Soggy garage - any ideas?
Discussion
My Griff is all wet. 
I rent its garage and it leaks from the roof and round the floor. There's no electricity supply. The garage is about 250 yards from the house, so I can't run a cable across either. The problem is that the floor level of the garage is slightly lower than the lawn level of the garden behind it.
Any good ideas on how I can dry it out? I was thinking of silica gel, what do you think?
Cheers!
Edited to add: The car has a cover on it!
>>> Edited by SGirl on Friday 25th October 11:23
I rent its garage and it leaks from the roof and round the floor. There's no electricity supply. The garage is about 250 yards from the house, so I can't run a cable across either. The problem is that the floor level of the garage is slightly lower than the lawn level of the garden behind it.
Any good ideas on how I can dry it out? I was thinking of silica gel, what do you think?
Cheers!
Edited to add: The car has a cover on it!
>>> Edited by SGirl on Friday 25th October 11:23
My Griff is all wet.
I rent its garage and it leaks from the roof and round the floor. There's no electricity supply. The garage is about 250 yards from the house, so I can't run a cable across either. The problem is that the floor level of the garage is slightly lower than the lawn level of the garden behind it.
Any good ideas on how I can dry it out? I was thinking of silica gel, what do you think?
Cheers!
Edited to add: The car has a cover on it!
>>> Edited by SGirl on Friday 25th October 11:23
I've used silica gel to dry out the inside of a car but you'd need a massive supply to keep a leaky garage dry, drying the gel out would take a lot of work though.
Depending on the landscape around the garage, it may be possible to use a siphon to drain the garage. If there's an obvious low spot in the garage that you can use as a sump, it's even possible to set a siphon up so it will stop just before it runs dry, so that it will start again if you get any more water in.
Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
d1bble said: How high does the water get?...
There's a puddle all along the front end of the garage, it gets up to about an inch deep in the worst of the weather IIRC. Didn't care before (Rover's home), but I do now!! The leak from the roof (beams attached with 6-inch nails!
) is less of a problem unless it rains hard.
....(at least it has a home)
Suppose so.
I was just worried because the car itself was wet this morning, because of evaporation? I don't know. Still, it's better than letting the local kids kick footballs at it by leaving it on the road. And it saves me going round tearing the kids' arms off. 
I've used silica gel to dry out the inside of a car but you'd need a massive supply to keep a leaky garage dry, drying the gel out would take a lot of work though.
That's what I thought.
Depending on the landscape around the garage, it may be possible to use a siphon to drain the garage.
Hadn't thought about that, though. I'll take a trip to a DIY shop and look into it. Thanks Peter!
>> Edited by SGirl on Friday 25th October 12:16
To stop the rain, leaves etc getting in to my garage I riveted a strip of plastic damp proof membraine around the edges of the door this is about 4 inches wide. You rivet one edge to the edge of the door so it protrudes about 3 inches from the edge. Its an up and over door so as it closes the plastic forms a resonably good seal with the floor and frame. If you can find the leaks in the roof you can fill them with expanding foam filler you can get from the DIY shops, this fills even large gaps and you don't have to be to neat.
hope this helps
Cheers,
Simon
hope this helps
Cheers,
Simon
keithskip said: Try getting the landlord to fix it?
Exactly what I was going to say. You must have rights under your tenancy agreement and the basic aspect of that must be that the garage serves its purpose properly.
If you rented a 3 bed house and the roof leaked you'd have recourse and I don't see why it should be different with a garage.
I have the same problem with power in the garage and so bought a 240 volt petrol generator on ebay for 50 quid. Means you can use the hoover etc down in the garage and some lighting for late night polishing (for polishing read beer drinking).
Now that gives me an idea. Time to get a mini-fridge for the garage!
if your garage gets damp, i would be inclined to make sure that there are plenty of small openings at each end to get the air flowing thru. if it sounds as bad as you say you will never get it totally dry so make sure the wind/air can get into and out of the garage as much as possible. if you seal it up and trap the water in you will get serious damp/mould problems.
angusfaldo said:
keithskip said: Try getting the landlord to fix it?
Exactly what I was going to say. You must have rights under your tenancy agreement and the basic aspect of that must be that the garage serves its purpose properly.
I tried this - they've reproofed the roof several times now, but leaky brickwork is beyond them. They won't fix it. When the door on one of the others came off, it took two months to repair it - the excuse was "it's low priority". Charming!
I have the same problem with power in the garage and so bought a 240 volt petrol generator on ebay for 50 quid. Means you can use the hoover etc down in the garage and some lighting for late night polishing (for polishing read beer drinking).
Aha! Never thought of that. Thanks for the tip, Angus, that sounds like a really good idea! Life would be so much simpler if I had a power supply in the garage...
'The problem is that the floor level of the garage is slightly lower than the lawn level of the garden behind it.'
Now you've found something well worth worrying about! If the damp's getting through from the soil on the other side then your garage can't have a damp proof course. Mine is set down about 3 feet lower than my garden but at least its dry - so there is a way. However, putting in a dpc will be costly and it's not your job anyway (moan to landlord - garage is not fit for purpose - he can fix it or give you a rent rebate). If he really won't budge, perhaps a reputable builder can come up with a way of putting some sort of waterproof lining inside, eg on the floor and up the first part of the walls? Or can you go round the offending lawn, dig a narrow trench and stick some dpc in vertically?
As you can tell, I'm not an expert but there has to be a way...
Now you've found something well worth worrying about! If the damp's getting through from the soil on the other side then your garage can't have a damp proof course. Mine is set down about 3 feet lower than my garden but at least its dry - so there is a way. However, putting in a dpc will be costly and it's not your job anyway (moan to landlord - garage is not fit for purpose - he can fix it or give you a rent rebate). If he really won't budge, perhaps a reputable builder can come up with a way of putting some sort of waterproof lining inside, eg on the floor and up the first part of the walls? Or can you go round the offending lawn, dig a narrow trench and stick some dpc in vertically?
