New Garage - leaking

[gabriel08]

Hello all,

Hoping for some advice

I have had trouble with this since being built (last year).

The builder has come back a couple times to try and resolve this, to no avail.

Once he had a threshold installed by the garage door installer, which I thought would fix the issue, but everytime it rains, I had water coming through the side of the door, and puddles into the corner of my garage.
This last time, he caulked all around the door and threshold, but it still leaks when raining. The only thing I can imagine is that little flap in the corner is letting water come in. It seems like the threshold should have taken care of this, but it doesn't seem to.
Any ideals what I could do or try to keep water outside?

 

[My Old Tools]

I would say it's not coming from the door, but seeping under the sill plate. Try caulking along the sill plate from the door to the corner. Having the siding touching the concrete maybe influencing the weep through capillary action as well.

 

[PCustoms]

Is there any grade to the exterior?

Having a sill/sheathing right at grade with little to no slope is going to be a longer term issue

 

[cgrutt]

If it's coming in under the sill I'd avoid caulking the interior that's only going to trap water under sill and may lead to more problems e.g., rot/mold, etc. Agree it sounds like it could be a grade issue. Could also be problem with roof and/or gutters (or lack of gutters). Id try to track down source of water and fix whatever exterior issue is causing the problem.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Is there any grade to the exterior?

Having a sill/sheathing right at grade with little to no slope is going to be a longer term issue

I'd guess there is no slope at the garage door and the apron is the same height as the garage floor... this is why people lay a course of block or pour a curb a top (form and pour with the floor).

Never let your contractor pour a larger than needed concrete pad and build the garage walls directly on top with him telling you "it's okay, I'll put a sealant down."

 

[CraigStu]

As others have said....Next rain, can you get out there as it starts and every 30min after to look. If the wet starts right at the door and then migrates to the right (in your interior pic) maybe it's a door problem. But if it seeps out from under the wall more or less all along the wall, then it may be as my old tools suggests.

 

[Bert_]

Nobody puts enough slope on the sill under the garage door.

Should fall 3/4"-1" starting under the garage door. That keeps the water out

 

[NUTTSGT]

Looking farther back last August, you asked for help for this garage entrance because the area was so steep. Guys offered help and you ghosted them.

The members here tried to help you get it done correctly... and probably wouldn't be dealing with this issue now.

Garage doors entrance issue - best solution

I'm at the final stages of having my garage finished. I'm trying to figure out is the best way to handle the downward sloped yard in front of it. From the base of the entrance to the gravel is about 6 inches, and as you can kind see from the pictures, it slopes more and more as you go down. I...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[gabriel08]

Looking farther back last August, you asked for help for this garage entrance because the area was so steep. Guys offered help and you ghosted them.

The members here tried to help you get it done correctly... and probably wouldn't be dealing with this issue now.

Garage doors entrance issue - best solution

I'm at the final stages of having my garage finished. I'm trying to figure out is the best way to handle the downward sloped yard in front of it. From the base of the entrance to the gravel is about 6 inches, and as you can kind see from the pictures, it slopes more and more as you go down. I...

www.garagejournal.com

I did not intend to ghost anyone. It seemed like the suggestions were that I would need a retaining wall for the slope, and luckily, I had found a really good concrete guy to do this for me. I should have followed up on that post, so I am sorry if that was rude of me.
The driveway I had poured slopes perfect and I cannot imagine how that has anything to do with this issue.

 

[gabriel08]

Is there any grade to the exterior?

Having a sill/sheathing right at grade with little to no slope is going to be a longer term issue

I think that is really the issue here with the garage slab. I can take a cup of water and pour it on my garage door, and it will start seeping water inside through that sill.

 

[gabriel08]

I'd guess there is no slope at the garage door and the apron is the same height as the garage floor... this is why people lay a course of block or pour a curb a top (form and pour with the floor).

Never let your contractor pour a larger than needed concrete pad and build the garage walls directly on top with him telling you "it's okay, I'll put a sealant down."

I think the slope of the garage slab is the problem, and I had not realized how poorly the slab was until way too late. I just never imagined that the added plate/seal at the bottom wouldn't have taken care of this.

 

[gabriel08]

Thanks everyone. I can take a cup of water and pour it on the middle of my garage door, and as it drips down, some of that goes into the corner of the garage door and leaks inside. I don't really know how that can be fixed?

 

[PCustoms]

Thanks everyone. I can take a cup of water and pour it on the middle of my garage door, and as it drips down, some of that goes into the corner of the garage door and leaks inside. I don't really know how that can be fixed?

Sounds like you may have to grind a slope there, if possible.

With the pad/apron right in front not sure if that would work though

 

[coldh2o]

I did not intend to ghost anyone. It seemed like the suggestions were that I would need a retaining wall for the slope, and luckily, I had found a really good concrete guy to do this for me. I should have followed up on that post, so I am sorry if that was rude of me.
The driveway I had poured slopes perfect and I cannot imagine how that has anything to do with this issue.

