Something my concrete guy suggested.

[coljar]

I'm sure what I'm about to show you is something done often and has probably been discussed on here serveral times, but I'd never seen it done and it works great. My new garage faces west into the weather. When it was time to do concrete, I told the guy doing the job,that I wanted a drain in front of the garage doors to keep the water coming under them to a minimum. He said we would be 2" above the outside concrete and suggested doing what is shown in the following pictures. Any water that does get under the door, cannot go anywhere inside and drains back outside.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

I always do my doors that way for the same reason, it traps a little bit of water.

 

[Cougar]

Interesting.
I've never seen it done like that.

 

[onewaydave]

Yeah, its always nice when they say that before the cure. An alternative is a slope away from the inside.

Dave, with puddles inside after most rains.

 

[CT2012]

man i wish i had something like that. that little trough is about as much water as i generally get in the garage during a brutal rain.

 

[brownbagg]

that a typical detail on metal building but i can tell you. pushing a dead car into the garage is a beech when the tire hits that cutout

 

[TheIceMan]

I wish that I'd have known about that before my concrete was done too.

 

[AZ Pete]

That's how my Dad's garage and shop slabs were poured (the garage in 1951, and the shop that I helped him build in 1967 or so). Water was never in the garage, unless if came off of a car.

None of the houses that I have bought have that feature, and I usually get a little water under the door, in a driving rain.

 

[coljar]

that a typical detail on metal building but i can tell you. pushing a dead car into the garage is a beech when the tire hits that cutout

That was a concern of mine, but he said it would only amount to 1/2" and I have had to do some pushing in and out and it's no big deal.

 

[coljar]

That's how my Dad's garage and shop slabs were poured (the garage in 1951, and the shop that I helped him build in 1967 or so). Water was never in the garage, unless if came off of a car.

None of the houses that I have bought have that feature, and I usually get a little water under the door, in a driving rain.

Next to this garage sets my 1920's era gas station/garage that my grandfather built with the door facing the same way and we get a lot of water under that door in a blowing rain.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

My concrete guy did a similar thing, except its a brush finished taper... 1.5" lower at the outer edge, and it extends 12" or so back. Width is 10' exact...Rough opening of the door. So my PT Sill sits on the level pad and up and out of any water.
I really gotta take pics of this stuff, everytime I go into the shop its to work my tail off (a con of building yourself)

 

[pinebarkauto]

When I built my shop, the contractor suggested that and I'm so glad he did. It works great. He had them form up the set back at the doors when they poured the main floor, then poured the apron in front about 1.5" lower up to the main floor ( after removing the forms ). You may have to walk your concrete man through it though. When I added on a few years later, I showed the concrete guys how the first doors were done and explained it with him looking at an example, only to return 4 hours later to find he had just put a slope on the openings! I guess you have to just stand over people to get what you want. Chip.

 

[Herb67SS]

We call those ankle-breakers. Step on that lip wrong and you will know what I mean. Had numerous people fall because of them. The builder did that to the garage doors of my house even though I asked them not to. They weren't needed. The garage doors face south and the same effect can be gained by sloping the threshold towards the outside .Think about it. Why would you need an inch and a half lip behind the door base. There will never be water that high against the bottom of the door. Half an inch would have been plenty.

I just had a detached 3 car built and specifically forbid that concrete contractor from doing that to the door thresholds. Had him slope them from the door closure line outward. Much better. And, no more liability for someone twisting their ankle or tripping. including me.

 

[zporta]

It's called a weather lip. We use a 2x4 to make a 1.5" depression then taper it with .5" of fall towards the drive way and give it a broom finish. Do it on every garage slab we pour, unless the homeowner wants differently

 

[FltEngCPO]

My doors are poured like this as well.

 

[darkk]

Here is a picture a couple years back when we started our addition. We have the door rain pockets at the front under both doors. The concrete guy just did it. I didn't even have to ask...

 

[tcianci]

I have been doing that for years but with one twist... the step is made from a piece of 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 steel angle so it acts as a form when the slab is poured and it is nice and tough so that rolling stuff over the lip never chips the concrete. My oldest example of this has been in service for 34 years now, no water, no chipping no problems.

 

[Falcon67]

Every house garage here is done like that. When the forms are built, a 2x8 or so gets laid sideways across the driveway entrance. Works well. I did not do that in the shop.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

My parents house (built in 1955) has a piece of galvanized pipe in the concrete under each of the overhead garage doors, the rubber at the bottom of the door seals against the pipe which stick up about 3/8" or so. I own the house now. Rented in another city. I don't think the pipe is rusting (yet).

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

the step is made from a piece of 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 steel angle so it acts as a form when the slab is poured and it is nice and tough so that rolling stuff over the lip never chips the concrete. My oldest example of this has been in service for 34 years now, no water, no chipping no problems.

so the step is 1 1/2" high? That is pretty high isn't it?

