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How to stop water seeping into the garage?

There is a 20 cms gap between my garage wall and the fence with my neighbor. The neighbor's property is higher than my Garage and when it rains the water invariably seeps into my Garage.

It is a new house and the Builder has done water proofing inside which has not helped much. They mentioned they would like access to the neighbor's side and remove the fence and work on doing water proofing from the outside. My neighbor is refusing giving access to their side. Hence I am looking at a solution that can help in between the fence and my Garage wall. I don't have photos of the gap at this time but can send them tomorrow.

I would like to know what I can do to get the water not coming in the garage and who is the right tradesperson who can do this work.

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EricL

Hello @Deepak2

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your garage.

It will definitely help if we can see the gap between your garage and the neighbour's fence. Generally, I would suggest thinking about installing an Everhard 3m EasyDRAIN Polymer Grate And Prejoined Channel. But it will be a challenge to dig up the side of your garage and install the drain in such a tight space.

Once you've posted your photos, we'll be able to better assess your situation. We can then make recommendations on how to address the issue.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Dave-1

Evening @Deepak2

😕 There are lots of us with the same problem, We do like to maximise our yard space 🙂 I am wondering if something along a spray pack of waterproofing would be useful, Depends on how high the soil is up against the garage wall otherwise you run into the issue of what @EricL is describing.

Crommelin 400ml Grey Sprayable Exterior Grade Waterproofing Is one that I found on the Bunnings website that may be suitable, Just depends if you can have some sort of extended holder for further along the edge of your garage.

Sealing the inside of the garage with a bitumen paint could work to a degree but the water pressure through the brick work long termn would want to push it off.

However.... Just thinking outside the square. If you sealed the interior of the brick wall with bitument paint to a height of two brick courses higher then the outside ground, let it dry and then put a kickboard (2 bricks higher then the outside level of your ground next to the garage) of marine ply and paint it with the bitument paint (its thick sticky, very sticky stuff) on the side going up against the wall. I wonder if that would work? Secure it with Masonary screws.

Would be interesting if the other memebrs rate the idea? Id give it a 7 to an 8.

Dave

Dave-1

Evening again @Deepak2

Now facebook is throwing up waterproofing suggestions in my newsfeed lol However I dont mind when it provides something interesting. It was showing how to waterproof retaining walls (always a hot topic in here) and then I though why not go look at the companies page.

Gripset is the companies name and the link should take you to a product that has

Handles both positive and negative moisture pressure (so my thinking is it can be painted or trowled on the inside of a wall) I am sure @EricL will know more about it then myself tho.

And just checked the Bunnings page and the bitument paint I have used is gripset brand 🙂

Dave

Deepak2

Thanks Eric. I’ll send you some pics tomorrow.

Deepak2

Thanks Dave for your advise. I’ll send you some pics and you can let me know what best to do.

Deepak2

Hi Dave, iIs the rubber adhesive sheet workable when applied inside the garage?

Dave-1

Evening @Deepak2

Not sure what you mean by the rubber adhesive sheet? However this is the page with the product Gripset C-1P

I just watched the two videos and the second one is one I think will help you most. The specs say inside and outside the wall in the basement, however you can roller this on once you mix it, (potentially in that 20cm gap 🐵 and if you have soil that is above the slab or the brickwork level with your slab maybe you could use a hose to carve out a chanel to remove the soil? and paint the bottom several courses of brickwork only?

They also suggest to hit up their helpline about the product. To me we can never ask too many questions or even ones we feel are a little silly as it all goes to knowledge to help us do the job.

I have only used their bitumen paint before and it was sticky as, I didnt watch any how to vids 😲 and my arms were tired afterwards but it really sealed the outside of my brickwork of the garage. Fixing water ingress issues in garage is the project and step 5 is where I use the bitumen paint to seal the bottom couple of courses of brickwork. I sealed to the concrete footing and part of the concrete footing with the paint and havnt had water enter since (believe me I rush out and have a look every time we have had downpours m:) ) I should have watched the videos and really should look at a suppliers site (never really considered that until I just checked out for you.

Dave

Deepak2

Hi Dave

I have posted 4 images to Eric. Can you see them? If not I’ll post them to you too.

JacobZ

Hi @Deepak2,

What your builder has said is correct that there is a need for access to the outside of the wall to effectively stop the water ingress. Measures taken on the inside of the structure can help but will not completely prevent the water entering.

The drain my colleague @EricL has linked to and the waterproofing spray @Dave-1 has linked to would both be good for this application but would require access to the outside of the garage.

A section of the fence, however, would need to be cut out to allow the install of both the drainage channel and waterproofing spray. Maybe offering to pay for the installation of a new section of fence will persuade your neighbour.

The solution to this problem will have to involve your neighbour's cooperation. You might like to make some enquiries with your local council to see if they offer assistance with this kind of issue.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Jacob

Dave-1

Afternoon @Deepak2

Thank you for the pics and yeah I can see them. How much lower is the ground to the level of the concrete in your garage? It looks like its resonably close to being level if not lower tho cant tell from the other end? I can understand about your neighbours hesitation about the fence 😕 The nails are on your side and if you remove the pailings then they come off towards your place but putting them back will change how the fenceline looks on your neighbours side of their yard.

Would it be possible to use a hoe like this Spear & Jackson Swan Neck Hoe to drag out those chunks of concrete and then lower the soil as much as possible. That way the level will be bvelow the concrete slab and the drain just before your door to the garage can do its job?

Other then that I would be contacting Gripset and asking if they can recomend any product for the incide couple of brick courses of waterproofing. Is there a particular point the water enters through the bricks? Or does it seep in along the length?

The garden bed next to the back door, does that stop the water cooming through and funnel it towards the door grill drain?

Dave

Deepak2

Thanks Dave.

The water seeps in along the full length of the garage from mortar at the base of the brick wall.
Will try and get the soil out. The hoe may be slightly short but will try from both sides of the garage.
The issues there are a couple of bricks in between standing upwards so that would pose an obstruction.
Also how will the water flow of to the drain? Is there a kind of top open pipe that I can lay in that space ?

Deepak2

Hi Dave

Will check with Gripset.
wondering if I can apply an external layer from the small gap , even if it is only in the two sides of the garage.

Dave-1

Evening @Deepak2

The drain appears to be lower then the level of your garage slab oif concrete near the back door. I was presuming water from the back would drain to this point. Is that so?

Dave

sara22au

I have to ask...which council allowed a new build a. This close to a neighbours fence, and b. Didn't insist on measures being taken to ameliate any water issues?

Ik when I built in 2004 ( my 2nd build), council insisted on at least a metre from fence line, specified retaining walls and drainage installed, and numerous other additional structural clauses/builds that meant something like this couldn't ever occur.

Any build that's lower than the adjoining properties is responsible for any additional structural builds to maintain property integrity. Neighbours aren't responsible for issues you incur from your own build. Your builders should have put in both retaining walls and drainage down that side, BEFORE building, and definitely should never have been that close to ANY fence line.

Since council approved it, I'd be hitting up council first and foremost.

EricL

Hello @sara22au

Thank you for sharing your ideas regarding the garage. Let me tag @Deepak2 to make sure they are aware of your suggestions. It is definitely an avenue worth exploring since the council approved the plans.

Eric

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