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Hi, This is a Query on planning a ramp for the garage.
I am unsure of the recommended ratio of slope for the entrance, some suggest 1:10, i.e. 10 inches of ramp length for every inch increase in height.
The total height from the road to the garage floor is 30" (9" footpath +21")

Please suggest how can the slope be planned. A rough sketch is below, I have just tried to show how a simple slope will look like.
Note: Road - 2' means that I am willing to use only this much.

With modern cars slopes of even 1:5 are not much of a problem for the short distance of the ramp, so your scheme at 1:7 is perfectly fine. Just remember to have curved corners both at the street level and at the garage, other wise you may damage the under body at the garage side and scrape the front/rear on the street side. A curve of 2 feet length would be fine.


The curves are not smooth in the drawing

Over what "aroy" mentioned, you can also add grippers to the slope so that your car does not slip and can back in or climb easily.

Yes I forgot that. While casting the slab add 25mm wide, 75mm thick granite strips. They should protrude 4-6mm and laid at spacing of 500mm, preferably at 30 degree to ensure drainage.

If you can do this, then the ramp will not be too steep:

That will reduce the usable garage space. Any way a steep ramp is no deterrent for most cars, as at the most you will be covering 15 feet (one car length).

Ever noticed the steepness of ramps in Mall parking lots. There are a few in Delhi where the gradient is more than what is proposed here.

The over-hang will take care of the cut at the edge of the garage floor.

It is a different matter if the garage is a traditional one- i.e, with a shutter.

Many many thanks to all the suggestions :thumbs up ( I am not quoting all the posts to avoid making this too long!)
Am summarising below:

1. Will ensure to instruct the contractor to have curved corners both @ street level & garage.
2. As per the latest & umpteenth change of plan, have decided not to touch the road area. So now the slope would be 1:5
3. I do appreciate the need for grippers in a casted slab for the ramp. But because of the overall short length, as of now I had planned to use stone slabs in the footpath area (with the rough surface" for grip) and pavers within my compound area. Have seen this in quite a few places, so I hope this should be a viable alternative.
4. Drainage also should not be an issue considering the revised slope too. In any case, any water from terrace area will be drained into the rain water harvesting tank + my front compound area is fully covered with concrete slab.
5. @ Condor, I would personally want to avoid chipping the PCC already completed + I am trying to super optimise cost to the max within sanity :D
6. I am not using a shutter to close the garage, rather it will be covered with doors. (4 nos foldable metal fabricated) Many laugh at my idea, but I wanted full protection from rats, not merely protection from sun/rain/dust etc.

Hi bhpians,

Need ideas on what to do for the following situation.
Our house which is 35 years old, has a wall constructed till the edge of the site. Now, the neighbour(whom we are not on good terms) has left space in there area next to our wall for washing clothes, utensils,etc.
While doing daily chores the water used has seeped into the wall leading to paint coming out of the interior wall. As our floor on the ground floor is 3 feet lower than the floor of neighbour, there is water seepage on half of our wall(till almost lintel level).

I cannot ask this neighbour for stopping water usage. So need to know what are the options for me to do incase of repairing the wall so that our wall is safe for life.

PS: Total house floors are 3. Ground, first and second. The same ground floor wall(which is discussed here) is being extended some 10years back for first and second floor.

Nee help on what type of repairing can be done on my side of the wall(on interior wall).

Thanks,
Ramki.

1. Get your outer wall plastered if it not done
2. Contact water proofing experts (you will get their number on the net). What they will do is the following
- Inject special compound into your wall, normally at 1m grid. This will be done from inside your house (if the neighbours are not cooperative). The area will be around 2m of the floor and 3m of the wall. It is preferable to do the treatment for the full length of the wall and floor
- Seal the gap/line where your wall meets the neighbours washing area
3. Scrape all the damp areas down to brick level, before you carry out the treatment. Then let the wall dry thoroughly for about a couple of weeks. Use radiant heaters to speed up the drying process
4. Lastly plaster the wall, let it dry for a week and then paint it.
5. If you can convince your neighbour, then offer to lay concrete (using small aggregate - 6mm, no larger) bout 20mm thickness. This will seal the ground and give the neighbour a good surface for washing. Just ensure that the concrete layer is sloped away from the wall so that water does not collect against the wall
If properly carried out, the above treatment will seal all the micro cracks in the wall and you will never have any seepage in future.

Need to get some waterproofing work done on a portion of one wall, please share any reliable contacts from past experience (at Bangalore).

I stay on the top floor.

My query is mainly for the heat. During summers, it becomes too hot and its unbearable even during the night time. Is there anything that can be done to reduce the heat coming in from the roof. Any coating etc that can be done on the interior of the house. I am having leakages now so will anyways get that rectified and get the painting done post monsoon. Can i do something for the heat as well? If yes, then i can get it done during the painting itself.

Thanks.

For waterproofing,
. Check if there is a brick layer on the terrace. If so, you may have to take it out.
. Then there will usually be a layer of mud, take that out also.
. Scrub the bare concrete.
. If financially viable, coat the terrace with tar impregnated felt and seal all the joints, interface with walls using heat guns.
. Relay the bricks
. Coat the bricks with cement slurry (with waterproofing compound added). Better still; though expensive; make concrete with fine stone chips - 4 to 6mm and lay a 20mm layer (add water proofing compound to concrete).

If you do not want to take the above path then
. Call up persons who do waterproofing.
. They will inject special chemicals; in a 1m grid; on the ceiling and walls.
. That will seal all the micro cracks in the structure.

For heat the first method is best, as long as you use a thicker concrete covering. One alternative to bare concrete is to add "Foam Concrete" on top of a 10mm water proof concrete. This will be between 150mm to 300mm thick, but weigh much less than normal concrete. There are specialist firms supplying foam concrete solutions in all major metros.
http://www.lccwaterproofing.co.in/li...t-filling.html

Thanks for those valuable suggestions Aroy. Will surely look into those.

Cheers,
Raj

Sump maintenance / Leaking

I have a 4 year old house with 2 * 6000 ltr Sumps. Over the past two months, I saw that the water consumption in BWSSB (Bangalore water authority) bill has increased by 100%!! I have an automated overhead tank filling system, connected to a single electricity meter. I don't see much change in the electricity bill, so I can assume that it is not that the tenants are using too much water or that water is not leaking after the motors, which are, btw, at the bottom of these sumps

SO
Why is my water bill too high? Because of Leakage or Because of air flowing through water meter?

If its actually a leak

1. How do I estimate the leak? Switch off motors-Mark Level-wait for a day- Check level again? or any other faster methods?

2. How do I check the sump walls for leaks: Have a person visually inspect the walls?

3. I want to waterproof the sump: I saw an ad today for a waterproofer contractor, who said it'll cost rs 14000/- for each 6000Ltr sump:Shockked: . Has anyone done a similar exercise? Does it actually cost so much? If anyone could help me out with contacts?

4. Last but definitely not the least, Does anyone have a portable water pump that you can loan me to do the tank emptying:D ?