 

[akdiesel]

Yeah, its always nice when they say that before the cure. An alternative is a slope away from the inside.

Dave, with puddles inside after most rains.

X2. The proper slope and drainage is key. Both inside and outside.

 

[camarotoolman]

I fixed my probelm with some roof guters. I was thinking of angle cutting some pt 1x6s and screwing to the floor.

 

[bczygan]

I don't like that detail because it accepts that water is already inside the structure. Far better to prevent the infiltration. Wide overhangs and a steep slope for both the inside slab as well as the outside approach. A positive mechanical pressure seal around the door and as a last defense I would place a 1/2" lip at the outside face of the door and use a strip of vinyl sticking down from the face of the door to shed the water and block driven rain. If there was a large amount of water, a trench drain along the outside face of the door would be a useful tool. If snow drifted in that area I would heat the apron outside the door.

 

[lilredex]

I like ****'s idea of the sunken pipe best. Was kind of a standard in the fifties.

For those with the "trough" under the door......if you have a freeze/thaw cycle that glues your door shut in the morning, my solution was to make new holes in the track about 4" above the originals. That way you can manually lock the door above the floor. Did that at a previous garage where water accumulated under the door.

 

[jwhcars]

I would like to see pics of the Porsche that you have hiding in your garage.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I've seen it done before and thought it looked neat. I always worried about water puddling in it though.

We put a taper on ours and brushed it.

 

[GarageEnvy]

I had the same suggestion from my concrete guy. The lip is less dramatic (about 3/4"). It is a pain when bringing heavy items on a dolly across it but otherwise I thought it was a good suggestion.

 

[dirttracker18]

Mine was just sloped a little on the outside. Like this:

 

[jimindm]

I see you are in Ohio. I would not want a trough of frozen water there in the winter time. I have a small slope, like the picture above, and the door still freezes once in a while.

 

[James E]

I much prefer a ramp over a ledge. Ledges catch toes, wrench ankles, stop the wheels on jacks and other tools and eventually they chip and look really bad. IMO, they're a good idea executed poorly.

 

[tcianci]

so the step is 1 1/2" high? That is pretty high isn't it?

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the concrete on the outside partially buries the vertical leg of the angle so the step is only about 3/4".

 

[Maine]

To me that looks like a place for water to pool and freeze, if that happens the door will also be stuck down.

 

[ezzzzzzz]

I'm just finishing concrete in front of my garage. The driveway slab is 1.5" below the garage floor, tapered away and spaced 3' away. A final pour will fill that gap with that 1.5" drop over 3' feet. It should provide plenty of drain. I do not want a trip hazard or obstacle to get welding carts, hoists, gantry crane or dead vehicles over... period. I fight that at my friend's garage every time we move something in. The few times I get torrential rain I can break out the squeege and mop if it creeps into the garage.

 

[coljar]

I would like to see pics of the Porsche that you have hiding in your garage.

It's been in the family(uncle) since new in '68, but we've had it since 2009. This is the only pictures I have of it on my computer here at work, but more will come soon in another post. Here is also a picture of one of it's stallmates taken at the park in my town.

 

[coljar]

I've never had any problems with it at all and that without heat 24/7 like it will soon have. It's sloped slightly,but there's not been any water on the inside of the door. The outside & inside step-up is about half of an inch.

 

[Chuck McB]

Seems like you could cut drain grooves perpendicular to the door out in slabs that are flat that allow water to flow out.

 

[judgeyoung]

I just did mine and they had it set up for the standard 1.5" lip with a 2x4. I asked the finisher to taper the edge back about 8" or so to floor grade. It is a real hassle to roll an engine stand, welder, or whatever up that lip with a square edge. With it tapered, the water stays out and it's easy to roll stuff up. I like it!

 

[akdiesel]

My shop has the same design as dirttracker18's picture. I get snow drifts infront of the doors and drive over it to get in the shop so the tires have snow. the inside is sloped to the middle shop drain. All water drains the middle and the doors never freeze closed.

 

[Justanoldguy]

The rebate where the door sits has been a
feature of garages in NZ for the last 100+ years.
Nice to see you guys catching up ... lol

 

[BWS]

When a sloped apron isn't enough,we do grate cvrd troughs.

They're not in the "easy" category to form/pour....but ain't exactly rocket science neither.No bttm to form...generally "hung"(gets a little convoluted here),so that edges can get trowel'd......a decent amt of "draft" to sidewalls makes removal a breeze...do a nice job on ends where drains interface.

'Bout the same as putting ho-made,concrete "drain bxs" out in low spots in yard.

Getting a handle on the grates beforehand will save some $$ usually.IOWs don't form/pour and be faced with "custom" grates.Find grates first...form to fit.