water in shop

[Brandon Speaks]

So my main shop area is half of a 2 car garage that I set up that way this summer. My wife parks in the other half. A problem this winter that I had not considered was that as snow melts off her car it runs all over my shop area. Unfortunately the garage has no drain and combination of slope and somewhat degraded concrete dont just run it toward the door.

Anyway my first try was just to lay down a bead of calk on the floor to keep water on her side. It worked ok until you step on it and squish it and water goes right over.

2nd attempt was to stick down a rubber cord cover with calk on in and then run a bead along the edge, for some reason this works worse than the calk alone, likely due to the rough uneven floor near the edge of the area where she parks.

Any other ideas? And no I cant make her park outside like I do.

[Bryan Lisowski]

I would lay down a small piece of plastic and then put a 2x4 or even a 2x2 on top and using a Ramset to secure. Then I would wrap the plastic back over the wood.

[Art Tripp]

It may be possible to cut a shallow groove in the floor with a concrete saw which would lead to the door and allow the water to drain outside. I would recommend doing more research prior to doing so and to check to see how deep the final section of cut would need to be at the door for a slope. It shouldn't take a lot to drain and the run-off from my tractor after plowing snow is easily captured by the control cuts in my concrete floor. While it doesn't look like the saw will tilt, running the tire on one side on a section of plywood, a 1x4 or a 2x4 could allow enough tilt to make a 'V' groove after two cuts. The primary maintenance would be to sweep the groove once in a while to clear any debris and to possibly sprinkle a little salt where the run-off meets the freezing temperatures to prevent an ice dam if necessary.

Saw rental looks like it is about $80 a day. https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equip...floor-saw-gas/

[Brice Rogers]

I like Art's suggestion. Buy a $10 or $20 diamond blade and cut a Vee in the concrete. Or cut multiple vertical "slices" and take a hammer and chisel and knock out the remaining pieces. At best, it is less than a 1 hour job.

[Marc Jeske]

The first step is to do an elevation study of the floor.

Make a drawing, study it, and possibles like the ones above will come to mind.

Let Gravity be your friend.

Also.. what about the idea of jackhammering a sump pit w a float controlled like Wayne sump pump?

Sump pit would be at lowest point w moats or dikes as explained above leading to pit via gravity.

Marc

https://www.menards.com/main/search....rtby=topSeller

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbin...rtby=topSeller

[Marc Jeske]

Rather than concrete sawing, maybe a composite plastic decking board or similar bedded in RTV silicone screwed to floor in correct placement to act as a wall to gravity direct water to sump?

Marc

[Brandon Speaks]

I like the idea of the composite decking and silicone. It seems even a very low barrier will work which is why the caulk did until someone stepped on it and squished it down.

Ultimately I may want to refinish the floor and it would be the perfect time to cut and add a drain. All of those are very helpful ideas as well and giving me ideas for a summer project.

[Bill Dufour]

You can buy special rubber dams for shower stalls. These are glued to the floor at the opening. they are designed to drive over in a wheel chair. They stick up about one inch but it is a thin vertical leaf that collapses if stepped on. The base is less then 1/8 tall. I wonder if some car rubber door seal might work.
Bill

[Peter Christensen]

Depending on how large her car is and if you want to keep the water from going elsewhere and wetting other things on her side, a garage floor mat / garage floor containment mat would work. Lots of makers on both sides of the border in a range of prices and quality. When the snow season ends you can put it away. Some are put down as a permanent installation.

https://www.canadamats.ca/floor-defe...SAAEgL_k_D_BwE

https://www.amazon.ca/TruContain-Con...ontainment+mat

If you want to improve on the seal across the floor thinking, get a garage door threshold kit. Lots of makers and sources for it too.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Tsunami-...3016/202199784

I keep a wet/dry vac in the garage and after an hour or so vacuum up the puddles under the vehicles. Problems with that is if there is a lot of snow on the car you have to do it several times to keep the melt from going too far until it's done melting, you have to remember to do it, be there to do it, and if the cars are coming and going a lot for various reasons you're chasing water all day. I have to come up with a permanent solution for my own place.

[Rod Sheridan]

A concrete floor dam in the shape of a speed bump may do the trick.

It wouldn't have to be very high to work....................Rod.

[Thomas Crawford]

A better question is why is there a car in your workshop?

[Brandon Speaks]

Yea I hear you on that. At our last house I had full use of garage but it was a single so not much better.

When we moved the idea was my shop would be in the basement and I actually do have a decent size shop down there, but between access to it and dust control issues I ended up keeping equipment in the garage and hand tools and other stuff in the basement shop. Its not ideal but its just reality here and gives me a workout going up and down the stairs.

Garage shop is a table saw, band saw, miter saw, lathe, grinder, router table, and little disk belt combo along with a tool chest, work bench, and outfeed on the ts which works for some small assembly. I do also have a work bench on her side which acts as a gun cleaning / repair station and keep fishing gear over there. Oh, and my lawn mower is parked in there also. Overall the limited space is used effectively to get all that in and still have it usable .

Basement shop is mostly hand tool work along with fishing rod building set up and scroll saw.

Next house we both agree I get a dedicated shop space and indoor boat storage. It will make both our lives easier

[Mike Cutler]

Make the floor flat, not necessarily level,with self leveling compound, or anchoring cement. Put down stall mats from Tractor Supply on your shop side. Calk the stall mat edge between the sides of the garage.
Stall mats are 3/4" thick, 4'x6' pads made of rubber that weigh about a 100lbs. each. You get two things. No standing water, and a padded floor. Any water that does seep underneath is trapped between concrete and rubber. Nothing you put on top of them, within reason, can damage them. They're designed for horses.
When you move ,put the stall mats on Craigslist. Living in Minnesota,they'll be gone quick. I'm betting you'll end up keeping them though.

One thing to remember;
The water is seeking level by running to your shop side of the garage. If you impede it, or stop it, the water is going to go somewhere. You may need to do something to the car side also to solve the complete problem.

[Charles Lent]

If the water is running to the shop side of the garage, maybe the shop is on the wrong side of the garage. Put the car where the water goes and you will have a dry shop.

Charley