Raising the floor an inch or so

[iH8usrnames]

My two car attached garage will double as my woodworking shop when a car is not in it.

I already have everything insulated, painted, lit, heated, and cooled. Last thing is floor and door.

House was built in the 60's so it has settled as much as its going to I am sure. I do have a few cracks in the surface but I also have a bigger issue, it is the same level as my driveway thus water does not really drain away from the garage and sloping the driveway is pretty much not in the cards for a few years.

Also, when snow melts off the car it lingers around because the floor is mostly level and there is no floor drain.

My goals are to:
Obtain a smooth surface suitable for rolling an 800# table saw on.
Obtain a very slight grade causing water to drain toward the door.
Raise the floor enough so that water will not come in from the driveway.

I do not believe installing a floor drain is possible, even if it were it would be cost prohibitive I am sure.

Is this a pipe dream or is this possible?
What products/techniques should be considered?

I'm in Wheaton Illinois.

 

[bdamico]

tile

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

.25" on the foot to move water.
You need a skilled trowel man to come in and lay the base using a trowel grade resurfacer.

From there you can epoxy, tile, etc...

 

[theoldwizard1]

.25" on the foot to move water.
You need a skilled trowel man to come in and lay the base using a trowel grade resurfacer..

Yep ! No place for amateurs.

 

[iH8usrnames]

I am not suggesting this is a place for amateurs; I know what I can and cannot do, this falls into the latter.

I am seeking information so I can research options and speak somewhat intelligently about it when speaking professionals. I don't want to be ignorant and/or potentially fleeced.

 

[ADSR]

I'd like to see some pictures. Old 60's garage slabs can range in thickness from 1.5" to 5"

It would be nice to know what you're dealing with. You don't want to spend all that time and money putting a couple inches of topping on, just to get mad and rip it all out and start from square one.

You might just want to punch the old floor right out, add that drain and grade the floor exactly how you want with the exact finish you want.

 

[p_mori7]

you can do a drain in the center of the garage if you want...rent a Hilti percussion drill and a 4" coring bit with a few extentions...after you've gone thru the floor and down 12"~24" inches into the soil underneath, backfill with 3/4" clean stone, then add a small grate as you're getting the floor resurfaced/resloped.

It won't be able to handle washing the car, but for snow melt it will be fine.

 

[bazzateer]

you can do a drain in the center of the garage if you want...rent a Hilti percussion drill and a 4" coring bit with a few extentions...after you've gone thru the floor and down 12"~24" inches into the soil underneath, backfill with 3/4" clean stone, then add a small grate as you're getting the floor resurfaced/resloped.

It won't be able to handle washing the car, but for snow melt it will be fine.

Check ground water issues first. You don't want to have it coming up into your garage!

 

[James-W]

I am not so sure you can have a floor drain in a garage, at least not around here anyway. I have not checked into it in the town where I live, but I have heard of people in nearby towns wanting to put a floor drain in their garage. It seems they can do it, but it has to drain into some sort of container set up so it can be pumped out. It can’t drain into the city sewer system and it can’t drain into the ground. I am assuming the reason for this is because cars can leak fluids and they do want those fluids to contaminate the ground or get into the city sewer system. Like I said, I have not checked into this myself, but I have heard it from more than one person and I tend to think this is most likely the case where I live as well.

I imagine if you have a drain in your garage that was put in before the city ordnance prohibiting floor drains in a garage was passed, it would be grandfathered in. I am just guessing about that but most times when you have something already in place you don't have to remove it if the law changes.

 

[iH8usrnames]

The garage is attached and has three bedrooms above it (raised ranch).

Putting a drain in is not in the cards financially and I bet code has something to say about it too.

Water in the garage is from snow melting off the car and coming in under door seal from driveway.

My property does have some drainage issues that will be addressed this year but that has nothing to do with the water at the threshold of the garage.

I think too much emphasis is put on the water at this point.
Primary goal - I have a 50 year old pad that has some wear from cars dripping and salt. I want it to be very smooth so I can roll my 800lb table saw around without issue and vibrations that may affect its precision.
Secondary issue - because my garage floor is at the same level as the driveway I sometimes get pooling within the first 3-4' of the threshold. Snow melt from the car also causes this - that area must be a low spot on the pad but extremely minor.

I would like to know what my options are to level the whole thing and make it nice and smooth; self leveling cement, heavy epoxy coat, whatever?

Maybe I should have never mentioned that inch in the title.

 

[k p]

I have exactly the same issues you're describing here. I have a detached garage built in 1948, poured concrete floor, cinderblock walls. The concrete was likely very poor quality or overworked (or both) and has badly pitted and cracked over the years. My floor is also about the same level as the driveway and water/snow enters the first foot or two all the time. I don't have a drain either, snow and water drips off my car and stays put, very annoying.

I've considered renting an electric jackhammer and busting out the old floor and having a new one poured. The new floor can be finished with the correct slope and raised a little to solve the driveway level issue. A drain can be installed at that point as well.

 

[James-W]

I am not sure it is possible to fix the problems with the old concrete floor for a price that is economically practical. I could be wrong on this but under the circumstances I tend to think it MAY be less expensive to rip out the old floor and pour a new one. The new floor you can have poured and finished to meet whatever specifications you want. To try and fix the old floor to make it acceptable for your needs could prove to be an exercise in futility, not to mention it could easily turn into a money pit.

 

[Ch3No2]

so I can roll my 800lb table saw around

Maybe it's me...but I want to see a picture of an 800 pound table saw?

 

[ADSR]

Maybe it's me...but I want to see a picture of an 800 pound table saw?

hell yeah!

 

[dwm]

Since you're mentioning finances...

If the slab is amenable, your cheapest/fastest option to fixing the grade issue might be mudjacking it. Had this done in a garage and an outside slab many years ago and it worked well. I don't remember the cost since it was 15 years ago. The drilled holes aren't the prettiest thing, but if you're going to coat or cover the floor afterward it doesn't matter. Look around locally for someone that's been doing it for a long time as their experience will prove important for keeping the holes to a minimum and not creating future problems (uneven support under the slab). Today I'd probably look for someone using structural expanding foam (closed cell) but the traditional stuff works.

 

[iH8usrnames]

Maybe it's me...but I want to see a picture of an 800 pound table saw?

I have not purchased the saw yet, I hope to have the floor situation figured out first. I am considering three saws and they range from 700-800lbs without accessories like wheel sets, extension wings, or router installed.

Cast iron tops, cast iron trunions, 3hp 220. They are are similar to this:

I appreciate what has been said about the floor. I am quite reluctant to consider pulling out the floor; I have three bedrooms above the garage and joist support in the middle of the garage going to the floor of the garage.