Garage floor uneven where the shutter closes

[nowinus]

I have a 16` two door garage. The flooring where the garage door closes in in uneven (just 2` X 16` rectangular piece only). Since the builder did not leave a expansion joint the concrete has buckled and cracked at the center. It looks there is at least 1" high(swollen) at the center compared to its ends. This leaves a gap of at least 1" and about 3/4" on either ends even after the garage door closes in completely. This makes my garage too cold in the winter and a whole lot of dust, insects sneak into my garage. I need advice how to fix the floor.

1. Resurface the concrete floor in rectangular portion only.
2. Finish the floor with a epoxy.
3. Add concrete at the ends to bring the complete floor to level at the center.

Please see attachments.

 

[ConCretin]

You don't list your location but your reference to winter leads me to believe you have a frost heave issue. Did your builder install rigid insulation on the face of the frost wall? I've seen a lot of similar conditions where the frost gets into the soil under the slab and pushes it up.

As far as fixing it, I think grinding is about all you can do.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

It may be easier and more esthetically pleasing to add a graduated seal to your door rather than adding material to the floor. Google "garage door bottom seal" and see what you find.

 

[Ric in Richmond]

I cut a 2x4 of pressure treated to fill the gap. Painted it black and put a rubber seal on it.

I blocked it up about 3 " above the concrete and used a divider to transfer the profile of the floor to the wood so I had one complete piece that filled the gap from one end to the other.

Don't feel like ripping out the 60 year old concrete.

 

[nowinus]

I would like to go with grinding and finish off cement mortar. I hate to see ugly crack. How much would it cost to get it done. Have any idea?

 

[Edger]

It would not cost too much to do that, but you would need a professional with the right gear to grind and prepare, however, how much will it cost to rip it all out again after fixing it because it cracked even worse?

I doubt you will find a long-term fix.

 

[ConCretin]

Given the potential cost involved in a complete fix, I'd rent an electric hammerdrill with a bushing bit and knock down the rectangular section under the door then clean it up with a grinder with a diamond disc. You could do it in an afternoon for less than $100.

It wouldn't be perfect but your door would seal.

 

[tcianci]

Like another posted, your high spot is most likely from a frost heave. Chances are that the builder didn't clear the garage infill material down to the frost pour so now you have gravel "wick" to the outside of the frost wall. The joint between your floor and the apron is where the water is getting under the slab. It has noting to do with whether the bulider left an expansion joint, in fact you can usually fit a popsicle stick between the floor and the stemwall because the concrete will shrink during cure. There's plenty of space in that direction. The only reason I'm pointing it out is to make a case for finding out exactly what your problem is before you try to fix it. In addition to grinding the offending concrete, I would look long and hard at cleaning out the joint between the slab and the apron and installing a good self-leveling concrete sealer to keep the water out of the area as much as possible.

 

[Coach Bob]

Easily fixed with a snirtstopper garage door seal. We got one for our shed's roll up door after the cement floor became uneven from freezing and heaving...typical here in Minnesota. Anyways, when I saw your picture, it reminded me of a similar picture that I saw on their website of a door with huge gaps in it. The before and after picture got me hooked, and when we got ours installed, it sealed the gap we had, and so now no more dirt or snow or water coming in, plus it has never frozen to the concrete. Super easy to install too with self tapping screws. Their website http://www.snirtstopper.com has pictures and easy tips for installation. I attached the Before and After Picture from their website. Hope this helps!