Water containment in garage

[Au revoir, Gopher]

For the first time in my adult life, I have my very own workshop. It is not large (25x28) but it is all mine. The shop will be used for both automotive work and woodworking, which means I will have to put away one set of tools and pull out another set before I start work on anything. A problem I'm facing is how to contain the water that melts off of a vehicle. I need to allow the vehicle to dry off and then squeegee the water out the door and I don't want the water getting under the storage units or any tools that might be sitting on the floor. And what ever the solution is, I need to be able to put it away when I'm ready to switch to woodworking.

I have seen rubber berms that you glue to the floor (can't put them away) and I've seen large mats that you park on and they collect the water. They look very awkward to store and I'm not sure how one empties the water out of them.

Any suggestions?

ARG

[colt45]

I gather you do not have a floor drain installed
You could use a shop vac to suck up the water they work okay

[Jamie Black R/T]

Parking mat and a shop vac works good I have 3 of them and that's how we do it.

[Trochu]

If you have radiant heat, I'd also recommend a small fan just to get some air moving, makes a big difference.

[CDNOutdoorsman]

I use the floor mats that have the little berm built in. When they get lots of water in them, just drag them outside and drain them, wash off with a garden hose and slide it back in the garage. I fold them up and put them away in the spring when the snow is gone.

[MOUNTAIN MICKEY]

I have a mid size shop vac and just vacuum up the water "as it melts". My floor is very level so the water doesn't really run any where. Dump the water into a pail and toss it outside. I even hand wash my vehicles in the shop in the winter.

[Dolly’s Mom]

I had the same issue in my garage. I went to Home Depot and bought a couple lengths of 3/4” PVC tubing and a tube of LePage all weather glue. I swept the floor and laid down a really thick bead of glue down and pressed the tubing into the glue making sure there was a ridge of glue on both sides of the tubing. It worked like a charm and cost me $20! It lasted about 4 years before I had to reglue.

[6MT]

I have a floor drain in my shop.

[Wes_G]

Garage floor containment mat and shop vac it off every few days or every week depending on how much you are driving the vehicle. My floor has a pretty good slope to it so if I didn't do this the water would all run towards the door and freeze the door right to the concrete floor.

[Desert Eagle]

Depending on how warm it is and how quickly it melts I have had huge success with a dehumidifier and a good sized fan blowing over the surface.

[dwedmon]

I use a parking containment mat and shop vac. I bought one from a shop in Edmonton that deals in Seamax inflatable boats. The matt is made of the same stuff as the boats so they are pretty sturdy. They fold up in summer for storage.