I live in a desert where seasonal hard rains occur 5-10 times per year. We have an automated door with a multitrack slide that it lets quite a bit of water in when it rains hard. The door is an architectural feature and very good looking, but the random rains create quite a mess. The patio is not under deep cover, which might prevent the problem. My question is what can I do to stop the rain from coming in under the doors? I don't want to lose the function of the doors, so caulking shut is unfortunately not a solution. One solution might be something that I can place in front of the door before a rain, but I don't know exactly what that could be.
Here is a picture of a similar door:
Best Answer
First does the patio roof have eaves drops/gutters? If not I would recommend installing them. This will help divert some of the rain water away from the deck and keep water from splashing on the deck. If you still get a lot of water at your door after the eaves drop/gutters you can then try one of the following:
1) Re-grade the deck away from the doors (as Tester101 suggested in the comments). This would be the best solution.
2) Install a trench drain system (flush with the deck) to divert water away from the door. Some issues with would be making sure the locations of drains catch and divert the water away from the doors.
3) Use a leaker blocker dike (http://www.newpig.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10651&catalogId=13007&productId=141454&langId=-1&cm_vc=vc_fast_finder) to divert the water away from the door. Some issues with this method would be installing it before it rains, slight leakage between the dike and floor, installing in the correct location to divert the rain, and getting rid of the water after the rain.