Garage Floor Mats

[mmackie]

Hey all,

I'm a relatively new owner and this forum has been incredibly helpful so thanks in advance.

I've just moved house (a rental) and the garage leaves a lot to be desired.

The place is on a steep hill and there is some kind of ground water leak into the garage which makes the floor permanently wet. Because of this the concrete floor is breaking up and the whole thing is a wet, stony slurry.

I'm looking for a garage floor mat product that solves this problem.

Ideally its raises the car up off the wet floor whilst allowing the water underneath to evaporate or run out of the space. I'm in LA so hoping the warmer weather helps keep everything dry.

The water is high in minerals (leaves white lime deposits) and will break down rubber fairly quickly so i'm guessing the mats also need to be pretty durable.

Anyone dealt with this before?

[Stl-986]

What are you trying to accomplish with mats?

If you are going to be working on the car in the garage I wouldn't even bother. anything plastic or rubber is going to make that pretty difficult.

If it's just to keep the wheels off the concrete then I would just get a couple 2x10's pressure treated and park the car on the wood. Cheap & easy, but really I would be more worried about even parking in the garage and if it were structurally sound.

[por356c]

Yikes! I'd say don't touch anything in there.

[mmackie]

Thanks, I'm really just trying to keep any water from coming in contact with the car and away from my shoes so I don't walk it into the interior.

Not planning to do any major mechanical work and small things can be done on the street.

[911monty]

Holy s***! Are you near the La Brea tar pits? That sure appears to be a natural seep from an oil source. That white is salt from formation water and that appears to be crude oil. You should have that inspected as it could be flammable and very hazardous. And no I am not joking.

[Stroked & Blown]

Racedeck will get you 1/4 inch of separation, but the various pockets under the racedeck will probably get nasty/moldy with persistent moisture and no airflow.
I'd just pull up on a couple of 2x12 boards. Slash cut the ends so they are easier to pull up onto.

[rexcramer]

I would also consider the mold exposure in there. Which could be a health issue for some sensitive people. As a landlord myself, exposing tenants to mold is a big no-no and potentially a big expense liability that insurance will not always cover. As a renter, I would be all over the landlord to correct this ASAP. If they fail to deal with it in a timely manner, I would start withholding the rent. Especially in California. This landlord is asking for a lawsuit.

[JFP in PA]

Along with everything already mentioned, being in a continuous 100% humidity environment is not going to do anything good for the car either.

[2ata]

You rented a place like that on purpose?

[Rob175]

I wouldn't even let my ex-wife go in a place like that. Mold, moisture, mice, rats etc etc etc. .....and you want to park your Porsche in there?!?!....RUN AWAY!

[moosport]

you have water building up and its seeping through the cinder block wall since there is no place for the water to drain. The white stuff are just lime leeched from the cement. Hopefully its just rain from Spring. It will dry up.

You can put done some thick rubber perforated mats and walk on it.

[mmackie]

Originally Posted by moosport

you have water building up and its seeping through the cinder block wall since there is no place for the water to drain. The white stuff are just lime leeched from the cement. Hopefully its just rain from Spring. It will dry up.

You can put done some thick rubber perforated mats and walk on it.

Right this is what I suspected, i'm going to hit it with a pressure washer and see if it drys up when things warm up here

[mmackie]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Along with everything already mentioned, being in a continuous 100% humidity environment is not going to do anything good for the car either.

Yeah, this was a concern also. Its a toss up between street parking with a hood cover on or in the Garage with the humidity.

[mmackie]

Originally Posted by Stroked & Blown

Racedeck will get you 1/4 inch of separation, but the various pockets under the racedeck will probably get nasty/moldy with persistent moisture and no airflow.
I'd just pull up on a couple of 2x12 boards. Slash cut the ends so they are easier to pull up onto.

I think this is the move, simple and effective. Thanks.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by mmackie

Yeah, this was a concern also. Its a toss up between street parking with a hood cover on or in the Garage with the humidity.

You would be better off in the street.................

[Burg Boxster]

Originally Posted by mmackie

Right this is what I suspected, i'm going to hit it with a pressure washer and see if it drys up when things warm up here

Sory but it won't... the H2O is inside the block and slowly seeping out b/c it has nowhere else to go. Anything in that garage will get moldy.

Best bet is to park in street... or if insistent on parking in garage keep door open at all times...

Good luck

[ExplorerLyon]

If moisture becomes an issue, put in a small fan or dehumidifier. Looks like there is electricity in the garage since there is an opener.

[Stl-986]

Can you take a picture of the entire garage? meaning step back and get the whole thing in a picture, including the roof as well as the back of the garage.

Notice the water line? it's all coming from that back right corner. Think this is just a drainage issue. This is actually very, very common and I bet when they built it they didn't seal the outside cinder blocks and water just collects against that back wall. Since it is considered a garage, detached and not a livable space the landlord will be off the hook for anything like mold.

You wont harm the car by parking on the floor really. drop some 2x10 or 2x12 and drive on those if concerned that much.

yes the landlord should address it but realistically that wont happen. In all it's pretty simple, dig up the dirt around the structure, seal it, fill dirt back in, adjust drainage as necessary. Couple friends a few shovels and you could fix it in a weekend....if landlord allows it that is.

[mmackie]

I cleaned out the space with a pressure hose today and setup a fan which made a big difference. I'm going to mount it to the wall on a smart switch and run it for a bit every day.

The water will continue to seep in but this is better than it was........

[mmackie]

Originally Posted by Stl-986

Can you take a picture of the entire garage? meaning step back and get the whole thing in a picture, including the roof as well as the back of the garage.

Notice the water line? it's all coming from that back right corner. Think this is just a drainage issue. This is actually very, very common and I bet when they built it they didn't seal the outside cinder blocks and water just collects against that back wall. Since it is considered a garage, detached and not a livable space the landlord will be off the hook for anything like mold.

You wont harm the car by parking on the floor really. drop some 2x10 or 2x12 and drive on those if concerned that much.

yes the landlord should address it but realistically that wont happen. In all it's pretty simple, dig up the dirt around the structure, seal it, fill dirt back in, adjust drainage as necessary. Couple friends a few shovels and you could fix it in a weekend....if landlord allows it that is.

I feel you but I think it would be a major engineering thing. The hill is crazy steep (this is the bottom of three stories) and its on super hard ground.