High humidity in the garage threatens the appearance of mold and mildew on its walls, rotting of wooden structural elements, corrosion and rusting of the car body and other metal parts, and it also has a destructive effect on the foundation. Usually the cause of moisture is poor waterproofing of the garage floor, which should protect the room from moisture penetration and prevent cracks. In this article we will look at how to correctly complete this stage of construction.
When starting the construction of a garage, you should remember that it is much cheaper to immediately carry out waterproofing correctly in compliance with all the rules and recommendations than to deal with high humidity during the operation of the room and at the same time eliminate all the unpleasant consequences caused by it. Improper waterproofing of the floor can lead to flooding of the garage with ground or flood waters, and if the structure has an inspection hole, then moisture will constantly accumulate in it, the evaporation of which will lead to damage to machine parts.
If we talk specifically about floors, they are much less likely to undergo reconstruction than all other elements, since this procedure is considered quite expensive both in terms of finances and labor costs, so you should not save at the construction stage; it is better to immediately purchase high-quality materials that can last a long time.
The “right” materials for construction
To prevent water from appearing in the garage, you need to be very responsible when choosing materials. In no case should you choose expanded clay, foam and gas blocks, as well as sand-lime bricks for construction. In principle, it is not advisable to purchase any brick, since it is not a waterproof material. If the brick layer can still contain a little moisture, then with constant groundwater backing up it quickly becomes saturated with moisture and collapses. This is why concrete is most often used in garage construction.
The modern market offers a huge range of insulating materials, differing in installation technology, price, and duration of use. Bituminous materials, common in our region, with proper use, last up to 10-15 years, and new polymer waterproofing materials practically do not wear out, which allows them to be laid for the entire service life of the structure. A large number of different membranes are also offered, but when purchasing them, despite all the sellers’ assurances about reliability and efficiency, you need to take into account that the thickness of such material cannot be less than 1.5-2 mm. All super thin membranes are not suitable for waterproofing garage floors. In addition, such insulation requires a lot of experience and specialized equipment, so you shouldn’t even try to install it yourself.
Waterproofing membranes for garage floors should not be thinner than 1.5 or 2 mm
Main types of waterproofing
Let's look at the main types of waterproofing:
- Plastering, or as it is also called coating, is a thin layer of special solutions that prevent the penetration of moisture.
- Pasting - roll or sheet materials glued to hot mastics, for example bitumen.
- Penetrating, the youngest type of waterproofing. In this case, the surface to be treated is impregnated with liquid water-repellent solutions.
- Powder waterproofing is a cross between the first and third types.
General technology of floor waterproofing
After the site for the construction of the garage has been marked, all soil in this area is carefully compacted. This helps prevent it from settling during operation. Now a layer of coarse sand about a meter thick is applied to this area, which also needs to be compacted. Next, a “layered” structure consisting of three layers of geotextile is laid on the sand, with a waterproofing material to be laid between the bottom and middle, and a layer of thermal insulation between the middle and top. Now you can start laying the floors.
It is best to have a concrete floor in garages. To increase resistance to damage, it can be reinforced, and the iron frame must be welded so that its structure is unbreakable. The thickness of the concrete layer should not be less than 15 cm.
It is advisable to waterproof the foundation and floor in garages during the construction period, since these elements are least likely to undergo reconstruction
Additional waterproofing in garages
First, let's look at a garage without a basement. In this case, it is enough to prevent moisture from penetrating into the lower part of the walls along the entire perimeter of the building. To do this, horizontal waterproofing is performed from two layers of roofing felt, glued to the wall and to each other with hot bitumen mastic. This layer must be laid above ground level at the junction of the walls and the foundation.
Before waterproofing a garage with a basement, it is imperative to take measures to prevent groundwater and capillary moisture from entering it. To do this, to the above method, you should add vertical waterproofing that extends under the outer walls. As a rule, it is located at the level of the lower part of the foundation and covers the outer edges of the external basement walls. One of the most effective methods is to apply a layer of cement to the outside of the foundation and treat it with hot mastic in two layers.
Applying bitumen mastic to the outer part of the basement of the garage to prevent the penetration of atmospheric moisture and capillary suction
When placing the basement floor below the groundwater level, there is a risk of flooding. In this case, the process of waterproofing the basement and garage floors becomes somewhat more complicated. After all the above measures for waterproofing the lower part of the foundation have been taken, the basement floor must be concreted and its surface leveled using a screed method. Now you need to glue two layers of roll or sheet waterproofing onto the bitumen, and be sure to use hot mastic to connect the places where they come into contact with the layers of insulating material previously laid under the garage foundation. Similarly, we connect the vertical waterproofing applied to the outer surface of the external walls with that located under the foundation. After this, you can begin waterproofing the garage floor.
