Okay, so I’ve wanted to build a mudroom between my house and my garage for quite some time. I've started a couple threads about this over the past two years and you guys have been very helpful. My wife is going to kill me because every time I start thinking about the design I always come up with more questions. So here’s another idea.

When making the mudroom I’d like to have the fascia from the garage cleanly meet up with the fascia of the mudroom. Right now the concrete pad of the garage is only raised by about an inch from the ground that surrounds it. When building the exterior door of the mudroom, the door that would face the street, I can only raise it another inch because the walls of the garage are short. If the floor of the mudroom is level with the floor of the garage there would only be about 2 inches of clearance between the door sill of the mudroom and the ground outside. From what I understand 2 inches is not enough clearance and I run the risk of water damage. I’d rather have 6 inches.

So here’s my idea. What if I were to lower the walkway that leads up to where the mudroom door would be? I know I can’t slope the walkway towards the mudroom because that would lead to all sorts of water problems. But what if I were to create a step down near the front of the garage? Then the walkway leading up to the door would be level (or slightly sloped away) and there would still be 6 inches of clearance between the door sill and the walkway.

What do you guys think?

Does the area by concrete slab fill with water now? If not u should have no problem. By making a 6'' step down, u will be building a trough for water to sit in. U would have to get the water out of trough and away from house. This could be done with a dry well.

If u leave existing ground level, u could use pressure treated lumber for bottom plate setting it into a bed of silicone and then running a bead of silicone where concrete and plate meet. Under door frame would put flashing set into silicone and then silicone between flashing and sill of door.

Thinking about the 6'' step, as u see it, this would also have to be done on other side(back) mud room.

Hope this helps.

Chuck

Chuck, the area doesn't puddle up now but I was thinking of the dry well also. Currently I do not have gutters on the garage. I has thinking of installing a drain and tying it in with the gutter discharge that would end in a dry well. But even then I run the risk of lots of water pooling. Thanks.

If u look at the decks in your area, u will see that most of them do not have a 6'' step down.

If u run flashing full length of framing and tar it in and with the silicone u should be able to keep any water from getting in.

U can use 12'' flashing on top of sheathing. With the tar and silicone will have very good water repellent.

Chuck

Chuck, I'm a little confused with your last post. With the flashing I assume you mean to have the flashing extend below the ground level. But I'm not sure why you used the deck example. Decks don't need to keep water from going underneath them. When I look at the mudrooms that people in my area have built connecting a house and a garage, the entry door is about a foot off the ground with a single concrete step to get down. They were able to accomplish this because their garages have 8' walls... my garage only has 7' walls.

Sorry, did not mean to confuse u.

On a deck, if the door is not flashed and sealed, water will run under door into house.

As to running flashing. Put it about 2'' into ground and up under house wrap.

Chuck

Ahh, now I see where you're coming from. Thanks.