Drain in Garage

rffx

New to this, but I hope someone can help.

My contractor wants to put a drain in the middle of my "soon to be poured" garage. We added the garage to the front of the house. Has anyone done this before?

The drain will not go to a sewer line but underneath the cement to the outside of the garage to a french drain.

The back of the garage interfaces our old house which has a level that is about the same to the front of the garage.

I am thinking a 3" slope for our 25' garage length would be better, but he wants to maintain a 3.5" concrete slab and it would require going down below footings and cutting away of the present driveway which is asphalt.

Thanks for your help!

Sammy

Why would he want to put a drain in the middle of a new garage?

If its covered and the exterior grading is corect, I see no point in the drain.

crecore

That is popular in the Northeast esp. in heated garages so when the snow melts off your car it has someplace to go. Also if you have a monolithic slab and build with wood on grade it can help prevent wood rot. If you have a frost wall or block wall on slab before lumber this is not a problem. With the snow melt arguement: also in there will be going salt, oil, antifreeze whatever else leaks in your car or "accidentally" ends up in there. A lot of shade tree mechanics like this. For this reason I believe technically a permit is required in most places and probably it should run through a seperator filter system blah blah... I dont want to go postal green on you but you get the idea. If his reasoning interests you check with the local CEO first.

IMHO, I pitch the slab instead. Then I do radiant heat in the slab... the snow turns into water vapor before it gets to the door seal anyway. Plus I "sweep off the car first" ... now there's an idea... LOL Anyway, I like around 1.3% grade, I've used this in 21' deep to 36' deep garages.

Let us know what you decide and why and how happy you are with YOUR choice.

rffx

In Sacramento, California so the snow is really not an issue.

Has anyone had a problem with a level garage floor?

Looked through the counties building code and there does not appear to be anything regarding garage drains. It is Placer County.

Thanks for the feedback.

crecore

One more disadvantage of the floor drain that I forgot... the floor will be pitched from every direction towards the drain. Depending on your use this can be a real pita. My private shop is used for occational woodworking but mostly auto restoration. Try rolling a big block on a cherry picker or maneuvering a shell on a rotisserie my yourself over that drain area...ugh

I dont know much about CA codes but environmentally they are usually ahead of NY where I am.

Crackers

We have a drain. VERY useful.

1) Snow (as described above)
2) I wash the floor anually (where does the water go?)
3) If I need to wash the car in the garage (winter).. water goes...
4) Cleaning general things, spraying etc...
5) We have a tap in the garage to hook up hoses. The hoses sometimes leak...
6) Etx..

We have a slope, but it is barely recognizable if you don't look for it.

rffx

Thanks for all the inputs!

Decided to go with the drain. The slope is not noticeable. It looks good.

Thanks again.