H2O and Epoxy?

[POPSTAGE2]

Got everything ready to Epoxy coat...but I think I'm screwed. Can there be anything done to a floor that when rains fairly hard it has some seepage in one area near the edge.
It is in a separate smaller room of my shop for the compressor, blast cabinet, wash sink. So I could just leave that room bare but would prefer not to.

New to the house/shop so didn't really know how bad it was, but it does seep everytime it rains hard and when the snow melts fast.

Anything I can do?

Thanks in advance!

Guy

 

[dadsEH]

ummm ... yeah..... fix the leak!

 

[POPSTAGE2]

ummm ... yeah..... fix the leak!

Sorry, that's the obvious.

What I should have added is to fix it correctly I would have to either raise the shop or lower the blacktop where the two meet.

Was hoping there were a product out there that would save the epoxy from lifting.

 

[mo2872]

Guy-

As luck would have it, I have a similar situation....rain/snow infiltration from one edge of the overhead door. I had(until last week) the cheapie Rustoleum/Quikrete epoxy in that garage, and would get a huge puddle in that one corner. Never had any lifting, so, I would think your epoxy coat should be fine. I'm sure rugerlady(Christine w/Epoxy Coat) could verify that for you.

 

[POPSTAGE2]

Guy-

As luck would have it, I have a similar situation....rain/snow infiltration from one edge of the overhead door. I had(until last week) the cheapie Rustoleum/Quikrete epoxy in that garage, and would get a huge puddle in that one corner. Never had any lifting, so, I would think your epoxy coat should be fine. I'm sure rugerlady(Christine w/Epoxy Coat) could verify that for you.

Thanks for the reply. Might be two different animals here. Mine seeps water from would be under the epoxy, (water seeps in at the floor and wall corner)
Where yours comes in on top of the epoxy?

 

[mo2872]

Thanks for the reply. Might be two different animals here. Mine seeps water from would be under the epoxy, (water seeps in at the floor and wall corner)
Where yours comes in on top of the epoxy?

Hmmm, could be....."***"umed you meant came in over the top, as mine does......

Under.....you sure it's coming up from underneath the concrete? In my mind, and I'm no pro, I would think that would be bad.

Would be interesting to hear from the pros on this!

 

[AlphaGarage]

If the moisture is wicking up through the concrete you might have issues depending on the amount of hydrostatic pressure. Too much and it can cause some coatings to delaminate from the concrete.

There are some topical treatments that will block the moisture migration.

If it's not due to hydrostatic pressure, say it's just leaking on the surface from poor drainage, probably your best plan is to fix the problem at its source. Are the rain gutters properly doing their job? Do you need a french drain or other water diversion?

Those same type of fixes often take car of hydrostatic pressure issues as well.

 

[Edger]

From experiences I have had not many epoxies lift because of water once they have cured. The problems are usually when salts come up with the water and corrode the concrete and when sun gets on the slab with water in it which then causes spalling.

Look up Aquron who have a product that should spray on in a fine coat and completely waterproof the slab.

 

[AlphaGarage]

Correct, usually it's not the coating lifting from the concrete, but technically the concrete eroding to the point that it fails by crumbling, spalling etc.

 

[POPSTAGE2]

Thanks for the info!
Called Aquron and have 10 gallons of there #2000 coming to do the whole floor before the epoxy. Sounds like a good product.

It does not have rain gutters on that side, but by the way the roof lines are and how the driveway blacktop is in realation I don't think I could put them on.

Where the blacktop meets the side of the shop (stones over cinderblock) there is a little bit of a space from the blacktop pulling away, so will be sealing that up also.
Pictures would help I guess...will try and get some in the next days.

Thanks again for the help!
Guy

 

[Edger]

Just out of interest, did you really order 10 gallons? It used to be applied in a fine mist.

 

[POPSTAGE2]

Just out of interest, did you really order 10 gallons? It used to be applied in a fine mist.

