Flood Proof Garage / Workshop - Possible?

[mickt1964]

We have been a victim of the overnight flooding, luckily didn't get in the house, but my garage / workshop, is completely bolloxed. Managed to get the LC on the bench lift and the VFR up high on paddock stands, everything else on the bench or in the house. (TZR in parts). Im gutted as I had just got the space nice and sorted with good benches, shelving and cabinet etc.

The water was running at high speed down the drive, we put planks across the front of the garage to try and divert the water, but the shear volume meant it was inevitable that water would get in, it got to about 6 inches in the garage where the garden is under 4ft. 6 inch of water and shit and mud still makes a big mess.

Anyway my garage is a old concrete sectional garage that are bolted together, with a newish roof and a standard up and over door.

This has now happened twice over the last 10 years, (I won't go into the local reasons for this, but our house was never ever classed as a flood risk) so looking at options to prevent water getting in the garage if this ever happens again.

So as this forum is a font of all knowledge thought I would ask.

Because the level of water in the garden is up against the garage walls, is it possible to totally seal a sectional garage?

I also have started looking at the garage door flood defences, but no point in this if the water can get in through the gaps in the sections

Brick build a garage... but how much

Open to suggestions

Thanks

[dusty350]

Sorry to hear this Mick
I've done loads of flooding jobs over the years (ex Fire Service) and the damage can be horrendous, often worst than fire.
What's the lay of your land ? That will affect what you do to reduce your risk. And do you use the garage for a car or just bikes ? If just bikes, could you not build a nice shed/workshop that could be raised off the ground ? Raise it a foot and have a shallow roof if height is an issue ? A decent sized, good quality wooden structure will be easier to build off the ground, and a hell of a lot cheaper than a brick structure. You can do so much with a wooden building to make it look "right" externally, and internally, the sky is the limit !

Good luck, and I hope the levels subside quickly.

Dusty

[Dave B]

I can't find any way to waterproof a relatively new sectional concrete garage that lasts more that a couple of years. It's a case of " I wouldn't have started from here if I'd known the problem". My next door neighbour chipped the pebbledashing on the outside off the lowest six inches of the concrete sections, and sealed it to the ground with Flashing Tape. It worked for about two years.

[shaunthe2nd]

I built my brick garage about 4 years ago and it cost me around £7k.
The slab is a big cost, I think that was around £2k.

I put a slopping roof on mine, with 120mm thick insulated steel sandwich roof panels.

So far so good, and keeps fairly warm too.

[midlifecrisisrd]

Don't know how you will waterproof the door opening but the concrete sectional bit should be sealable by treating the inside like a flat roof and get one of those rubber like coverings that go 18 inches up the walls and are bonded at the corners

Then a floating timber floor or just matting to protect it from damage

Don't know if it would be cost effective though

Steve

[mellow]

Sorry to hear of this. If it's any consolation i'm STILL trying to stop the poxy roof on my sectional concrete shed leaking. The company have been back twice and fitted a new roof, still leaks good luck

[arrow]

Sorry to hear this Mick.

[bare]

Perhaps raise the floor levels??
Lay down (Screwed) a few inches Or a foot, or more ? even of Styrofoam onto your existing concrete floor.. then pour another concrete floor on top of it??
Assumes that you can either temporarily dismantle your shed or raise it for the process. Otherwise the shed will be for little people only.
Bridge onramps are often built up of foam blocks due to weight and settlement avoidance reasons.
So it does work.