Leaking door=concrete grinding??

[383 240z]

I've been fighting with water getting under my door. I first thought water was running from the driveway, and coming across the threshold. I figured this was pretty likely as the PO added gravel every few years, but never graded. The parking area was about 14" higher than the bottom of my door.

So, while I had the skid steer, I took it back to a grade below the bottom of the shop doors. Yet the water still persisted. I dug a ground gutter, still the water persisted.

Few days ago I was out working during a rainstorm, and was keeping any eye on the water, when I saw that it had seeped under the roll up door, I opened the door, and noticed the water was pooled along the seal, deeper on the door side. So I figured the floor angled down towards the door, and rose on its way to the parking area. After the rains subsided, and I got the floor dry, I took a 7' level and placed it on the floor. my suspicions were correct!! On the left side facing in, I have about 1/2" of rise, it tapers off to about 3/16" of rise on the other side of the door.

I'm thinking my best, and actually probably only option, is to grind the apron down so the parking area side is about 1/2" lower than the door sealing area.

Total area affected is about 10" deep, by 9' wide.

Any better ideas? What tools would be best? I can rent a 10" concrete grinder for about $65 for 4 hours $90 for 8 hours. Would that be what I need? I also have a couple good industrial grade 4.5" grinders, would that work for cleaning up the edges?

How would I go about keeping the angle uniform? How long "should" a job like this take? Keith

 

[kaymccampbell]

I had this same predicament. I just picked up one of those 4-1/2" Dewalt diamond stones, with the 8 or 10 blocks of diamond impregnated material, and very slowly ground my sills to a slight slope.
To keep the angle uniform I stuck a small tapered piece of wood on the bottom of the level and ground the sill until it fit the little wedge. I did it every 6-8 inches or so and then ground the remaining high spots down to match. The whole deal took maybe an hour or two for both my doors.

 

[383 240z]

Thank you!! Figured I couldn't be the only one with this issue. You trick with the wedge and level sounds good. I'll put this on the list of stuff to do !! Keith

 

[nolimits76]

You can grind the high spot, or fill in the low with a product like Shepler's Shep Patch Plus.

 

[383 240z]

Was considering raising the area where to door seals, but more I looked at it, grinding seems to be the way to go. Plus it will help when I swap to carriage doors in the spring

 

[matt_i]

Have the same problem and plan the same. Considering a 1/16" to 1/8" stepped-down area for the door gasket to fit into. Dust mask is a must, I used this carbide segmented wheel (Think it was around $40) to dress a few high spots on my footings and while it worked fast it covered me in dust.

 

[ZRX61]

I used a diamond disc on a 4.5in grinder & cut a few 1/8in wide lines in the floor. That put a stop to water issues.

 

[383 240z]

I'm not putting a gasket on the floor. I'll be bolting a PT 2x4 to the floor, both as a sealing surface and a door stop.

 

[2loPoPo]

I used a diamond disc on a 4.5in grinder & cut a few 1/8in wide lines in the floor. That put a stop to water issues.

Do you have pics of the lines you cut? Someone told me to do the same but I am confused on what they should look like.

 

[383 240z]

I'm thinking he has just straight lines from the outside edge of the sealing strip on the door, running perpendicular to the door, to the edge of the sill. About 3/16" deep.

Honestly it's a great idea. Less work for me, and laid out nice and even, would not really be noticed

 

[manwithtools]

I'm thinking he has just straight lines from the outside edge of the sealing strip on the door, running perpendicular to the door, to the edge of the sill. About 3/16" deep.

Honestly it's a great idea. Less work for me, and laid out nice and even, would not really be noticed

Only problem is, water or snow falls into grooves and then freezes - concrete busts off in unpredictable chunks.

It might be okay and it might not, in your part of the country I'd bet on some broken concrete. If it breaks correctly it might save some grinding. If it does not, then ....

 

[east_tn_emc]

Maybe a rubber seal that glues to the concrete under the door?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y180CZ0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[383 240z]

That would work, but makes sweeping out the shop a *****. Grinding the concrete isn't that bad of a job from what most have told me. Just need to find the time to do it

 

[youwish2bme]

Simple solution would be to put backer rod in the door seal to seal the door completely? Slip it in the seal on the bottom of the door and it should help seal on the side that has a larger gap

 

[RAYJAY]

You can grind the high spot, or fill in the low with a product like Shepler's Shep Patch Plus.

have a lot of pitting in one of my bays from winter salt how would that patch plus work on that ??

 

[Jetfixr320]

Tsunami seal fixed our garage leak. We had a pretty big mess with every storm until I glued the new seal down.

 

[joes169]

I would try sawing the "kerfs" first, the concrete won't bust apart from freezing weather. I'd start by grinding/sawing a line parellel to the door, right under it so it's hidden when the door's shut, and grind your short kerf perpendicular. Start at a minimal depth at the door and get at least 1/4" deep a the edge away from the door.

I have a similar problem in our attached garage: our whole floor is pitched to the drain, including the exterior outside the OH door. I tried grinding years ago with a 7" handheld with a diamond cup and gave up, it was way too slow to remove a 1/2" to nothing over a 16' door............