What is the common name for this feature (garage floor)

[fredhargis]

My garage doors all set in a recess that's maybe 1" deep. I've not had this feature before and it has it good and bad points. It seem to keep the rain from washing under the doors (I guess that's it's purpose?) but it's a little tough rolling the heavy grill back and forth. Anyway, an acquaintance is building a house and wants this on his doors. When he tried to explain it to his builder, the builder looked at him like he was nuts...so he asked me what it's called. Since I have no idea, I though I'd ask here. Anyway, a pic of what I have:

   

[Splinter Puller]

My garage doors all set in a recess that's maybe 1" deep. I've not had this feature before and it has it good and bad points. It seem to keep the rain from washing under the doors (I guess that's it's purpose?) but it's a little tough rolling the heavy grill back and forth. Anyway, an acquaintance is building a house and wants this on his doors. When he tried to explain it to his builder, the builder looked at him like he was nuts...so he asked me what it's called. Since I have no idea, I though I'd ask here. Anyway, a pic of what I have:

I'd call it a "recessed level overhead door sill"

Normally, around here where we have frost they hold the foundation walls down 8" or so at the overhead doors.  Next, the garage floor slab is poured with a slope towards this opening.  This sets the bottom of the door down 3-4 inches from the high point of the garage.  The exterior concrete slab is then poured slightly below this sill and slopes away from the garage towards the street.

If you have a builder do what you want, make sure the set the sill low enough to allow for the garage floor to slightly slope to it yet still end up a half inch above the flat sill.

I'd not want it here as drip water from the cars would collect on the recessed sill and freeze the door down.   If the sill is formed from the same concrete as teh floor it conducts garage heat and keeps the base of the door warmer, reducing the chances of a frozen door gasket.

[TDKPE]

I have seen that before, and it's a big PITA when trying to roll things in.  The better arrangements I've seen, including my parents' house in CT, is simply a concrete apron with a good bit of slope away from the door.  Water won't roll into the garage in a heavy rain because of that slope, but no lip to climb things over.  

The main slab still needs shallow pitch to the door of course, though in my parents' house there is a drain in the center rather than being sloped toward the door.  Old school I suppose, as it was built in the 40's.  I have a neighbor on my street who had it done when the house was built in 1990, and they put so much slope toward that central drain that the cars are leaning toward each other in an almost cartoon-like way.  


It does seem like aprons are going the way of the dodo, though, I suppose because it's just one more step and a couple of yards more of concrete. My driveway is blacktop right to the garage slab. My last house did have an apron, and a small step up onto the slab, like maybe 1/2" or so.

[brnhornt]

My garage doors all set in a recess that's maybe 1" deep. I've not had this feature before and it has it good and bad points. It seem to keep the rain from washing under the doors (I guess that's it's purpose?) but it's a little tough rolling the heavy grill back and forth. Anyway, an acquaintance is building a house and wants this on his doors. When he tried to explain it to his builder, the builder looked at him like he was nuts...so he asked me what it's called. Since I have no idea, I though I'd ask here. Anyway, a pic of what I have:

Side note....but get yourself some scrap wood window casement a few inches longer than your grill is wide (or snag some from the cut off bin at your local BORG) and use it as "ramps" when rolling heavy stuff in/out.  (less decorative the better)  I've found that I can roll my beast of a smoker (500lbs) in and out of my garage with only minor effort....

[fredhargis]

I'd call it a "recessed level overhead door sill"

Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?

Side note....but get yourself some scrap wood window casement a few inches longer than your grill is wide (or snag some from the cut off bin at your local BORG) and use it as "ramps" when rolling heavy stuff in/out.  (less decorative the better)  I've found that I can roll my beast of a smoker (500lbs) in and out of my garage with only minor effort....

I went a different route. I cut my ramps from some PT 2x6 stock. Tipped the band saw table and resawed them with a bevel for the smoker. It made it less of a PITA...but still a PITA.

To all, this is a 3 stall garage with a drain in the center (more or less) of each stall. The floor seem to be really well done, just enough slope to move the water to the drains, but not enough to notice it's there.

[6270_Productions]

Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?





I went a different route. I cut my ramps from some PT 2x6 stock. Tipped the band saw table and resawed them with a bevel for the smoker. It made it less of a PITA...but still a PITA.

To all, this is a 3 stall garage with a drain in the center (more or less) of each stall. The floor seem to be really well done, just enough slope to move the water to the drains, but not enough to notice it's there.

Most folks use the universally accepted acronym - RLODS (pronounced Arelods).

Maybe?

I don't know.  I am just making stuff up as I go along.

[Cooler]

And mine is set up like a 16" ramp gaining about 3" in elevation.  That has been effective in keeping the rain out. 

But since my garage is over a crawl space that stays fairly cold all summer, on rainy days condensation appears on the garage floor--on the most humid days it can completely wet out the entire garage floor with a shallow puddle.  So I don't know how much help keeping the rain out amounts to.

[Snipe Hunter]

I'm seeing this on almost all new homes. Keeps the water out.