Garage Floor Drains
Garages can provide sweet relief for your car from precipitation, from hail to blizzards. The garage can be your vehicle’s refuge and place to thaw out — if you don’t have a garage floor drain, the thawed liquid can flood your garage!
Types of Garage Floor Drains
The primary types of garage floor drains are square drains and trench drains. Square drains, also sometimes round drains, can range in size from 6 inches to 1 foot around. Square drains usually use PVC pipe for residential and steel for commercial purposes.
Trench drains, also called channel drains, can be used as garage floor drains as well. A properly installed trench drain will help you make sure you have no water flooding issues in your garage, even if you park a snow-covered car in your garage.
Garage Floor Drain Installation
To prepare for a garage floor drain, it can help to have a sloped garage floor. Some choose to have a small drain in the center of the garage and slope the floor of the garage towards the center. Another option is to slope the garage down towards the driveway and have a trench drain catch any water there.
Garage Floor Drain installation is simplest if done before the concrete is poured for the garage. Once the drain is installed in the garage, then pouring the concrete can be targeted towards creating the proper slope or pitch for moisture to have a clear path to the drain.
If the concrete is already set in your garage, the garage floor most likely slopes towards the driveway. In these cases, a trench drain is the proper drain to choose because a drain at the center of your garage floor would not be effective for capturing any runoff. Installing a trench drain will also be simpler in these cases because a concrete contractor does not have to tear through a lot of concrete to access pipes.
How to Unclog Garage Floor Drains
If you have a clogged garage floor drain, the clog could be coming from a few different places. Frequently the clog in the garage floor drain comes from a build up of gravel and grime over time. As you assess the clog, start with a simple snake to see if materials simply need to be broken up within the garage floor drain.
Other tools you can use to unclog your garage floor drain include an electric power auger. The electric power auger can break up tough blockages so your garage floor drain works as good as new. If the clog is rather deep, it is best to call a professional in to assess the drain.
LTEC Surface Drains
Your best garage floor drain option is through LTEC Surface Drains, which are steel trench drains. Our LTEC surface drains can redirect runoff, collect water, and prevent flooding in your home. LTEC Surface Drains offers a simple drain that you can install yourself, and the LTEC surface drains improve your home drainage system and the appearance of your property.
For a new look at garage floor drainage solutions, contact LTEC Surface Drains today!
