Water in garage.

[SJ]

Hello, After taking possession of my first house, I noticed some water seeped in on the floor of the detached wooden garage.

On the inside, the wood at the bottom rear of the garage is damp. There is a 3" space between where it seems a newer concrete floor was laid on top of the original and the rear of the garage. It is wet in this 3" space.

Upon further inspection, on the outside of the garage directly on the other side of the leak there is a slight 1/8" space between the concrete walk and the base of the wood singles of the garage. I can only assume that this is where the water is coming from.

What is the best way to stop the water from seeping into the 1/8" space? Caulk? Maybe a rubber moulding or something similar?

Should I do something on the inside of the garage, like waterproof the wood, or fill in the gap between the newer concrete floor and the wood?

Thank you for any advice you can give.

[Kyle Boatright]

First, make sure any water that comes off the roof or from adjacent slopes is moving away from the structure. If water is washing up against your structure, it'll find its way inside. Once you do that, a sealant and/or some flashing might help. Remember that water always wins, repairs, gutters, etc. only delay the inevitable. Take a look at the Grand Canyon if you want proof...

KB

[Joe Bobst]

From your description the structural elements are not very clear. No mention of gutters, eaves, slopes, etc. IMO, you would be well served by hiring a well qualified carpenter, or other tradesman to assess the construction, apparent cosmetic repairs/modifications and recommend proper repairs. Constantly wet wood is going to decay if it hasn't already, so deal with it soon. Good luck.

Joe

[xrongor]

the water is getting to that 1/8" crack from somewhere. your solution lies not in plugging that gap but stopping it from getting there in the first place.

randy

[ameijers]

Hard to see your garage from here, but from your description it sounds like the new layer of slab is actually higher than the sill plate of the wall, and the concrete walk outside is causing the water to pond in the sill area, or at least promoting wicking into the wood. IOW, whoever did the garage remodel was an idiot. There should always be 6-8 inches of raised concrete wall under the framed walls/siding. Having wood standing in water WILL cause rot. Rule of thumb- there never should be concrete higher than any nearby wood.

You are lucky the garage is detached, because it does give you more options. But the fix will not be a DIY. Step one is to get a pro in to determine if the garage is worth fixing, or if demo and replacement with one of the 'kit' garages would be cheaper. If the structure is basically sound, in some cases it is possible to jack up the entire garage about a foot, and properly repair/rebuild the foundation and sills, and then set the garage back down. If the inside of the garage is unfinished, a good contractor or engineer could give you a diagnosis in a few minutes. An engineer is better, because he won't be trying to sell you his rebuild services.

aem sends....