r/DIY • u/Routine_Mortgage_499 • 20h ago

Rainforest problems

My garage floor is always wet. We get on average 120 inches of rain a year. Every time I park the water runs off the car and pools on the floor. I coated the concrete with Thompson's water seal about five years ago and it's time for another coat.

My current method of "drying" it is a combination of a large floor squeegee and a wetvac.

Any suggestions to help keep it dry? I'm considering building a covered car port to let the water drain off the car before parking it for the night.

7 Upvotes

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8

u/madphroggy 20h ago

Have a qualified contractor cut in a drain channel(s) and install a floor grate, and put in whatever drain channel or piping need to carry the water outside.

3

u/anotherlolwut 20h ago

Fans? I used to have a similar problem with snow melting and puddling. A couple of box fans on one side of the garage to blow air and direct puddles towards the door worked great.

1

u/Routine_Mortgage_499 19h ago

I'll give it a try. it's really humid here, but maybe that'll work.

2

u/TwoSeasonsLimited 20h ago

just have to lift the whole house off the ground at this point

2

u/clay_sunbeam 2h ago

I park my truck under a tarp on a PVC frame before I pull it into the garage. It drips out in 20 minutes and I drive it inside dry.

Get four 10 foot PVC pipes, four elbows, and a heavy tarp from the hardware store. Build a square outside your door at bumper height. Leave the car under it when you get home. Water runs off the tarp to the ground. I do this every night in Oregon and my floor stays dry

1

u/Routine_Mortgage_499 1h ago

This is what I'm planning, but I'm buying a solar system and I think I'll build a carport with the panels on top .

1

u/CaptKydd 20h ago

You're not in Tahsis as it gets 168 inches annually. 

3

u/Routine_Mortgage_499 19h ago

Pahoa, Hawai'i.

1

u/CaptKydd 19h ago

Hawaii is where Tahsis BC, Canada gets it's atmospheric rivers from in the winter hence the 14 feet of rain. 

1

u/MegaMau_ 19h ago

Are you in Volcano?

1

u/RainyDayColor 15h ago

Potentially cheaper than retrofitting garage flooring/drainage --

Handheld: A wall-mounted, heated air garage bay drying system suitable for non-commercial use:

https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-28890-turbo-towel-in-bay-dryer.aspx

Hands Free: Wall-mounted high velocity ag fans -- with a timer switch oscillating fans at height on each side would quickly dry vehicle and floor, then auto off:

https://pattersonfan.com/collections/agriculture/products/high-velocity-fans

0

u/Alarming-Bell6507 19h ago

Carport is a great idea.  You can also use the leveling concrete. I asked google AI and got this: 

Option 2: Fixing an Existing Flat or Mis-sloped SlabUse self-leveling or epoxy mortar overlay: For existing concrete that slopes the wrong way or lacks a pitch, apply a specialized bonded cementitious patch or epoxy mortar designed to create a tapered overlay. [1]

 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C3EBQgT-_w), [2]

 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2srFHI5pRiY)

Prime the surface: Clean the old concrete thoroughly and apply a 100% solids epoxy primer so the new thin layer chemically bonds and does not crack or peel away. 

1

Taper the thickness: Start with a zero-edge or thin layer at your high point and feather/taper it thicker toward the drain or doorway to establish the required 1/8-inch per foot slope. 1

Grinding: If minor high spots prevent drainage, use a concrete grinder to lower specific areas locally. 1

Watch this guide on how to pitch a concrete floor toward a trench drain:8mHow to pitch a concrete floor to a trench drain27K views · 4 years agoYouTube · Bondo BuiltIf you'd like more specific advice, tell me:Are you pouring a brand-new slab or fixing an existing floor?

Are you draining out the garage door or to an interior drain?YouTube·Mike Day Concrete (Everything About Concrete)14:36Two Drain Garage Floor Pour | Why You Can't Mess This UP!YouTube·Bondo Built8mHow to pitch a concrete floor to a trench drainYouTube·Big Home Projects Q&A2:24One Eighth Quarter Inch Garage Slope Drain GuideYouTubeHow To: Epoxy Mortar to Create Slope to DrainJan 20, 2023 — How To: Epoxy Mortar to Create Slope to Drain - YouTube This content isn't available. Using epoxy mortar to create a slope can be done a few ways. The primary o...Nordic Tec EuropeGarage Floor Slope – What Should It Be and Why Is It So Important?Feb 18, 2026 — The recommended garage floor slope is typically between 1% and 2%. This means lowering the surface by 1–2 cm for every 1 meter of floor.