23 replies to this topic

[1984mini25]

Is there any way I could stop this from happening?

 

 

Every time it rains water is seeping in through the walls and pooling on the floor. Witch is not only is it annoying with it being damp, but anything left on the floor for any reasonable amount of time ends up rotting. I think it’s getting in between the concrete slab and the mortar for the first course of brickwork. But I don’t think the think heavy clay up against the outside wall of the garage is helping. What I don’t want to do though is end up sealing the damp in the brickwork, as surely that wouldn’t be too good?

 

[rally1380]

Sort the problem from the outside if possible with better drainage, so the water drains away from the wall and not towards it.

 

Once its dry, might be worth weather proofing the brickwork.

[1984mini25]

The thing is the ground level on the other side of the wall is higher, but even if that was lowered with better drainage with the garage being on a hill any run off would still find it's way in. By running along the outside of the garage wall and in through the garage door at the from the rest of the run off from the drive.

 

If I have to though, I'll lift up the 8 or so slabs, did down below the level of the concrete slab of the garage and then waterproof the outside brickwork. just all the damp proofing stiff I keep finding if for the inside, even if that would me I'd ovoid having to dig out thick heavy clay.

Edited by 1984mini25, 15 May 2013 - 06:55 PM.

[Dan]

  Dig a trench around all the areas that are higher than the floor.  You will need to dig to below the slab.  Fill the bottom with gravel and a perforated land drain at the level of the slab.  Lay tanking plastic up the side of the garage to ground level.  Fill the bottom 8" or so above the land drain with gravel, forming a wedge shape of gravel towards the building.  Lay geotex over the gravel and replace the soil to ground level.  The end of the perforated drain should stick out of the hillside at the front of the building, make sure the drain isn't running uphill anywhere.  Obviously you should get a surveyor or someone to look at the building and general area first and make sure it's safe to dig it all away even temporarily, and to check over what I suggested, but that's what I'd do.  Oh and get a seal for the bottom of the door, but don't run the car in a sealed garage obviously.

 

 

  Or you could lay channel drain along the front, and tie the land drain into that, then run the outlet off further down the hill to a new soak away.  If all the land is yours that is.

Edited by Dan, 15 May 2013 - 07:03 PM.

[1984mini25]

I'll have to see if I can get some picks of the exterior of the garage, as the problem with a drain is were to run the water off to and not back into the garage. The door seal I've been meaning to do for a while as I'm getting fed up of sweeping up next doors leaves that keep blowing in.

[1984mini25]

As it was dry ish I thought I dig a small hole and take so picks to help explain the problem of were to run a drain off too.

 

 

this is along the back wall, witch considering the ground level is 3 courses above the floor level doesn't seam to suffer from damp coming through.

 

But along the wall I do have the damp problems...

 

And the front by the door...

[Bungle]

Dan has told you what is needed, you need to get the water away from the wall

[1984mini25]

Yep, I get that it's just working out were to run it off to. As the lowest point is that front corner of the garage, even the shared drive slopes to that corner. I could divert it off to a drain cut into the front of the garage, but as my neighbours garage doesn't have any damp problems he'd be unwilling for it to run along the front of his and drain away.
Same with running off and along the back wall and along the back of his garage to then feed into the down pipe for the guttering.

[Bungle]

dig a soak away

 

this is normally a hole 1mx1mx1m filled with old concrete blocks, bricks etc

 

the idea is the water will run away from your garage down the pipe and into the gaps around the blocks/bricks and soak away

[1984mini25]

actually the more I think about it, the more I'm, liking the thought of just diverting it towards my neighbours garden. I'd pmsl just to see his garden shed sink.

