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My neighbor's backyard studio flooded last month - check your drainage now
I was down in my workshop last Tuesday and heard water running, turns out my neighbor's DIY studio 2 doors down got 3 inches of water inside after that heavy rain. He had built it on a flat slab without any slope and the run-off from his roof just pooled right against the back wall. Cost him $1,200 to replace the MDF shelving and two cheap amps he stored on the floor. Has anyone else dealt with water intrusion from a poorly planned slab?
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skylershah2mo ago
Can you explain why the slab didn't have any slope? Most contractors I've talked to always put a slight pitch away from the house or studio to push water out. I built a small shed last summer and even with a 1% slope it kept everything bone dry through some pretty heavy storms. Sounds like he skipped the ground prep and just poured right on top of dirt without thinking about where the water would go.
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grant.kevin2mo ago
I mean, "skipped the ground prep and just poured right on top of dirt" - that's a strong take. I get what you're saying about slope, but sometimes people make it sound like every flat slab is a disaster waiting to happen. Plenty of slabs do fine without a pitch if the ground drains well and there's no runoff pooling up. Not every pour needs to be some engineered drainage masterpiece, man. Plus, interior slabs in sheds or studios don't always need that slope if you're not dealing with standing water.
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The guy two houses down from me built a little music studio in his backyard last year and did the exact same thing. Poured a flat slab on top of packed dirt with no slope at all. First big storm we had water came right through the cinder block wall where it met the slab. He lost a $400 mixer and a full set of recording cables to mold. @skylershah is right about that 1% slope making a huge difference. I helped my buddy build a small greenhouse last spring and we made sure to pitch the slab just a hair toward the garden bed side. Not even a full degree but enough to run water out. We had three straight days of rain in June and not a single damp spot inside. That neighbor of yours learned the hard way like mine did. Always pays to think about where the rain is gonna go before you pour anything.
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