Garage leaking from wall/foundation junctions
#1
05-20-11, 09:56 AM
Garage leaking from wall/foundation junctions
Not sure how old my garage is but it wasn't put up the best.
When they laid the block for the base of the walls, they put it on the edge of the foundation (As opposed to having a separate foundation for the walls themselves). The joints are starting to corrode and I'm getting water in the garage like crazy when it rains or snow melts. I have gutters and plan to slope the dirt more but I think the deteriorating joints are more the issue.
Apart from tearing the garage down and rebuilding the whole thing, what are my options for keeping water out?
Thanks,
-=Rob=-
When they laid the block for the base of the walls, they put it on the edge of the foundation (As opposed to having a separate foundation for the walls themselves). The joints are starting to corrode and I'm getting water in the garage like crazy when it rains or snow melts. I have gutters and plan to slope the dirt more but I think the deteriorating joints are more the issue.
Apart from tearing the garage down and rebuilding the whole thing, what are my options for keeping water out?
Thanks,
-=Rob=-
#3
05-20-11, 10:39 PM
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First, you need to get the top of the outside soil below the level of the top of the slab and let it slope away from there. For a more thorough and permanent cure, excavate around the perimeter of the garage to a depth 6 inches below your frost line. Coat the outside of the stem wall and slab with basement/retaining wall waterproofing compound. Next, install a perforated pipe French drain system in the trench with 4 to six inches of 3/4" gravel under the pipe, then cover the pipe with another 3 to 6 inches of gravel and finally fill in the trench with soil. Your goal should be to keep the top of the soil 6 inches below the level of the slab/wall joint, but it must slope away from the garage for at least 10 feet. If your topography prevents sloping away from the garage without excavating your entire property, do the best you can. Just don't allow the slope to descend toward the garage. If you don't have a suitable place to let the French drain evacuate, consider using a dry well buried as far away from the garage as is feasible.
Good luck with your project.
Good luck with your project.
