and set 2 courses of block, then set the garage back down.


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## bauler (Nov 10, 2006)

Drain lines?


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## nwksremodeler (Aug 24, 2007)

warnerconstinc, that was one of my first thoughts to but the reason the garage ended up this way was because the ridge lines on the garage and house were built to be at the same elevation, they are to be tied into each other at some point. Thus making the roof all nice and pretty, which I think is over rated because reguardless you would still have to valleyes, a gable perpendicular to a gable. The end result is a water logged garage. The next problem is finding someone to lay block in my area. That is outside of my trade knowledge and we are 90 miles from civilization for the most part. Doubtful to get any one to even look at such a project. But wouldn't you still have the problem of water wanting to wick between the slab and the block?? 

Bauler, that was tossed around also, once again abit outside my trade area but it could be done. The biggest problem is it would be about 250' to the nearest daylight possiblity, clear at the opposite end of the property. How would you keep it unfrozen in the dead of winter, this winter that would have been extremly difficult to do. I don't know if a dry well would be any better?


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear. Regardless of what the HO wanted the garage slab is too low. No one took into account the drainage issue. Now you are trying to put a band aid on a tourniquet. You need to get the water away from the garage. If it's out of your comfort zone get some one who can do it. The original siding choice was poor. Does the slab have a vapor barrier? If not there are sealers that can help. You may be able to dig down and expose the footing. Clean it like you're gonna do surgery. Start about a foot above the bottom plate and cover the slab & footing with flashing and Ice & Water shield. But, still get the water away from it.


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## bauler (Nov 10, 2006)

Dry well as you say would be my next suggestion. If you can't raise it, or lower the dirt around it more I don't see any other way but a catch basin of some sort. Is it so flat you can't cut some kind of swale to drain the water somewhere else on the property?


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## nwksremodeler (Aug 24, 2007)

Bauler, A swale is the last option as far a simple dirt work is concerned. There is an area 10'x15' that is about 40' behind the far corner of the garage but I am guessing that there is less than 4" of drop in elevation. The only reason that I have not done this that the water from the South side of the garage accumulates at that same point also. I don't want all the water backing up towards the North side in a wet spell. Plus with being so short in the elevation department isn't that kind of a temporary fix? Wont the build up of grass roots and dirt that blows in eventually sever the swale from the ponding area?


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## nwksremodeler (Aug 24, 2007)

Griz, I agree with you 100%. The original contractor and the homeowner BOTH should have been a bit smarter during the lay out and building of the garage. The worst thing is that he is supposed to be a premeir contractor for the area! I am sure that there is no vapor barrier on the ext of the footing, that wouldn't fit his throw it up and go attitude. I do have access to dirt moving and cleaning equipment to prepare the footing for surgery. What type of flashing are you refering to, galvanized sheet metal? Or could you apply foundation tar and set the Ice and Water shield into that while still wet?


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Good morning, Clean the footing, apply Ice & Water shield then flashing to protect the Ice/Water shield. You could trowel tar on first. Flashing is aluminum. Good Luck.


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## bigdifficultme (Feb 28, 2006)

Looks like the you get a lot of water from the down spout in the second pick. Would you be able to pitch the gutter on the house in the opposite direction, and relocate the down spout?


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

I like the idea of lowering the dirt around the perimeter, filling it with gravel and creating a swale. Cant see why there are no gutters either. Do simple first anything extensive should be last resort


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## frankster (Apr 8, 2010)

Ive dealt with this kind of situation before. The big question I have is...does the house itself have a perimeter footing drain? If the garage was to be added as part of the house at some point then that means the garage is fairly close to the house. Dig a ditch around the garage and to footing drain at house, install perf pipe around the garage connected to a solid pipe from garage to house, cover perf pipe with a landscape fabric and pea gravel, then top with soils. Depending on how deep the footing drain at the house is will depend on how deep you can go at the garage. You need to have some fall from garage to house even if that means having exposed gravel around garage with footing drain just under the surface. DO NOT HAVE DRAIN AT GARAGE AT SAME LEVEL AS DRAIN AT HOUSE!!! This will elimenate alot of the problem. 
Also cant quite tell from photo but is that the garage slab exposed along edge of sideing? If so you will need to flash behind sideing making sure the flashing passes by slab and into the ground a few inches. If you can get a footing drain in then have the flashing extend to bottom of footing drain if possible. This could be a 12" to 16" rolled flashing to achieve this.