Well, yes. That is what was recommended by them for 1,400 square feet.
And they also recommend spraying it on under pressure with an air gun covering in one direction then back over 90 degrees in the other direction.

Something not sound right?

 

[szyg6h]

My lot slopes towards the garage, so we put a curtain drain around the two high sides. Had we not done that, I might have water coming up through my floor where there are minor cracks in the concrete. It is dry however. Surface and sub-surface water drains into the curtain drain, and is deflected around the garage.
Don't know if this is your situation or not......

 

[Edger]

Well, yes. That is what was recommended by them for 1,400 square feet.
And they also recommend spraying it on under pressure with an air gun covering in one direction then back over 90 degrees in the other direction.

Something not sound right?

Their tech sheet says no less than 200 sq.ft / gal so that seem correct. I have difficulty remembering and converting from sq.m/Lt.

 

[POPSTAGE2]

My lot slopes towards the garage, so we put a curtain drain around the two high sides. Had we not done that, I might have water coming up through my floor where there are minor cracks in the concrete. It is dry however. Surface and sub-surface water drains into the curtain drain, and is deflected around the garage.
Don't know if this is your situation or not......

Yes, that pretty much sums it up in my situation. But I really hate to rip up 4 year old blacktop.
By what you mean as a "cutain drain", I would assume an open top drain or ditch with grating over the top?

Their tech sheet says no less than 200 sq.ft / gal so that seem correct. I have difficulty remembering and converting from sq.m/Lt.

Whew, had me worried! Yea, he said it would take 9.5 gal to be exact.

Today would be a good picture day as it did rain last night and there is some seepage...I'll run home and do that.

 

[szyg6h]

Yes, that pretty much sums it up in my situation. But I really hate to rip up 4 year old blacktop.
By what you mean as a "cutain drain", I would assume an open top drain or ditch with grating over the top?


Curtain drain: trench 4' deep, 6 mil plastic on "dry side" to bottom and under perf pipe, landscape cloth on wet side, filled with washed/crushed stone. Pipe then runs down slope to daylight. Runs the length and depth of garage. Google "curtain drain", you'll find a bunch.

 

[POPSTAGE2]

Pictures:

The side that is of concern

Maybe would help if I would seal this up

The seepage

The slope

and part of the inside

 

[szyg6h]

Sealing around that stone might help. I can't tell from the pictures if a curtain drain would help- can't see the overall layout and slopes involved.

 

[POPSTAGE2]

After looking at water flow from the melting snow we got last night...yea I said snow. Looks like the best solution would be rain gutters. Looks like water is dripping off the roof hitting the blacktop and splashing onto the side of the stones and then from there going into the small crack between the wall and blacktop.
Problem is, where to go with the downspout(s). Maybe into a catch barrel...

Thanks all for the help.

Guy

 

[mo2872]

You could get really industrious, and cut through the blacktop, bury a pipe out the back/down the slope, and have the gutter dumping into that pipe. Had to do that with our front flower beds, tunnelling under the sidewalk, and discharging in the yard. Work, but effective.

 

[POPSTAGE2]

You could get really industrious, and cut through the blacktop, bury a pipe out the back/down the slope, and have the gutter dumping into that pipe. Had to do that with our front flower beds, tunnelling under the sidewalk, and discharging in the yard. Work, but effective.

That's not a bad idea, but hate to rip up the blacktop. You can't see it but that is how it was done up by the house where the roofline of the house meets the garage roofline where it goes the other way. That was done before laying the blacktop.

 

[POPSTAGE2]

Well, an update in hopes it will help others.
Busy with work so I have very little time at home. Can only do this a step at a time, which seems to be working out for the good.

Applied the Aquron 2000 a while ago...three weeks now? The results are awesome! It rained hard over the weekend with even some local flooding. I am pleased to see none if maybe just a hint of seepage. And I did not fill in the space between the asphalt and stone yet. Pretty sure once that is done there will be zero seepage.

I have to say Aquron is an awesome product.
And thanks for the awesome help!

Guy