Video: using liquid rubber
Waterproofing the floor in the garage should be taken seriously and it is better if it is carried out by real professionals, since only they are able to take into account all the features of the area, reliably prevent flooding of the structure and eliminate high humidity in it.
After choosing the place where the garage will be located, you need to thoroughly compact all the soil. This approach will avoid its settlement during operation. After this, a layer of coarse sand, about a meter thick, should be applied to the area under the garage building. This sand is also compacted. After this, a “layered” structure is laid, which consists of several layers of geotextile. A waterproofing material is laid between these layers, and between the middle and top there should be a layer of thermal insulation. Only after this can you move on to flooring.
The best option for a garage may be a concrete floor. In order to increase stability, it can be reinforced. In order for the structure to be continuous, it is recommended to weld the frame. It is better if the thickness of the concrete layer is at least 15 centimeters.
If the garage does not have a basement, then it will be enough to take measures to block the penetration of moisture into the lower part of the walls. In this case, horizontal waterproofing should be done. To do this, you need to glue two rolls of roofing felt to the wall, as well as to each other, with hot bitumen mastic. The laying of this layer must be done strictly above the ground, where the foundation and the wall connect.
Before waterproofing a garage with a basement, it is imperative to take measures to prevent groundwater and capillary moisture from entering it. To do this, to the above method, you should add vertical waterproofing that extends under the outer walls. As a rule, it is located at the level of the lower part of the foundation and covers the outer edges of the external basement walls. One of the most effective methods is to apply a layer of cement to the outside of the foundation and treat it with hot mastic in two layers.
If the basement floor is located below the groundwater level, the likelihood of possible flooding increases. The process of insulating floors in basements and garages becomes more difficult. The basement floor is to be concreted. Then its surface is leveled using a screed. After this, two layers of sheet or roll waterproofing are glued onto the bitumen. Hot mastic must be used to connect the places where it came into contact with the foundation of the garage.
Vertical waterproofing is bonded in the same way as applied insulation to the outside of an exterior wall surface. After this, you can proceed to waterproofing the floor.
Waterproofing your garage floor should be done with a serious approach. It is recommended to give preference to professionals.
A garage is a storage area for vehicles and it must reliably protect all metal parts from corrosion. It is also impossible to allow mold to appear in this room, which can destroy the fabric or leather covering of a car or any other vehicle. To learn how to properly waterproof a garage basement, read this article.
In practice, there are usually two cases when it is done in a garage:
- New construction
- Fixing leaks in existing buildings
Of course, the best option is when waterproofing the basement outside the garage is carried out at the stage of constructing the foundation and frame. Before starting construction, it is necessary to clarify at what depth the groundwater lies in a given area. The depth of the future garage basement depends on this.
Important to remember! The basement floor should be located above the groundwater level.
After the pit has been dug, it is necessary to compact the soil over the entire area of the basement. Also, before waterproofing the garage basement, it is recommended to pour a 100 mm thick clay cushion and compact it thoroughly with a tamper. This is called a clay castle.
After this, a sand bedding, also 100 mm thick, is installed. Foundation blocks are installed on it using cement mortar. Particular attention should be paid to sealing the joints between blocks. They should not have gaps, and their surface should be smoothed with a trowel and a plaster float (trowel).
When the foundation is ready, it must be protected from ground moisture. If this is not done, over time it can destroy the concrete of the foundation, weaken the entire structure and cause leaks in the basement.
Waterproofing a pit in a garage and protecting the outer walls of a basement:
- Coating bitumen waterproofing
- Pasted waterproofing with roll materials
Waterproofing a concrete garage floor can be done using the same methods.
The first method is quite simple and is done by brushing or rolling molten bitumen onto the foundation walls. In order for the bitumen to adhere firmly to the concrete surface, the walls are treated with a primer. A primer is a primer made from gasoline and bitumen dissolved in it.
It is applied with a roller or brush, and after it dries, the blocks are covered with hot bitumen. The seams between the blocks are coated with special diligence. On sale you can find bitumen mastics for waterproofing. They do not need to be heated over a fire, and the viscosity of the mastic is adjusted by adding low-octane gasoline.
When waterproofing a garage with your own hands using hot resin, the use of safety glasses, gloves, special shoes and thick protective clothing is required.
The second option is carried out by gluing rolled waterproofing materials based on cardboard and bitumen. As an example, we can offer Ruberoid, Gidroizol, Akvaizol and similar materials.
