Do you always have water accumulating in your garage’s concrete floor when you wash your car or spray down other surfaces?
If so, you need a drain for your garage floor.
For overall best quality, the VEVOR Linear Drain is the best choice since it is easy to install yourself and covers a wide surface area for maximum efficiency.
For a garage driveway, the NDS Series Pro Drain Kit is the right choice with extreme durability and weatherproofing.
Below we’ll dive into how to install floor drains and the pros and cons of installation.
Let’s get started.
Are Garage Floor Drains Worth It?
If you’re considering garage floor drains, the financial component is probably the biggest turn-off.
Since your garage will often need to be sloped or pitched for the drain to work properly, they are quite expensive to install and probably not worth it if you’ll only be washing your garage floor a few times a year.
That being said, if you’re working on your car regularly, washing your concrete floor often, or worrying over idle water in your garage, then garage floor drains are absolutely worth the upfront cost for your convenience and peace of mind later on.
You must also consider your willingness to regularly clean floor drain and maintain the garage floor as well as the components over months and years. Garage floor drains should be cleaned weekly, if not more often depending on what materials and debris you’re rinsing away from your floor.
Can You Put a Floor Drain in a Garage Floor?
Absolutely you can. Even if your garage floor is just one big concrete slab, a floor drain can be attached to an existing sewer line or left to runoff outside.
Though it can be more difficult to install in a concrete floor that’s dry, and you may need to check local permits for digging on your property (yes, even a few inches), it can be done in any sized garage with any floor type.
The only reason you may not be able to put a floor drain in a garage floor is if your local municipality has prohibited these drains due to the risk of hazardous materials affecting groundwater.
You may be required to connect to the city sewer system in this case.
You may also be required to fit the floor drain with a strong water filtration system if working with any type of chemicals, such as fluids from your vehicle.
Can You Install a Garage Floor Drain Yourself?
In most cases, installing floor drains can be done yourself.
Of course, you should have a relatively competent understanding of basic construction/DIY processes, and you’ll need the right tools for the job.
The process includes just a few steps:
- Prepare a connection to the sewer or septic system
- Plan your drainage system using pipes or runoff to the outside
- Fit a trap to collect debris
- Dig trenches to lay the drain in
- Add a drain cover if needed
There are a few reasons why you may not be able to outfit your garage floor drain yourself.
You’ll need a professional if your concrete floor isn’t adequately sloped since a flat garage floor will allow water to pool. It is possible to level a concrete floor but can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Retrofitting a drain also involves cutting into the concrete slab, so you may need an expert with the right tools to accomplish this safely.
Your drainage system will also impact your ability to set this up yourself. If connecting to your local sewer line or to the septic system or drain pipe, you may need a city professional.
If you choose to drain the water via a riser pipe that leads to an outdoor location, you should be able to manage that yourself.
One other reason you may not be able to install the garage floor drain yourself is if your local bylaws require this type of work to be performed by a certified professional to be considered up to code.
If you definitely want to install the floor drain yourself without professional help, a square or round drain may be a better choice since they are easier to install than the larger trench drains.
Best Drain for Garage Floor
The Vevor trench drain is one of my favorites since it has a durable 304 stainless steel body that resists corrosion, rusting, and surface damage.
Another great feature of this trench drain is the 30L/minute high-flow capacity that can keep up with the highest water pressure to avoid slippery surfaces and expanding puddles while you work.
The most user-friendly feature on this garage drain is the ability to adjust the height using two leveling feet on either end of the drain. Plus, the drain cover is removable so you can clear debris before it causes blockages and slower drainage.
Sadly, this floor drain only has one outlet option, so you don’t have much choice if wanting to adjust the direction of the water when using the drain pipe.
Overall, this is a great floor drain if you want an efficient, durable floor drain for your garage, though it is limited in outlet options.
Best Drain for Garage Driveway
If you need a drain that’s safe to drive on, this garage driveway drain kit is the best choice.
A great feature of this garage driveway trench drain is the option to connect more than one section together if you need a longer drainage solution.
This drain is ideal for trucks and cars at speeds less than 20 mph, so users can drive over it with no hesitation when needed.
This drain has a surprising 8 water outlet options that can be knocked out for handling high water flows.
A great feature of the NDS Pro drain kit is that it is compatible with 3” and 4” sewer and drain fittings, pipes, and outlets for more versatility.
Unfortunately, plastic body is not as durable as a steel bodied garage floor drain, so it will retain scuffs, scratches, and chips faster than other floor drains made out of steel.
If you need a garage floor drain that you can drive over in the driveway, this is a good choice as long as you don’t mind the uglier plastic body.
Final Thoughts
Garage floor drains can be a great idea if you’re willing to learn how to install them and don’t rush the process.
The best garage floor drain we could find was the VEVOR Linear Drain If you need a garage floor drain that can be driven over regularly, then the NDS Pro Series drain kit is also an excellent choice.
Once you install a garage floor drain, you’ll find your life is much easier for having a simple, automatic drainage solution for all of your wetter garage tasks.
If you have water pooling around your garage door, then a garage door threshold may be a better solution than floor drains.
