New Garage - Floor Slope

[Discomonkey]

Hi All,

I am in the process of building a new home so I have been diligently visiting the build site to document the progress of my house. Today, I noticed they poured the garage floor (might have been done over the weekend). I thought the slope looks a bit odd. The length of the garage is 20ft. I did not have a tape measure with me, so I cannot tell how much of a drop it is - it just looks quite steep. I will go back tomorrow with a tape measure and take some measurements but before I do, I just wanted to see what you guys thought. Does it look a little too steep to you?

Thanks,

Mike

P.S. Hope the image works.

 

[BMcC]

What is the height at the back vs the front of the garage? Just looking at it, I wouldn't say it's done wrong, and every build site will be different. My garage has a similar grade.

 

[dcs Inc]

You certainly wont have any standing water on that slab. Make sure you apply your parking brake.

 

[Average_Joe]

I had a builder do that to me once, among other problems. Ended up not buying the house.

That slope is excessive, shouldn't be more than one inch from front to back. That looks like at least 4". Tell your builder that is unsafe and you will not accept it. A garage should be flat enough to put your car on jackstands.

 

[pattenp]

I'm sure that building code requirements for garage slab slope is different for Guelph Ontario vs. South Carolina.

I had a builder do that to me once, among other problems. Ended up not buying the house.

That slope is excessive, shouldn't be more than one inch from front to back. That looks like at least 4". Tell your builder that is unsafe and you will not accept it. A garage should be flat enough to put your car on jackstands.

 

[joes169]

I'm sure that building code requirements for garage slab slope is different for Guelph Ontario vs. South Carolina.

Absolutely, as is actual daily use and needs. For Ontario, or even the Midwest, I'd say that's likely pretty close to the industry standard, about 3-4" in 20' of length, or about 1.5% grade. Unless you want the ice/slush to hang around the floor in winter, that floor will serve you well.............

 

[dondb]

My floor was just poured and has a 3" pitch back to front 32 feet long....building inspector said it could of used a few more inches of pitch?

 

[dcs Inc]

I'd be replacing a slab like that if I poured one with that much pitch. I seem to remember no more than a 2" drop front to rear on a 2 car garage. I'm actually thinking it was 1.5".
This would be a ball buster if not constantly heated with a little ice/snow on the slab.

 

[rsanter]

Seems to me that the newer houses have more slope to the garage than the older ones did.
My dads house is flat.
A couple of my houses had a slight slope.
My current house (and newest) has a slope like that

Bob

 

[joes169]

I'd be replacing a slab like that if I poured one with that much pitch. I seem to remember no more than a 2" drop front to rear on a 2 car garage. I'm actually thinking it was 1.5".
This would be a ball buster if not constantly heated with a little ice/snow on the slab.

Typical city sidewalks have 2% pitch across them (the 5' direction). Not sure why you'd fall on it in winter, unless you have issues with city sidewalks as well??

 

[Discomonkey]

Thanks for the replies guys. I went to take some measurements today. The back of the garage measures 6" to the top of the stem wall. The front corner measures 11". So that means it drops 5" over the span of 20'. From what I can gather, 1/4" per foot is within reason (although at the higher end of the range), so I guess there's not much I can do but live with it. I'm just hoping my tool chests and work benches don't roll away

 

[pattenp]

My floor has a slope of 1/8" per foot. I do think yours is extreme. You should ask about it.

 

[ddawg16]

Unless there is a constant water source.....anything more than 1/8"/ft is excessive.....

I know you have a lot of snow up there....but I doubt it's so much that you need that much slope.

I would be afraid to put a car up on jack stands on that floor.

My garage is 25" deep....I have about 1" of drop over the total distance....and I wish it was less. I do wood working as a hobby.....the flatter the better.

 

[joes169]

Flatness and the degree of pitch have absolutely no correlation. The floor in question could drop 24" from front to back, and still be extremely flat. The problem comes in when you start getting too little pitch, the slab is far more likely to hold water in spots. Even if your contractor was to use a laser screed on your garage floor, there plenty of other variables that come into play. IMPO, 1/8" per foot is the absolute minimum to pitch a garage floor that is intended to house vehicles in a Northern climate, 1/4" per foot (which is exactly what the OP is dealing with) is the maximum if the goal is to shed water out of the garage w/o a drain.............

 

[BMcC]

Well, you're within the acceptable range. Region and the specific site are going to dictate a lot of how its poured. Your builder could probably give you more specific information as to why yours is the way it is.

 

[Nestor]

Thanks for the replies guys. I went to take some measurements today. The back of the garage measures 6" to the top of the stem wall. The front corner measures 11". So that means it drops 5" over the span of 20'. From what I can gather, 1/4" per foot is within reason (although at the higher end of the range), so I guess there's not much I can do but live with it. I'm just hoping my tool chests and work benches don't roll away

They will roll. AMHIK.

 

[turbowoodworker]

Just poured mine two weeks ago. Standard here is 3" for 26 ft which is what we decided on for the garage side of my 4 bay shop. The woodshop side where no bay doors are, therefore no rain soaked cars, is flat.

 

[dcs Inc]

Typical city sidewalks have 2% pitch across them (the 5' direction). Not sure why you'd fall on it in winter, unless you have issues with city sidewalks as well??

