Winter- Water pooling in garage

[PMAC]

Hi! New to the Garage Journal - but have been reading the board for several months.

We purchased a home in Minnesota in September with a 3 stall heated garage. We are experiencing a lot - I mean a lot of snow this winter and the vehicles are tracking in snow. When they melt off, water/mud/etc. is pooling in the garage. Must not be graded toward the garage doors....

Is there a solution for absorbing or channeling the liquid? (other than using shovels and squeegees to push it out the door)

What are some long-term solutions that we can work on during the warmer months?

 

[Shea]

The last thing you want is the concrete absorbing the liquid. Road salts and deicing fluids play havoc on concrete and will cause pitting and spalling when absorbed. I'ts not an easy solution to change the gradient of a garage floor either. Pictures to get an idea of what you are dealing with would help.

In the meantime, I would highly suggest the use of a containment mat for each vehicle. This will prevent the garage floor from getting wet and it's easy to squeegee liquids and unmelted snow right out the end of the mat and onto the driveway.

This article discusses how they work. https://allgaragefloors.com/best-garage-floor-mat-snow/

 

[kTHREE]

We purchased a home in Minnesota in September with a 3 stall heated garage. We are experiencing a lot - I mean a lot of snow this winter

I hope your not new to this MN climate, this is about an average snowfall year for the entire state.

 

[Jazz1]

Park out side. Salt water laying on cement bad. Squeeqy and big fan blowing to dissipate water.
My neighbour had the cement in garage rot out as they always parked indoors. The floor was above his basement so the the 10'x10 area of cement he replaced was quite a challenge. Shoring up floor and all.

 

[doorfx]

Get a garage containment mat to park on.

 

[Kin Creed]

A full time heated garage is probably unnecessary unless you are working out there every day. I think the constant thaw is actually bad for your cars. Better to turn off the heat until you are actually working out there and let some of the crud stay frozen.

 

[SGKent]

leaf blower

 

[Racy2]

I use a shop vac which is pretty quick when needed

 

[drivesitfar]

i've seen those full size car or truck mats that hold water that seem to work well for members in snow country.

i'm surprised a garage in Minnesota wasn't built with a few drains in it knowing that the owner would be pulling inside with snow on and under the cars or trucks often during the winter.

 

[PMAC]

I know right!?!

 

[kTHREE]

i'm surprised a garage in Minnesota wasn't built with a few drains in it knowing that the owner would be pulling inside with snow on and under the cars or trucks often during the winter.

If you get anywhere close to a municipality, they outright ban floor drains.

I'm really surprised with the number of people here that say keep the car outside. I'm in the camp that your vehicle is usually your second or third most expensive possession. May as well take care of it and put that in that nice heated garage. I would much rather sacrifice a few years of surface quality of my slab than get into a frozen car every morning. Not to mention the added wear of those cold *** starts, all the ice buildup in the wheel wells, and no friggin snow you have to wipe off the car in the am. (hate those lazy pricks with a foot of snow on your car that causes a white out behind them)

 

[drivesitfar]

Kthree: I agree with the warm car theory and my wife's car is usually in her side of our 2 car garage. since our weather isn't too cold and not much snow in our winters my car sits outside cause i had a gym in my portion and now it's my shop so my old Honda Pilot sits outside.

ALL: since you maybe can't put drains in the floor i bet the builders put some slope to get that melted snow and water back out the door? if not why?

PMAC: I don't know who makes the big rubber mats, but i'm guessing they are spendy so here's another option.

buy some 3/4 inch thick rubber (horse mats) and put them on your floor and maybe leave a 3 foot opening in the middle under the car where some of the water can puddle up so you don't get your nice shoes wet.

 

[duwem]

Long term. Tear it out and put in a new slab. If your going to live there forever why fumble around with shop vac and goofy mats all winter every year.

As far as floor drains, read up on them, might be able to run them to daylight, or just put a big gravel sump and let it soak in the ground.

 

[Armorpoxy]

Hi
The Ribbed Armorcover mats we carry work work great for this as they prevent the movement of the liquids so it evaporates. Just hose them off in the Spring.