# Floor Drains



## Mans22 (Jun 23, 2008)

How useful is a garage floor drain? I understand if you live in up North where it snows b/c the snow melts all over your garage floor but I live in the South. Would I have any use for drains in my garage?


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## garagegary (Jun 23, 2008)

I live in Texas and I don't have any use for garage drains.


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## mustanggarage (Jul 30, 2010)

I really wish I had installed a drain.  my floor is level with no drain and the snow melting off my truck made a heck of a mess last year.  I have got to figure out a better plan for this year.  I am putting in a concrete slab in front of the door so I can at least keep the snow scooped away from the door and squeegee the water out this year but I want to figure a way to put in a drain.  any ideas?


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## rustywrangler (Jul 30, 2010)

mustanggarage said:


> I really wish I had installed a drain.  my floor is level with no drain and the snow melting off my truck made a heck of a mess last year.  I have got to figure out a better plan for this year.  I am putting in a concrete slab in front of the door so I can at least keep the snow scooped away from the door and squeegee the water out this year but I want to figure a way to put in a drain.  any ideas?



You are gonna need to bust up the concrete wherever you want a pipe run.  To make the drain work for you where you park, you are gonna want to take up most of the concrete where you park and slop inwards towards the drain.   

But the simple way is to run your drain and then put a big enough grate at the top that you can just squeegee the snow towards the drain.


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## havasu (Jul 30, 2010)

Since concrete would have to be removed, I would recommend sloping the concrete away from the home, and eliminate the drain completely. You also have to consider what the drain is going to run into. If it is a sewer drain, and the authorities discover you are draining automotive fluids (even minor leaks, radiator fluid, etc.) into the sewer system, expect some hefty fines along with occasional horrible smells being emitted from the drain.


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## mustanggarage (Aug 2, 2010)

what I want to do I think is to place a trench drain across the front of my garage, just inside the door.  then I can squeegee the water into it.  then I think I will just run it outside into the ground via a french drain arraingement.  i.e.  a trench filled with rock and some of that perforated pipe, and put a second pipe inside with a length of pvc the size of my shop vac.  then I can squeegee the water into it and when it freezes outside I can easily suck it up into the vac.   no it will not get rid of the water with no effort on my part but it would make getting it out a lot easier.  since I have a septic system I will not be running it into the sewage system.  so I am wondering how hard it would be to cut a section of concrete out and pour around one of those commercial trench drains?


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## havasu (Aug 2, 2010)

This photo shows my drain set up similar to what you are referring to. They have 3" connections both on the sides and bottom, so they can be linked together. My only gripe is that it is all constructed out of plastic, and could break. I chose this size because the grates are removable and replaceable after a quick trip to Home Depot. For a few more pretty pennies, they also have a stainless steel grate available, which would be alot better.


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## mustanggarage (Aug 2, 2010)

yeah that is exactly what I am referring to.  it looks from that picture that yours are installed in the driveway with some small round drains under the door, or is it the other way around?  I want to put the trench drain in the garage because my floor is flat and does not drain at all.  so I will still need to squeegee the floor but I won't have to open the door to get it out.  so does anyone know how hard it is to cut a section out of the floor?


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## havasu (Aug 2, 2010)

The picture is actually a patio, where I had a broken PVC line under the slab. It was removed to repair the pipe, and I added the extra drains because the slab was sinking because of the heavy monsoon rains and too few drains. 

Cutting concrete is easy, but easier when you have a commercial diamond blade with an automatic water cooler. 

Here is a picture of the completed job.


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## mustanggarage (Aug 2, 2010)

looks very nice.  I may have to find a local concrete expert to do that.  but now that I have the slab in front of the main door done I can at least scoop the snow away from the door this winter.


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## havasu (Aug 3, 2010)

Hiring a professional to saw the concrete usually runs about $5.00 per foot, with a minimum charge to come to your place. IMHO, it's well worth the price for a clean cut, but it can still be done using a few concrete cutting blades and lots of patience.


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## tectonicfloors (Mar 9, 2012)

Floor drains are required by most plumbing codes to be connected to the building drainage system and building sewer. They are required to be trapped and vented.Minimum size is 2".Vents must be installed within 8 feet of the trap.Consult your local plumbing code office for details.


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