The work is carried out according to the following scheme:
- Cleaning the outer walls of the basement foundation from dirt and mortar buildup
- Prime the surface with a primer
- Gluing waterproofing strips with an overlap of at least 10 cm
If roofing felt is used, it is glued onto molten bitumen. More modern materials, such as Aquaizol, are heated with a gas burner and applied to a preheated wall. The main thing is not to allow bubbles under the waterproofing.
It is worth noting that the weak point of rolled materials is the joints and they are glued with special care. The options considered relate to vertical waterproofing of garage basements. In order to start building walls, it is necessary to perform horizontal waterproofing of the foundation and bricks.
To prevent the brick from locking, roofing material is laid out (glued) onto the foundation blocks coated with bitumen. Only after this do brick or cinder block laying begin.
That part of the walls that will come into contact with the ground after backfilling the pit must be protected with coating waterproofing.
When performing backfilling, the soil is compacted layer by layer. It is worth paying attention to not damaging the external waterproofing of the basement walls.
An important condition for protecting the garage cellar from melt and rainwater is the correct installation of a blind area around the perimeter of the garage. The width of the blind area must be at least 1 m. To do this, dig a trench 1 m wide and 30 cm deep (shovel bayonet) around the perimeter of the garage.
Before waterproofing the garage, fill the bottom of the trench with a 100 mm layer of clay and compact it. A 100 mm layer of sand is poured onto the clay castle. 50 mm crushed stone is laid on the sand preparation. The installation of the blind area is completed by laying concrete, asphalt or paving slabs on cement mortar.
The floor of the garage cellar is covered with concrete or sand-cement screed. The walls are plastered from the inside. The plaster itself is a waterproofing layer. Now such a basement will be dry at any time of the year, and the car will not rust. These rules also apply when waterproofing an underground garage on a private building site is carried out.
If you bought a garage with a leaky basement
If the garage basement fills with water after rain, it means that the garage urgently needs to be waterproofed from the inside. To begin with, it is worth examining the walls and floor, identifying leaks and pumping out the water.
You also need to look at the condition of the blind area from the outside. If the blind area is destroyed, then the first step is to restore it using the technology described above. All cracks and cracks in the interior walls and floor of the basement must be filled with a chisel and hammer. This is necessary for their subsequent repair.
Coating waterproofing can be applied twice. The thickness of the total insulating layer must be at least 2 mm. The time interval between applying layers is 3-4 hours. Do-it-yourself waterproofing of the garage basement is complete, now the walls and floor can be tiled or plastered.
It is impossible to create ideal conditions for storing a car in a garage without properly waterproofing the floor. The ingress of moisture due to rising groundwater, and as a result, dampness, provokes the formation of mold and mildew in the room. High humidity has a destructive effect on the foundation, reducing the strength of the concrete structure. “Goes to” the car too. Corrosion does not spare the metal parts of the machine, which leads to premature failure. To prevent the car from turning into a pile of rusty scrap metal, it is necessary to waterproof the floor in the garage, and it is better if this is done during the construction stage.
Why should this work be done during the construction phase? First of all, because waterproofing done correctly and on time will require much less cash injections than eliminating the consequences of incorrect actions.
Reconstruction of floors is a financially expensive and quite labor-intensive procedure. Sometimes it is very difficult to determine the location of moisture penetration when a leak is detected in order to solve the problem. Therefore, when choosing materials for construction, it is so important to pay special attention to their quality.
The modern construction industry presents a huge number of all kinds of waterproofing materials. They may differ in installation method, cost and duration of operation. For example, bituminous materials, when used correctly, can last 10-15 years, and the use of polymer waterproofing (polyurethane-based mastics) can provide protection from moisture for the entire service life of the garage.
Each owner, when purchasing a garage, plans to use it for a long time and not experience any difficulties with storing cars and tools. In order for the building to cope with the functions assigned to it, it is necessary to take care of waterproofing in advance if this point was missed during the construction process.
Waterproofing of the garage is especially necessary if it has an inspection hole or basement. Dampness and coolness in this case are unacceptable, since no one wants to eventually discover tools and spare parts covered with rust, especially a car. The process of waterproofing a garage with a basement consists of several stages:
arrangement of a drainage system;
external waterproofing that protects the concrete base, walls and floor from the penetration of groundwater;
waterproofing the concrete floor in the garage, as well as internal walls.
Cost of waterproofing a concrete garage floor
As a rule, each building has its own dimensions, therefore, for each case when it is necessary to waterproof a concrete floor in a garage, the price is determined individually, taking into account the entire range of work (dismantling, foundation preparation, repairs, cost of waterproofing materials used, scope of work, complexity of the process).
