Controlling Winter Melt Inside Garage

[camaron32]

Looking for ideas on how to contain the snow melt inside my garage. My snow blower and the family car are the main culprits. The garage floor is slightly uneven so water gets everywhere. Like most guys on the forum I have a shop vac to removing it is not a problem. I thank you in advance.

 

[Matt M PA]

I don;t have a link, but there's a company that makes a mat you park that has a lip all the way 'round.

 

[Bojans]

If it is an option heat the garage and put in a ceiling fan. Even with my garage only being kept at 45 during the winter I come out to dry floors (maybe a small puddle or 2 under the car) so long as the ceiling fan is running on medium.

 

[Gary S]

My floor is sloped. Snow that melts goes out of the garage on its own.

 

[e-tek]

I should just copy and paste my replies....this is the fourth post I've made on this topic!

Two key parts: containment and ventilation. As said aabove, get car mats. The ones with rope sewn into edges seem best. Plastic edges break. As for ventilation, it's best to pull dry outside air through garage with a window fan, 4" duct fan through the wall, or ceiling fan ducted to outside (NOT attic). Second best is to just blow the air around, which will help is evaporate, but not dry it out as per exhausting it will. Even if you have a puddle under the car (we do all winter), so long as you are exhausting it out you won't have moisture issues.

The rope edged mat is under the van, the crappy plastic edged one is under the mini (sorry honey - lol!)

 

[diggler306]

I should just copy and paste my replies....this is the fourth post I've made on this topic!

Two key parts: containment and ventilation. As said aabove, get car mats. The ones with rope sewn into edges seem best. Plastic edges break. As for ventilation, it's best to pull dry outside air through garage with a window fan, 4" duct fan through the wall, or ceiling fan ducted to outside (NOT attic). Second best is to just blow the air around, which will help is evaporate, but not dry it out as per exhausting it will. Even if you have a puddle under the car (we do all winter), so long as you are exhausting it out you won't have moisture issues.

The rope edged mat is under the van, the crappy plastic edged one is under the mini (sorry honey - lol!)

e-tek, I've read you say this before and I've wondered what constantly pulling cold air in through a window fan (in the winter) does for your heating bill??

 

[regancc]

I have that problem too and ended up dividing my garage by gluing down a weather strip normally used for the bottom of a garage door. It acts as a dam and keeps the water from running all the way over to the front corner of my garage and under my workbench and fridge...go figure my garage is sloped the wrong way!!!

Doesn't look awesome but it worked like a champ. Not sure what I am going to do when I redo the floor and overhaul the garage this winter/spring...because I won't want that ugly strip down there...so trying to figure out a new solution now myself.

But food for thought if you don't care how it looks...

 

[Andamo]

My 3 stall garage has a single floor drain right in the center of the middle bay. All was well and good for maybe 3 years with the snow melt until the one end of the garage floor settled. Then the water started running towards the bay that I have the mower and other items instead of heading to the drain. What I ended up doing was using spray foam that is used for cracks and building a barrier wall the length of my car in the center bay. It holds the water back and when there is a lot of snow/water on the floor, I just crank up the speed of the ceiling fan and that helps to dry up the floor. Just to let you know I do have heat in the garage too.

 

[AZ Pete]

I solved the problem by moving to central Arizona 35 years ago......No more snow melt, no more snow blower...

 

[DPelletier]

e-tek, I've read you say this before and I've wondered what constantly pulling cold air in through a window fan (in the winter) does for your heating bill??

I don't want to speak for e-tek but there is no free ride; you want to control humidity and/or indoor air quality then it's going to cost some money. How much depends on alot of variables.

I have a 300 CFM fan that I'm going to hook to a humidistat, but I've been monitoring the humidity levels in the shop and so far, even with the snow melt, it is usually under 40 % RH and hasn't gone above 50 so I think for my conditions, humidity control from snow melt isn't an issue.



Dave

 

[kursplat]

Clean_Park_Garage_Mats

they also have heavy duty ones. don't know if you can get them at a better price