Flooding in a garage can cause serious problems. Water generates mold which can invade the rest of a home. It rots wood, it smells, and it can damage floors and walls. There are several ways a homeowner can avoid, or minimize, floodwater getting in, so let us look at the eight most effective ones.
Simple Actions to Take
Clean the door opening. Dirt and pebbles can accumulate in the corners of the opening. They can prevent the door from fully closing which creates a gap between the floor and the door. The gap allows water to get in. Brush vigorously to remove it, so your garage door fully closes.
Check and Replace the Weatherstripping
There is a strip of rubber or vinyl along the bottom of the door. The strip acts as a seal to prevent water from seeping inside. The strip can crack with age and allow water to come in. The solution is to replace the strip with a new one.
Create a Barrier
If you are expecting heavy rains or flash floods, an effective way to limit, if not prevent, flooding is to create a barrier with sandbags. Fill the bags, line them up against the outside of the door, and place absorbent material like towels, newspaper or painter’s drop cloths behind it to absorb any water that seeps in.
If you do not want to fill sandbags, you can buy ‘quick dams’ to do the same job. Put them in front of the door, and they will expand on contact with water to create a barrier.
Fill Cracks in the Floor
Inspect the floor. Cracks can develop as a home’s foundation settles. If your home is built on clay, as many are, and if water ponds at the side of the house, it can slowly flow over the clay and seep in through the gaps. Clean the floor, and fill the gaps with a waterproof sealant.
More Difficult Actions to Take
Install a Drain. If the driveway is angled towards the door, water will always be a problem. You can dig a trench drain to take water and direct it away from the building.
Make Sure the Door is Properly Adjusted
Garage doors go out of alignment, rollers can wear out, and the tracks can buckle. Any of these can result in a door not closing properly. Call a garage door professional to service the door, and to make sure everything is correctly aligned. This will not only reduce the likelihood of a flood, but it will prolong the life of your door.
Check the Garage Door Opener
Openers can malfunction. The result will be that the door does not completely close, so the weatherstrip cannot do its job. Only a professional can correctly adjust the garage door opener.