It's like having several different sized risers on a set of steps. It's becomes difficult to walk up them because of the differing heights. You mentally expect an even rise until you trip yourself up a few times. Now take a sidewalk, you prepare for your next step by looking and placing your step visually. You mentally expect differing slopes, curbs, step downs. Getting out of a vehicle in a garage you are not mentally considering a huge sloped floor, until you bust your *** on it.

The owner more than likely wont be able to have anything done with this. The pitch is excessive for a garage floor, period.

 

[Discomonkey]

Yeah, you're all probably right. The slope is a bit too excessive but after asking around, it seems the builder this for all the garages in the neighbourhood. I'll just have to custom build my workbenches to make sure they're level and brake the wheels on my tool chests. As for the car on jackstands - do you really think it'll be a problem? I'll go one notch higher for the rear to level the car and my stands are fairly wide-based.

 

[Nestor]

Yeah, you're all probably right. The slope is a bit too excessive but after asking around, it seems the builder this for all the garages in the neighbourhood. I'll just have to custom build my workbenches to make sure they're level and brake the wheels on my tool chests. As for the car on jackstands - do you really think it'll be a problem? I'll go one notch higher for the rear to level the car and my stands are fairly wide-based.

Make a fuss with the builder if you think he will re-pour it. The time is now. If you're going to use your garage as a shop, it'll forever annoy you.

If you want to appreciate what the slope will be like, pick up one of those 6' tall plastic utility shelves and set it up on the garage floor.

 

[zporta]

Looks about normal if you ask me. If it was over 2% then I would say that's get be a little extreme.

We normally put 3" of fall in a 19-21' deep garage. But have poured them with 4-5 inches if needed to make exterior grade work. Once the walls are built and you are standing on the floor you won't notice the grade. I can leave the e brake off in my car and it doesn't roll unless I budge it. I'm at 1.7% fall

 

[rockett]

Make a fuss with the builder if you think he will re-pour it.

He won't. It would cost him $10k to do it, and he'll do anything he can to get out of that.

 

[Nestor]

He won't. It would cost him $10k to do it, and he'll do anything he can to get out of that.

10K to pour a standard garage floor?

 

[kossuth]

10K to pour a standard garage floor?

Not sure about the hours and such but I'm certain it wouldn't be cheap to bust the old one up, haul it out, repour, and then reinspect. Not a construction guy, but I've busted up pads before working with friends on projects so I have an idea of what kinda work you would be doing with a jackhammer. While this one is still fresh I'm certain it would still be a PITA.

I would have a problem with that kinda slope too OP. If water is a concern I would think a floor drain with a 4'x4' grade towards it and slight slope outside the garage door so water runs away from the door. Not a crazy slope like that. But again not a construction guy so I might be off track.

 

[Zeke]

A 1/4" in 12 is good enough for a flat roof or solid deck. I'm with dawg on the 1/8th for general purposes. Trying to scale the pic, that's a 1/4 for sure.

Yeah, I'd use levelers for jack stands., but you'd be SOL for a scissors lift.

 

[Discomonkey]

A 1/4" in 12 is good enough for a flat roof or solid deck. I'm with dawg on the 1/8th for general purposes. Trying to scale the pic, that's a 1/4 for sure.

Yeah, I'd use levelers for jack stands., but you'd be SOL for a scissors lift.

Are you sure about the lift? I am considering an MD-6XP and the specs state it is okay on floors with no more than a 3 degree slope. Based in my drop of 1/4"/ft, I would be well within specs for the bendpak, no?

 

[Zeke]

Are you sure about the lift? I am considering an MD-6XP and the specs state it is okay on floors with no more than a 3 degree slope. Based in my drop of 1/4"/ft, I would be well within specs for the bendpak, no?

It would seem that you do only have 1.2º slope but I can't imagine using a scissors lift on 3º slope. Maybe numbers lie because the slab looks pretty steep in the pic.

Don't listen to me.

 

[Discomonkey]

It would seem that you do only have 1.2º slope but I can't imagine using a scissors lift on 3º slope. Maybe numbers lie because the slab looks pretty steep in the pic.

Don't listen to me.

Lol... you're quite right... I was completely shocked when I measured it and found it only to be a 5" drop over the entire length. It is quite deceiving when you see it as is.

My dad went to see it the other day and said it is quite normal especially considering the site I am on. The house faces into a hill and the houses on my side have the steeper slope vs the houses facing down the hill.

 

[joes169]

5" of drop in 20' of length is 2% on the head, no doubt about it. As I said earlier, it's the upper end of pitch in the Northern States and Canada, but it's certainly not dangerous or abnormal. I've poured hundreds of garage floors in WI, and IMPO, I prefer about 1.3-1.5% pitch for attached car garages. If you're using it for a work shop exclusively, it's a whole 'nother deal.

Just to put things into perspective, 2% pitch is the standard MINIMUM pitch for exterior concrete flatwork...........

 

[concerned vern]

looks pretty steep to me, so was it left like this? What do you think of it now?

 

[concerned vern]

like to know what its like living with that floor??

 

[SugarMamasGarage]

Check code with building inspector. Depending on what they say talk to builder. I agree with earlier post...it will forever annoy you if you don't get your mind wrapped around it now. New=Happy
Don't settle for anything less than happy


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