[Dan]

  The ground level is a lot lower than I imagined from what you said, and from the amount of water to be honest.  I would say that what I described earlier for this would be overkill given the ground level, but that really is a surprising amount of water.  Do you have access all along the back wall and do you have much room there?  What I would be tempted to do is dig a trench right along the back down to the level of the top of the slab, about 2 feet wide so there is good clearance from the bulk of the soil.  Then along the very edge of this trench, up against the slab, I would dig a further trench only about 6" wide down to the base of the slab (probably 5").  Line this with geotex and fill well with compressed gravel, then wrap the gravel in the rest of the textile to make a parcel.  You could lay slabs on sand down in this trench, leaving fairly chunky spacing between them.  That all should prevent water collecting against the wall.  Along the side I would cut the path slabs away for 8" and dig down to lay tanking plastic up the side of the building from the slab base to ground level.  Then get some of the 8" channel blocks that are made as block paving components and lay those in place of the removed sections of the path to guide water along the path and stop it collecting while keeping a flat path at the current height.  All that should do it BUT you might end up with the ground around the garage getting water logged if it isn't actually being carried away somewhere safe.  Soakaways should be 4m from any buildings really, even garages, because of the problem of water softening the load bearing ground underneath.  There is a surprising amount of water here as I said.  You should get a local surveyor who is familiar with the ground to advise you really, they will often give you spoken advice very cheaply if you don't want a fully written report from them.

[1984mini25]

It really is a lot of water considering that was only from a quick 15 minuet down pour, during the winter it’s much worse. It’s also one of those things I’ve been meaning to sort out, but never got round to and what with all of last year’s rain it’s been getting worse.

One thing I had thought of maybe because of all of lay year’s rain and the fact the garage is side on half way on a hill that the ground water level is a lot higher than normal.

I’ve already made a start on shifting the slabs over and relaying them, as they have moved  and shifted over the years since they were originally laid giving myself enough room to dig a trench along the garage and go from there.

[AndyR]

Hi there

 

Sorry to Hijack this topic

 

I too have a moist garage - however the floor is not concrete, it is in fact Tarmac.  It is so old that it has turned grey and is allowing moisture through.  There does also appear to be damp in the walls as the paint if flaking off 3 or 4 inches from the floor.  The problem is (and i understand what has been suggested above and would love to be able to do it) but the back and one of the side walls is dug down into the ground - to ceiling level.  So digging down below the course wouldnt be an option without investing substantial funds and time/labour - the other problem is i live in an apartment and the garage is the ground floor, with 4 apartments on top.  So its not really my land to go digging up - and although we own the apartment and the garage i dont plan to live there forever and dont want to invest that much money into something that wont necessarily increase the value.  It is also a double garage that i share with my neighbor (albeit partitioned).  So whatever i did to my side wouldnt be a 100% solution as their side could start running into ours.  We have contacted the association that runs the maintenance of the apartments and they are aware of the damp - but they say it has no affect on the structure, so its just an inconvenience for us to live with or fix ourselves.

 

So after that long story...............anybody know what i can do to stop or at least reduce the moisture.  Can something be painted on or can it be covered over in some way?  I understand the tarmac throws a spanner in the works, as had it been concrete there are a plethora of moisture inhibitors that can be painted on!

 

Many thanks

[Dan]

  I would like to suggest a liquid tanking but if you trap the water in the brickwork what is currently an irritation may end up becoming a structural problem that would be your fault and would affect the whole block.  Maybe use a tanking membrane on the walls and floor and render over it on the walls, pouring 4" of 40N concrete or something on the floor over the membrane (once the Tarmac is out).  But even then you might well just be causing more problems in the long run.  You need to let the walls breathe.  Talk to a local surveyor.

[RedRallyMini]

Use this:

 

 

and divert the water to the street (if that's possible), but that garage wil never be completely dry because that wall isn't a cavity wall and when it rains the complete wall will be moist.

 

This is a cavity wall:

 

As you see, the rain gets through the wall on the outside but never hits the inside wall and that wall of your garage are two bricks laying against each other which means the rain will Always get through...

 

So the only good solution is to put something waterproof on that wall if you want your garage to be completely dry...

Edited by RedRallyMini, 27 May 2013 - 10:04 PM.