Need some suggestions on how to fix water getting into my new building.

[mx842]

I would mark the spots where the water accumulates the deepest and drill holes thru the concrete there with a hammer drill when it’s dry. There should be crushed stone under the concrete and the water will drain away into that. You should be able to do that in less than 15 minutes. 1/2” hammer drills can be had for around $ 50 from Harbor Freight.

I personally don’t like concrete floors in pole barns. My workshop and porch area is concrete but the storage area (boat, tractors, implements, camper storage) is crushed and compacted stone. No big deal if something drips a little water or oil onto that.

There’s not a crack on any of my concrete (I’m in upstate NY where it gets real cold in the winter). My nephew poured and finished it 5 years ago. He’s very good at flatwork.
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I had thought about that but decided against it because in the first place this 5" slab is poured over top of the original 6" slab and if I did drill holes, they would stop up in a very short while and I would have holes full of water all over the floor. This low area covers close to 1/3 of the entire floor.

 

[two_bit_score]

I had thought about that but decided against it because in the first place this 5" slab is poured over top of the original 6" slab and if I did drill holes, they would stop up in a very short while and I would have holes full of water all over the floor. This low area covers close to 1/3 of the entire floor.

Sounds like the flashing over that outside edge will be the way to go. I have seen several buildings with a portion of the slab appearing to extend past the outside wall siding and always wondered if that would cause water to run under the siding and floor plate. I thought maybe when the slab was done they addressed that is some way or the overhang covered it. This has been and interesting read and I am sure you have come to a good place to find a solution.

 

[wolc123]

I had thought about that but decided against it because in the first place this 5" slab is poured over top of the original 6" slab and if I did drill holes, they would stop up in a very short while and I would have holes full of water all over the floor. This low area covers close to 1/3 of the entire floor.

If you locate the lowest spot (use a tape measure or a ruler to find where the water is deepest after a rain), you might need to only drill one hole (11” deep to go thru both layers of concrete, to the gravel below). If you use a large diameter drill bit (1-1/2” plus) then you could install a metal grate in it, making a floor drain.

It really doesn’t matter how big of an area is covered with no hole drilled, as long as you drill the hole in the lowest spot, you might need just one hole.

What are you doing now, using a squeegee after every rain ? If so, that seems pretty labor intensive. You really don’t have much to loose, by drilling one hole in the lowest spot.

 

[CliffordK]

Talk to a closed cell spray foam person. That is supposed to be good stuff. Put a couple inches over the inside of the whole structure, then an extra bead down along the concrete. That should keep the whole structure dry, and give it some insulation reducing condensation.

Hmmm, do you have a footer? Somehow pull the footer up and get the insulation or caulking behind the footer, and behind all posts too.

It sounds like if you keep the water out, then all the other problems will become insignificant.

 

[Yander]

This isn't going to be the cheapest option but an option non the less. Enclose it and put in 3 roll up doors. You have that much invested already. Then you have more enclosed storage and water problem is gone.

 

[bigtiller]

Rent or hire a curb grinder and grind away the top edge of the slab to get your desired angle for water run off.

 

[jaxs]

Contrary to popular belief concrete can be capped (poured over) with good results. In the simplest form sand mix with additional Portland can be placed over existing and featheredged. To enhance bond,spread a slurry of water and Portland just before placing concrete. Latex and other additives as well as fiber reinforcement make it even better. If you don't mind water standing below overhang you could start at wall with 2" tapering to one or more feet from wall to prevent water running inside shop. Talk to a masonry supply distributor about products designed to be placed over concrete. The same strategy might work at doors. Flashing as suggested sounds far less expensive than grinding on 1' protrusions.
The concrete contractor should have made you aware of possible repercussions when he saw no dropped ledge was speced. Same for whomever constructed building. Both outfits have seen these mistakes in the past and should give customers benefit of that knowledge.

 

[mx842]

This isn't going to be the cheapest option but an option non the less. Enclose it and put in 3 roll up doors. You have that much invested already. Then you have more enclosed storage and water problem is gone.

Well, if I did that, I would still have the same problem I have with the other two big doors in the shop and that rear wall as well. The whole problem is that the concrete was finished poorly. There are dips, high spots and places where the concrete had just about gotten away from them. Basically, they bit off more than they could chew and didn't have enough help. They did use a vibrator on the footing part but they did that after they had already laid down the concrete. In doing that the concrete settled but they never came back to level it back off leaving the outside edge higher than the rest of the floor. AS they moved inward, they worked off that lower settled part rather than my grade stakes. I saw them driving down a couple of them and when I asked them about it, they said they were too high. I called bull crap on them but by then it was too late over half the floor was finished.

 

[mx842]

Talk to a closed cell spray foam person. That is supposed to be good stuff. Put a couple inches over the inside of the whole structure, then an extra bead down along the concrete. That should keep the whole structure dry, and give it some insulation reducing condensation.

Hmmm, do you have a footer? Somehow pull the footer up and get the insulation or caulking behind the footer, and behind all posts too.

It sounds like if you keep the water out, then all the other problems will become insignificant.

I have 2.5" of spray foam on the walls and 3" under the roof. The whole building is sealed tight accept under that piece of 5X3 galvanized angle plate that the metal is screwed to. They put those foam pads under the bottom and top between the siding and those angle plates. Those foam pieces do a good job of keeping bugs out but does nothing to help keep water out. If they had put some kind of waterproof sealer between the angle plate and the concrete it may have helped some.
When I build that 40' wall under that open part I'll dang sure put plenty of waterproof sealer under that 2x4 wall but I'll probably still have to grind a taper on that outside edge.

 

[mx842]

If you locate the lowest spot (use a tape measure or a ruler to find where the water is deepest after a rain), you might need to only drill one hole (11” deep to go thru both layers of concrete, to the gravel below). If you use a large diameter drill bit (1-1/2” plus) then you could install a metal grate in it, making a floor drain.

It really doesn’t matter how big of an area is covered with no hole drilled, as long as you drill the hole in the lowest spot, you might need just one hole.

What are you doing now, using a squeegee after every rain ? If so, that seems pretty labor intensive. You really don’t have much to loose, by drilling one hole in the lowest spot.

If it was just one low spot, that would be one thing but there are a bunch of high and low spots all over the floor.