Should I add a floor drain?

[brokenknee]

I will be finally be adding concrete to my 36 X 26 shed in about three weeks. I will eventually heat the shed and since I live in northern MN there will be snow melting off the vehicles.

My question is the benefit of a floor drain worth the hassle of the grate, (creeper wheels getting stuck) etc.

If I add a drain how long should it be? Brand recommendations?

My nephew and his crew will be doing the work, they are professional concrete guys, so I would assume they would know how to install them. Just in case what should I be looking for in the install process?

 

[rburke65]

Well if it's a garage just to park cars, I'd vote yes. But if, as said, a creeper, then no.

 

[ConCretin]

I have always had floor drains where I park my cars but I do most of my work in other areas. They are great for dealing with melting snow and cleaning chores. The times when I've worked on vehicles around the drains I haven't found them to be a problem.

Nothing much to installing them once you figure out where to run the piping to (you'll get some debate on this bit). The only thing I'd add is to pitch the slab to the drain in an area slightly larger than your vehicles. I've found that you can get about an 1/8" per foot pitch from the far ends without making the drop too steep in the short direction. Depending on the skill of your finishers, 1/8" per foot is the minimum pitch that will move water without birdbaths.

 

[59 wagon man]

1/8"per ft pitch = 2" on a 16' area , might make it fairly difficult if this is the area you work on your car .water will run in the direction of slope so a minimal amount of pitch 1/16"per ft will make water drain. when i lived up north i put a 5' trench drain about 2 ft in fron the door and pitch the slab very slightly towards the drain.just don't expect the floor to drain perfectly

 

[brokenknee]

I will be working on cars in the shed, however the main use will be a wood shop.

I am leaning on installing the drain, the question is now how long of drain should I put in?

 

[ford33]

With a plan for a wood shop and the need to slope the floor for a drain, I think I would skip the floor drain. A sloped floor is annoying and the drain will collect sawdust and furniture parts.

Maybe a compromise would be to locate a rectangular floor drain near the car. Keep the floor level. Then, when water collects on the floor use a broom or squeegee to sweep the snow and water to the drain location.

Along the same lines of thought, put another "floor drain" or maybe a "wall drain" near the floor in the wood shop. Hook this drain to the dust collector. It makes it very easy to sweep the floor of sawdust and wood particles right into the drain on the floor or the wall

Of course, this is assuming your local building department let's you install a floor drain in a garage. Many do not.

 

[ConCretin]

1/8"per ft pitch = 2" on a 16' area , might make it fairly difficult if this is the area you work on your car .water will run in the direction of slope so a minimal amount of pitch 1/16"per ft will make water drain. when i lived up north i put a 5' trench drain about 2 ft in fron the door and pitch the slab very slightly towards the drain.just don't expect the floor to drain perfectly

Actually, based on a 10' x 20' area with the drain at the center, 1/8" of an inch per foot in the long direction would net you a drop of an 1 1/4". The pitch in the short direction would be 1/4" per foot. These pitches would not be objectionable under most circumstances. I wouldn't even bother with anything less than 1/8" per foot since you are going to be squeegeeing anyway.

 

[RaceDeck1]

I have two drains in my garage and love having them during the winter for road slop and even washing cars in garage

 

[James-W]

It is my understanding that we can't have garage floor drains that empty into the sewer system or into the ground. The drain has to go into a holding tank and then get pumped out when full. I am not sure if this is just something we have for the city where I live, or if this is fairly common. When I was in the process of building my garage I had asked the concrete guy about a drain and that is what he said.

 

[74nova350ss]

I put two in when I did my 30x50. I chose some round Sioux chief drains with build in silt traps and catch basins. I got them from Menards and they actually had the lowest price on them.

City and county both approved them, the only requirement was that they were “daylighted”

All I said was thanks, it was the easiest and cheapest option.

I’m glad I did it due to snow and have not had any regrets or issues.

 

[4 FN 27]

Yes.

Anytime you can remove moisture for a building in bulk, it is a good thing.

I have trench drains in all my Garages. I cannot remember the manufacturer. I have no issues with running a 6 wheel creeper over the drains.

Some of my Trench Drains run parallel to the Garage Doors and some run perpendicular. Simply based on use/location.

And as other have suggested use an 1/8 ipf pitch to the drain.

You will not be sorry.

 

[joes169]

I will be working on cars in the shed, however the main use will be a wood shop.

I am leaning on installing the drain, the question is now how long of drain should I put in?

Do you want the hole shed to pitch to the drain, or just a portion? To get the most helpful response, a sketch of your future layout would help.

If you plan on draining the whole thing to a single drain, I'd suggest 10' of trench drain, so every direction was ~13' to the drain, which would allow for the lowest and most consistent pitch. As LLY noted above, 1/8" per foot is the absolute minimum for interior pitch, and unless it is done to borderline perfectly, you'll still need a squeegee for a few duck ponds. Personally, I like closer to 1/6" per foot for garage drains in a parking garage. W/O knowing or seeing the experience of your concrete crew, that may not even be enough to forgo the squeegee.

It is my understanding that we can't have garage floor drains that empty into the sewer system or into the ground. The drain has to go into a holding tank and then get pumped out when full. I am not sure if this is just something we have for the city where I live, or if this is fairly common. When I was in the process of building my garage I had asked the concrete guy about a drain and that is what he said.

I do most all of my work North of Milwaukee, but it's rare to run into an instance where the local jurisdiction does not allow a floor drain to run outside to grade/air. Most will allow you to connect to the homes sanitary as well. If it stops raining, I'll actually be pouring one with a trapped drain to grade tomorrow.........

 

[James-W]

I do most all of my work North of Milwaukee, but it's rare to run into an instance where the local jurisdiction does not allow a floor drain to run outside to grade/air. Most will allow you to connect to the homes sanitary as well. If it stops raining, I'll actually be pouring one with a trapped drain to grade tomorrow.........

I am guessing here but I would think the reasoning is that a lot of vehicles have a tendency to leak fluids and the city doesn't want those fluids in the sewer system. They also don't want all sorts of automotive fluids running out on the ground. By having the drain going into a holding tank it can be pumped out and the water/fluids mixture can be disposed of properly.

 

[Gaessairka]

Floor drains are not silly they are a necessity! You're better off with a dirt floor than a heated floor as the dirt can absorb water. Sometimes people build the floor up, if that's not a possibility I'd look for a new location







________________________________________________________________________
There are no solved problems; there are only problems that are more or less solved.
All the best,Gaessairka Diceus

 

[brokenknee]

I ended up not putting in the floor drain. I got sick and was in the hospital for 4 days so I did not have a chance to pick up the drain and pipe before my nephew got there.

I have never had a floor drain in any of my shops so I can't miss what I never had.

Thanks for all the replies.