I'd have to disagree here. A "really good concrete guy" wouldn't have poured the driveway slab right up to (onto?) the vinyl siding. Hard to tell if it's causing your current water problem, but it's definitely going to be a long term issue.

 

[Hank11]

I’d think about grinding a step for the door to sit in. Even 3/4 inch deep would go a long way toward fixing this.

 

[PCustoms]

I'd have to disagree here. A "really good concrete guy" wouldn't have poured the driveway slab right up to (onto?) the vinyl siding. Hard to tell if it's causing your current water problem, but it's definitely going to be a long term issue.

This thread exemplifies why any building I build will get at least 2 courses of block or poured stem wall.

High and dry is good in this case.

Unfortunate this happened, as the old thread shows plenty of slope:

 

[Wubicon]

I think I would pull this bottom piece of siding off and caulk the bejesus out of it and put the siding back.

 

[cgrutt]

I think I would pull this bottom piece of siding off and caulk the bejesus out of it and put the siding back.

Or flash it with piece of aluminum.

 

[PCustoms]

I don't think that will come off at this point.

Appears the starter strip and sheathing is below the concrete

 

[niget2002]

Have the driveway guy come back. Cut a 6" wide piece of the driveway off right along the edge of the house foundation. Install a driveway drain across the front of the garage so that water can drain off to the side.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I did not intend to ghost anyone. It seemed like the suggestions were that I would need a retaining wall for the slope, and luckily, I had found a really good concrete guy to do this for me. I should have followed up on that post, so I am sorry if that was rude of me.
The driveway I had poured slopes perfect and I cannot imagine how that has anything to do with this issue.

Is this the same guy that poured the garage floor ?

 

[Hank11]

Whoever poured the driveway screwed up. A drain across the whole wall will help a lot

 

[PCustoms]

Whoever poured the driveway screwed up. A drain across the whole wall will help a lot

Looking back at pics, really makes me wonder how well the grade was prepped before the concrete was poured. Is the OP on for additional headaches when the fill settles?

 

[PoorUB]

What i noticed is the driveway comes right to the level of the concrete slab. It rains and water runs under the sill. In my opinion, the driveway should be 1/2" - 1" lower than the garage slab.

 

[kngelv]

I’m confused about the sill. It looks like you have no sill plate and your wall is right down to the floor.

James

 

[reader2580]

I am surprised the walls are placed directly on the slab. Where I live the walls and siding have be to six inches off the ground. The norm is to put a row of concrete block on top of the slab.

My existing detached garage was getting water in it. It turns out the concrete driveway was sloped towards the garage. I had the driveway replaced when the slab was poured for my new garage. The garage stays dry now.

 

[jkuro]

Garage floor should have been poured with a step to keep the water out.

 

[racecougar]

Agreed that at this point, it's time to cut the concrete back from the building and add a trench drain. Unless you have a time machine, then I'd add a stem wall, slope the pad outside the door, and set the driveway at an appropriate grade relative to the building/pad.

 

[coldh2o]

Agreed that at this point, it's time to cut the concrete back from the building and add a trench drain. Unless you have a time machine, then I'd add a stem wall, slope the pad outside the door, and set the driveway at an appropriate grade relative to the building/pad.

This being GJ, the correct approach is to raise the building and add a stem wall.

I'm only half kidding, this would be the ideal time to do it, not 10 years from now when the sill is rotten, anchor bolts are rusted, building is full of stuff...

 

[d300]

This being GJ, the correct approach is to raise the building and add a stem wall.

I'm only half kidding, this would be the ideal time to do it, not 10 years from now when the sill is rotten, anchor bolts are rusted, building is full of stuff...

This is probably the best long term fix for this guy's issue.

 

[reader2580]

One of the building permit requirements for my new garage was there has to be six inches of fall over the first ten feet from the building. My concrete contractor had to bring in a bunch of gravel to raise the slab quite a bit to meet this requirement. They want to make sure that water flows away.

 

[My Old Tools]

I think I would pull this bottom piece of siding off and caulk the bejesus out of it and put the siding back.

And rip 1/2" off the bottom before it goes back on.

 

[PoorUB]

I think I would pull this bottom piece of siding off and caulk the bejesus out of it and put the siding back.

And rip 1/2" off the bottom before it goes back on.

Don't worry about it! That piece of siding will be rusted off in no time!

 

[PCustoms]

Don't worry about it! That piece of siding will be rusted off in no time!

Vinyl rusts?

 

[firebirdparts]

Really that's just water doing what water should do. If the driveway pour had stopped an inch lower you'd be happier, but too late now.

 

[Skooterj]

I'm having a similar issue. Concrete guy poured the approach too high and water runs under my door into the garage. Not much, but enough. I thought the expansion joint would be porous enough to let any water run through it, but it is not. So the first thing I'm gonna try one of those glue down garage door thresholds first. And if that doesn't work, I'm gonna cut the concrete and install a channel drain.
If he had poured it a half an inch lower, I would be good. Though the new garage doors face the prevailing winds, so some of the water might still be driven under the door by the winds.

 

[PoorUB]

Vinyl rusts?

Slowly!

I thought it looked like steel.