Garage Mat

[vendettaautofab]

With winter approaching quick, I need some help. I have a small garage on the house, that has an old concrete floor. The floor has no drains and is crowned, causing all water to run towards the walls, which is not good. I need a way to contain the water that results from melted snow and slush.

Looking at a Garage mat, that wife can pull onto and it will contain all the water from the car. Who offers the best value, and how do you clean and maintain it?

thanks in advance!
Mike K.

 

[Mike83]

Spread oil dry in the areas that accumulate water.

 

[vendettaautofab]

Was looking for something a bit more cosemtically appealing...

 

[38Chevy454]

Maybe not very cosmetic, but put some big cardboard sheets down. When they get too dirty or soaked, just roll them up and throw away. Replace with new. The price is right.

Or if you are like me, it also works real nice if you have old cars that leak oil........

 

[kbs2244]

Instead of cardboard I use old carpeting.
2 four foot wide strips for easy handling.
When it gets too bad looking throw it out and replace.

 

[bradweingartner]

I'm digging this post up from the dead because my garage has the same issue. Fairly recent build less than 15 years old. Floor is in good condition save for a few hairline cracks and a few (okay many) stains.

I can not stand the crown causing water to flood the walls (where all the junk is).

Besides a big squeegy, oil dry and cardboard (my current solutions) what are my options?

1. Grinding the concrete in the middle and towards the door?
2. Some sort of leveling product?
3. Leveling Product topped with Tile?
4. Something like Racedeck and pretend I don't know the water is there?
5. Install drains at the walls?

Any other ideas, solutions, Been There Done Thats?

Thanks!

 

[slickgt1]

I'm digging this post up from the dead because my garage has the same issue. Fairly recent build less than 15 years old. Floor is in good condition save for a few hairline cracks and a few (okay many) stains.

I can not stand the crown causing water to flood the walls (where all the junk is).

Besides a big squeegy, oil dry and cardboard (my current solutions) what are my options?

1. Grinding the concrete in the middle and towards the door?
2. Some sort of leveling product?
3. Leveling Product topped with Tile?
4. Something like Racedeck and pretend I don't know the water is there?
5. Install drains at the walls?

Any other ideas, solutions, Been There Done Thats?

Thanks!

1. How much do you need to grind to reverse the pitch. Sounds crazy and expensive.
2. Also very expensive and probably will not be durable.
3. Mud Job, topped with tile is what I did. See my post http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90047
4. You can pretend, but mold, and humidity will always be there.
5. Maybe it will work. My rule is, get the water away from the house, not under it.

Solution 3 is the only one that worked for me.

 

[Bear]

Not sure this is not right product but something like this mounted from the back to the front of the garage. One on each side angled toward the door.

Or cut a shallow groove on each side to carry the water out the door.

 

[tommyxgun]

i use the cardboard trick on ours (free from work). downfall, it still leaks through no matter what. drive in the garage with the undercarriage full of snow, it kills the cardboard quick. its cheap though, so ill continue doin it until i find a new way

 

[BigAl62]

Griot's Garage has groove mats for this. The link: http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/in+your+garage/garage+flooring/grooved+garage+floor+mat.do You could also do a Google search for garage mats.

 

[bradweingartner]

Griot's Garage has groove mats for this. The link: http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/in+your+garage/garage+flooring/grooved+garage+floor+mat.do You could also do a Google search for garage mats.

This idea doesn't sound so bad. Except I'm not sure if it would work very well for snowmobiles. Or jacks/jackstands. If a car is in my garage it's being worked on. I don't park inside otherwise.

I'm going to have to find out just how much out of whack I am and go from there. I would be surprised if it was more than 1/8" from center to edge. Just enough to be annoying. But not annoying enough to bust it out and repour.

 

[bradweingartner]

1. How much do you need to grind to reverse the pitch. Sounds crazy and expensive.
2. Also very expensive and probably will not be durable.
3. Mud Job, topped with tile is what I did. See my post http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90047
4. You can pretend, but mold, and humidity will always be there.
5. Maybe it will work. My rule is, get the water away from the house, not under it.

Solution 3 is the only one that worked for me.

Your job turned out fantastic. I'm amazed how much concrete was needed to get things level. Was there any sort of pinning used to tie the mud job to the slab?

 

[cowboyjosh]

With winter approaching quick, I need some help. I have a small garage on the house, that has an old concrete floor. The floor has no drains and is crowned, causing all water to run towards the walls, which is not good. I need a way to contain the water that results from melted snow and slush.

Looking at a Garage mat, that wife can pull onto and it will contain all the water from the car. Who offers the best value, and how do you clean and maintain it?

thanks in advance!
Mike K.

I don't want it to be Winter. I'd rather have it hot outside, for I don't have to snow blow or shovel HOT.

As for your problem, might do some saw cuts in your floor to help re-direct the water. If your floor is old and broke ***, your eventually going to have to rip and replace, so in the meantime I'd do whatever is less labor intensive and most cost effective.

 

[bad_idea]

if it makes you feel any better, my 14x20' garage floor is sloped a good 4" from front to back and the same from side to center. i had to build my workbench in place to get it level due to the crazy amount of slope. best part, we dont get snow here except maybe every 5-10 years. not to rub salt in a wound, just thought you might get a kick out of my problem being the opposite end of the spectrum.

 

[slickgt1]

Your job turned out fantastic. I'm amazed how much concrete was needed to get things level. Was there any sort of pinning used to tie the mud job to the slab?

The amount of concrete wasn't to just get it level, it was to reverse the pitch from being high in the center, to being high around the perimeter. It all pitches to the center and to the garage door.

No pinning. Well, sort of. Before doing the mud job, I would skim the floor with thinset. So yea no pinning. The floor really isn't going to go anywhere anyway.

 

[cowboyjosh]

if it makes you feel any better, my 14x20' garage floor is sloped a good 4" from front to back and the same from side to center. i had to build my workbench in place to get it level due to the crazy amount of slope. best part, we dont get snow here except maybe every 5-10 years. not to rub salt in a wound, just thought you might get a kick out of my problem being the opposite end of the spectrum.

same issue here, I have a 3 inch slope from the back wall in my garage to the garage doors. The builder told the concrete guy (I didn't build the house I currently live in) that they wanted the garage floor to have a "gentle" slope. Anyways my garage floor and my driveway are also roughly the same elevation too so when it rains agains the garage door I get a puddle from water that seeps in from under the garage door. Nothing is perfect when your building homes or buildings, something is always f-cked up.

 

[OneNut]

I bought a G-Floor - Garage Floor Cover/Protector - 10' x 22' from sams club
best $200 spent, been 2 winters and has held up great

 

[FordGuy777]

OneNut, or maybe someone else. Do you have any pictures of your G-Floor after a couple of years. Also what kinds of things tend to damage it the most, what to try to avoid doing to keep it in good shape, special care advice, how much shrinken observed in cold environment, car/tire damage and or indentation, etc? Would really appreciate help/comments. I am thinking about purchasing at least 3 of the Slate Grey Levant pattern 10'x22' mats for my garage from Sam's and I just want to make sure that I'm not throwing my money away or going to regret the purchase.

Also, this has been my first time comming to this site. I spent over and hour reading various forum posts... great site!