As you can tell, I'm not an expert but there has to be a way...
simpo one said:Now you've found something well worth worrying about!
Cheers mate!!
(moan to landlord - garage is not fit for purpose - he can fix it or give you a rent rebate)
Not a hope. They'll fix the roof if it leaks enough, cut back the trees that grow over the entrance from time to time, rehang the door every now and again and that's it. Sold as seen and all that.
If he really won't budge, perhaps a reputable builder can come up with a way of putting some sort of waterproof lining inside, eg on the floor and up the first part of the walls?
Modifying the neighbour's lawn isn't an option, unfortunately (I did ask!! He's a car nutter as well.) But you may have something with the waterproof lining - I'll ask around. Thanks!
Might be cheaper to just build a garage in the garden (got planning permission for it). I like the garden the way it is, though.
Still, it's better than the last one. There was a pond just behind that flooded one winter and the cars would've been standing in up to 3 feet of water for a month if I hadn't moved them. Glad I didn't have the Tiv then. Oh, how I laughed.
sgirl,
I have a similar problem with my garage.The garage is set into a bank at the far end and on both sides(one side is neighbours).Have looked at waterproof lining ideal but would be quite expensive.I have a de-humidifier that is almost permantly on to keep it dry,in wet weather anyway!I think cheapest option is to get a generator and de-humidifier.
Steve
>> Edited by sb930turbo on Friday 25th October 20:32
I have a similar problem with my garage.The garage is set into a bank at the far end and on both sides(one side is neighbours).Have looked at waterproof lining ideal but would be quite expensive.I have a de-humidifier that is almost permantly on to keep it dry,in wet weather anyway!I think cheapest option is to get a generator and de-humidifier.
Steve
>> Edited by sb930turbo on Friday 25th October 20:32
sb930turbo said:I have a de-humidifier that is almost permantly on to keep it dry,in wet weather anyway!I think cheapest option is to get a generator and de-humidifier.
Steve
Steve, how big are these units? Once the Griff is in the garage there's not a lot of space for a lot else. Maybe a foot or so front and rear and 8 inches either side. But possibly an option - I'd have to have the dehumidifier on when I can keep an eye on it, so running it 24/7 wouldn't be an option. Would that work, do you think? Or have you found part-time running makes little difference?
The only reason the Griff's in this garage is that the last foot of the Volvo sticks out with the front bumper up against the wall!
A dehumidifier will never keep up with the flow of water in bad weather. Simpo one had the right idea but fill the trench with single size stone such as 20mm pink staffordshire stone and paint the garage with bitumen below ground and 150mm above ground, you can then replace the turf and the garden will not be affected. You will never waterproof the garage from the inside and DPCs only prevent water rising vertically, not horizontally. Place brand new spounges under your car cover to allow the air to circulate. Please don't ask how I know all this.
>> Edited by 19560 on Friday 25th October 21:11
>> Edited by 19560 on Friday 25th October 21:11
sb930turbo said: sgirl,
I have a similar problem with my garage.The garage is set into a bank at the far end and on both sides(one side is neighbours).Have looked at waterproof lining ideal but would be quite expensive.I have a de-humidifier that is almost permantly on to keep it dry,in wet weather anyway!I think cheapest option is to get a generator and de-humidifier.
Steve
>> Edited by sb930turbo on Friday 25th October 20:32
If the problem is water seeping through the walls, it might be possible to dig a shallow trench round the outside? For one thing this lets you get at the base of the wall to apply waterproof masonry paint, and it also gives you a sump that you could pump out (via a siphon, small electric pump or whatever). Even if the water is coming in by other routes, it would potentially give you somewhere to drain the water out to? Of course, depending on the situation this might be completely impractical. Final thought, a small 12v pump would probably run for days on a car battery and would shift a fair bit of water. Windscreen washer pump, maybe? Hmmm, endless possibilities!
Best of luck,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
Unless your garage is fairly air tight you will never clear the damp with a dehumidifer as you will be trying to clear all the damp coming in through any gaps or draughts. The more air flow you have got the better. Mark or note any small holes or gaps in the roof and when it is very dry squirt silicon sealer in and this will form a bung so let it fill over,
If the garden at the rear is say 150mm higher then you have a chance,If you do dig a trench and fill with stone or other material it will take more water than it isalready as it will try to drain more water off the garden and could increase problem.
How about laying a new floor
Materials cost 2-3 ton ballast, 20 bag cement, sheet polythene,flashband, cost £165 plus mixer and two good lads to mix and lay,Ask your landlord first and lay the floor with a fall out the door and dont get a big step as you enter the garage max 50mm
If you are staying for a year then its not a lot to pay and you get a nice floor
Do it once and do it right Ron
If the garden at the rear is say 150mm higher then you have a chance,If you do dig a trench and fill with stone or other material it will take more water than it isalready as it will try to drain more water off the garden and could increase problem.
How about laying a new floor
Materials cost 2-3 ton ballast, 20 bag cement, sheet polythene,flashband, cost £165 plus mixer and two good lads to mix and lay,Ask your landlord first and lay the floor with a fall out the door and dont get a big step as you enter the garage max 50mm
If you are staying for a year then its not a lot to pay and you get a nice floor
Do it once and do it right Ron
My garage is almost totally underground at the rear(about 2 feet above ground!),so not a lot can be done apart from major works(Can't get round neighbour side)The de-humidifier actually does a very good job,if its left on nearly all the time in wet weather, the garage is almost bone dry.
Steve
Steve
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