You can find out the average cost and how much it will cost you to waterproof a garage in the table below; these are the basic prices for services; a specialist will give a more accurate amount after analyzing the premises.
Why do you need to waterproof your garage floor?
The concrete floor of the garage needs additional protection from moisture, because this building material has micropores through which groundwater and melt water seep, gradually destroying the foundations, causing increased humidity inside the building, the formation of fungus and mold on the walls. If you do not react in a timely manner, you may lose the building - after all, moisture will negatively affect the walls of the garage, as a result of which they will begin to deform and metal structures will corrode.
Waterproofing a concrete floor in a garage will avoid groundwater leaks and moisture accumulation, thereby increasing the period of operation of the building and preserving the owner’s property. Moreover, today there are a large number of technologies on how to reliably protect a building.
Waterproofing a concrete floor in a garage on the ground
Protecting the garage floor on the ground is carried out at the stage of constructing the base under the floor, before pouring the screed, otherwise there will be no use from such work. The purpose of this type of waterproofing is to protect the concrete base of the garage from the ground.
PVC films up to 1 mm thick, laid overlapping on the walls, can be used as a waterproofing material.
Waterproofing a concrete floor over the ceiling
Waterproofing a concrete floor in a garage above the basement (along the floor) is done in the case when the floor simultaneously serves as a floor between floors, and groundwater is located close. In this case, you can also use plastic film or use bitumen mastic in combination with roofing felt.
If waterproofing of the floor was not carried out at the design stage of the structure and an inspection hole is planned in the garage, then the only way out will be to isolate the entrance to the basement.
Popular waterproofing methods
Waterproofing a garage can be done in one of the following ways, depending on the characteristics of the structure, groundwater level and the financial capabilities of the owner:
roll - using fused or self-adhesive materials;
painting - using waterproof compounds;
penetrating – protecting the concrete base from the inside;
backfill - for rooms with intense mechanical impact on the floor.
Roll
Waterproofing a concrete floor in a garage using rolled materials, for example, roofing felt (the price for this type of waterproofing is most attractive compared to other materials). Other products, floating or self-adhesive, can also be used as waterproofing.
Before laying roll materials, the surface is cleaned, sagging is removed and the concrete base is primed. After the floor has completely dried, bitumen mastic is applied to it, after which roofing felt or other material with similar properties is unrolled with gradual heating.
Among the advantages of this type of waterproofing are low cost, the ability to carry out work locally in case of repairs, long-term protection from moisture and excellent adhesion to concrete.
The disadvantage of rolled materials is the need to use a gas or gasoline burner for installation, as well as the release of toxic substances when heated.
Painting room
In this case, the following are used as a waterproofing material:
bitumen-rubber mastics;
bitumen-polymer mixtures;
one-component polyurethane bases;
cement-polymer mastics.
Due to its liquid structure, the composition penetrates into all cracks, fills cavities and seals them from moisture. Among the advantages, it is also worth noting the presence in the mixtures of components that fight mold, elasticity, and excellent adhesive qualities.
Mastics are applied to the concrete surface only after it has been thoroughly cleaned and all dirt and irregularities have been removed. Experts recommend first partially removing the layer of old screed, treating the floor with mastic and then pouring a finishing screed. The cost of waterproofing a garage in this way will be justified by the long-term protection from moisture.
Penetrating
Penetrating mixtures for waterproofing garage floors are made based on cement, quartz sand and a number of synthetic components. They are divided into 3 groups:
concreting – increase the strength characteristics of the concrete floor, increasing its density;
polymer-cemented – environmentally friendly compositions of a new generation;
cement inorganic water repellents - used in the process of pouring a concrete floor.
Application of impregnations is carried out only when the base is completely cleaned of contamination; after the composition has dried, it is recommended to apply a finishing coating.
Loose insulation
Backfill waterproofing, as a rule, is applicable when a significant mechanical load is planned on the floor in the garage and there is a close location of groundwater.
In this case, ash, perlite, mineral wool, and bentonite are used as backfill material, placed in the formwork. The advantage of this waterproofing method is its long service life and reliable protection from moisture.
What will you get by collaborating with us?
If you need high-quality waterproofing of your garage in the shortest possible time and at the same time you want to get attractive prices for the material and services provided, then contact us. The InzhStroyIzolyatsiya company guarantees its clients:
visit of a specialist to the site on the day of treatment;
large selection of materials for waterproofing;
compliance with the deadlines specified in the contract;
waterproofing guarantee.
Order garage floor waterproofing
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