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## solarguy (Feb 14, 2010)

Diversion wall leading to a catch basin. 
4" block veneer w/ waterproofing.
Support roof. Cut off bottom of wall and replace with block.


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## Framer53 (Feb 23, 2008)

I would cut the bottoms of the studs off, so I can put at least one block under the sill.
Then I would cut some swales and move the water that way.

Anything can be done. A french drain with a dry well.

If you can't decide move on and let someone else deal with it.


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## frankster (Apr 8, 2010)

I also agree with a dry well but only if the soil your putting it in has good drainage. Sandy soil is good, clay type soil is bad.


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## bearcat (Mar 24, 2010)

frankster is on the right track, but don't tie into the house draintile, that could be opening up a can of worms. add drain tile around the perimeter and daylight. bring washed gravel up to surface, but below siding.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

Install perimeter drain using crushed stone and perforated pipe, tie in all gutter and leader discharge lines, and bring everything into a dry well, it looks like you have plenty of room there and it should solve your problem.


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## nwksremodeler (Aug 24, 2007)

Tom M & Bigdifficultme, The first thing I did to help resolve this water issue was to install gutters, and NO it can not be pitched the other to the other end of the garage. What natural flow is there is towards the back of the garage. 

frankster, The garage is around 20' from the house. There are no perimeter drains around houses in this area. The soils are good black dirt, very littl clay and sand content and drain well, it took about 2 hours after the pic for the water to absorb. The garage slab is right at the bottom of the siding. So a flashing is a must.

Solarguy, Not sure what you are refering to in using 4" brick veneer. 

Like I said before the nearest daylight possiblity is approximately 250' away, that seems along ways to drain especially in cold weather. A drywell is still a possibility, what are some good methods for constructing one. 

IF I go with laying a course of block on top of the slab floor will the water still try to seep between the floor and the block without a flashing? Could the same stub wall be achieved with pouring cement? Or would this creat to many seams for future leaks as the long length of the walls would probably need to be done in sections. 

Keep the comments coming, thanks so far


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## Doubleoh7 (Dec 3, 2009)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> I think I would have picked the garage up and set 2 courses of block, then set the garage back down.


Check out this thread! same situation:


http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/hack-job-slab-only-1-above-grade-75161/


I'm sure that some will argue with me, but the only real solution is to jack the garage up, add at least 1 course of 8" block, then set the garage down and pour a new slab on the inside of the garage to the level of the sole plates. And yes, I am an electrician, not a builder.


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## frankster (Apr 8, 2010)

frankster, The garage is around 20' from the house. There are no perimeter drains around houses in this area. The soils are good black dirt, very littl clay and sand content and drain well, it took about 2 hours after the pic for the water to absorb. The garage slab is right at the bottom of the siding. So a flashing is a must.


Like I said before the nearest daylight possiblity is approximately 250' away, that seems along ways to drain especially in cold weather. A drywell is still a possibility, what are some good methods for constructing one. [/quote] 
There are always several ways to do things. If your soil drains good than a drywell may be a good solution. Typicaly when I have had to install drywell here in my part of the country we have to dig a hole approx 10'x10'wide and 5-6'deep, fill hole with drain rock within 6" of ground level. Run your drain line into top of hole extending pipe about 12" into hole opening. cover with fabric and top with 6" top soil and resead grass. The large hole diameter alows for alot of water to drain into and covers a large ground surface area for the water to absorb into. 

Still trench around garage slab and install drain line. Use solid pipe over the rolled up corrigated pipe as water will flow better. Here we use 4" white drain pipe that comes in 10' lengths. Use perferated around slab and solid from grarage to drywell. You can tie in your gutters into same pipe. A couple of "T"s for the gutters and a couple "90"s to make the corners and you should have it made. Since you will probably not be going across the garage driveway slab get a couple of end caps to cap off the pipe at that area.


Keep the comments coming, thanks so far[/quote]


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