Need open up a drainage hole

[Pouringmysoul]

So a buddy of mine got a cabin in the woods which the previous owner claims to have renovated and he did a decent enough job. The problem is with the part in front of the garage. He said that the cement below was cracking and he just pured another layer on top of it. Seems find and not a problem, until the first sight of rain or someone washing a car. The angle of the slope is almost 0 and the drain hole is covered, so basically there is a mini swimming pool in front of the cabin. I'll be helping him out taking care of this mess, btu I'm not sure what's the best course of action. Should we try to open up the drain hole or try to increase the angle of the slope. I know the second option is better, but is it worth it if the first one does a good job?

 

[ColdChisel]

So, you've got that typical flat concrete deal, huh? Drilling a drain hole could really do the trick as a fast solution. Still, if the ground is super flat, water won't go anywhere and will just sit there.

What you really need is a little bit of a slope (like 1/8 for every foot), or throw in a channel drain, so the water actually goes away.

Are you thinking of grinding the concrete or just fixing the drain?

 

[TheStoneBuilder]

So a buddy of mine got a cabin in the woods which the previous owner claims to have renovated and he did a decent enough job. The problem is with the part in front of the garage. He said that the cement below was cracking and he just pured another layer on top of it. Seems find and not a problem, until the first sight of rain or someone washing a car. The angle of the slope is almost 0 and the drain hole is covered, so basically there is a mini swimming pool in front of the cabin. I'll be helping him out taking care of this mess, btu I'm not sure what's the best course of action. Should we try to open up the drain hole or try to increase the angle of the slope. I know the second option is better, but is it worth it if the first one does a good job?

I'd lean towards increasing the slope! Opening the drain might alleviate some of the pooling, but if the slope is truly almost zero, you'll likely still have standing water or very slow drainage, so the issue still remains. Sine you're you're putting in the effort already, doing it right with a proper slope will save a lot of headaches down the line. I understand it's a bigger job, but the long-term benefits are worth it for preventing future problems!

 

[bluebottles]

Opening up the drain hole is the quickest fix and might help a lot, but if the slope is basically flat, water's still going to pool there eventually, regrade to get proper drainage away from the cabin, it's more work but way better in the long run, start with the drain hole and see how it handles the next rain, then tackle the slope if needed

 

[TonyPiyas]

Cutting in a small trench drain or core-drilling a couple of weep holes at the low spot usually solves that kind of pooling, but it only works if the water has a place to go
I’ve had good results tying a drain line into a downhill run and letting a pro handle the slope and outlet; emersonproservices.com did that for me and the grading fix held up through heavy storms