Early in the build, our builder extended us the option of having a floor drain installed in the garage. At that time, I had no idea I would be washing my car in the garage so I politely declined the offer and have been kicking myself ever since! Luckily, the pitch of the garage floor allows water to slowly flow out of the garage. That was fine for the summer months, but in the winter, this would lead to ice build up at the door which was a constant annoyance. To mitigate this, I had a channel drain and catch basin installed in November of 2020. It was a big job that took many days, but now I have a large catch basin where water is captured. I have to empty this catch basin periodically, but no longer to do I have to worry about water freezing under the garage door or creating an ice rink of my driveway.

Retroactively tying this system into the city sewer system would have been virtually impossible because it would have required the removal of the existing garage floor. The costs and timeline involved would have been prohibitive and I am not confident the City would have signed off on the project. All things considered, I chose this route and I am confident it will improve the efficiency of the garage. When the catch basin reaches capacity, I evacuate the water using a fully submersible sump pump. Using a brass 1-inch FHT by 3/4-inch MHT adaptor I snagged off Amazon to connect a 5/8" x 35' Continental hose I purchased at Obsessed Garage, I pump the drain dry. Here are two videos demonstrating the process I have developed to maintain this drainage system.

The drainage system was done in conjunction with some design and lighting upgrades, so I created a video series I have titled, "Floor to Ceiling". These videos demonstrate the various processes that the team from Concrete Innovations followed to make this much needed drainage solution a reality for me.

This video demonstrates the demolition stage of the project. The crew worked tirelessly for about six or seven hours removing a 48" wide portion of the existing garage floor. 

I wasn't able to record the footage of the actual drain and basin placement, but this video shows how they were placed in the excavated portion of the floor. 

This video demonstrates the final result after the concrete was poured. It also demonstrates the system in action as I perform a quick power wash of my Swisstrax floor. 

Click the banner below to contact the team at Concrete Innovations to discuss how they can help you improve the drainage system in your garage. Be sure to mention RAD GARAGE to receive a $300 discount on your own double garage project.

If you have any questions or comments regarding my garage's water management system, feel free to contact me