Sleepers and sub-floor over corrupted concrete garage floor
Old American 4-square house, 16 x 16 garage on the alley, the floor is cracked and buckling in places. It's difficult to open and close the old heavy sliding doors because they rub on the raised-up areas of concrete. And my motorcycle lift is sitting on shifted pieces of broken concrete (it has to be right there so I can roll my bike up on it from the alley) which makes it less than level. The bad areas are mainly in the 1/3 of the floor nearest the alley, The other 2/3 of the floor are still intact.
I can either:
1) Get a Smartbox or POD and clear out the garage, then hire a contractor to demolish and re-pour the floor (estimates range from $3500 to $5000) and then figure out how to modernize or replace the doors so they seal better (different topic).
or
2) Lay a wood floor over the concrete using 2x4 treated sleepers and OSB subfloor and (?) over that.
Cost-wise and effort-wise, the latter option is way better for me.
In case it matters: There are no utilities nor drain in the floor. The foundation and one wall is cinder-block. The other three walls are metal of some kind (raised-seam). Nothing is insulated out there, but if I can get the door-sealing figured out, I might look at insulating the roof and sides and putting some kind of heating but that's another topic for later.
So for option 2, does anybody have an opinion either pro or con? Any caveats or suggestions?
Thanks in advance for your time and advice.
Eric
Comments (7)
PROJohnson Flooring Co Inc
3 years ago
Eric Zwicky
3 years agoRelated Discussions
anyone know cost of using a concrete floor...
Comments (25)"Thanks Jmagill, that's what I was intially thinking - but when there is living space underneath, there by code, needs to be a whole lot of extra support. I am still looking for the actual cost. Thank you for yout time.' First there should be no different code for above living space or above crawl space. It has to be enginnered for the weight the floor will be. No one here will be able to tell you the cost because they have no idea on size, where your supports are now etc. I can tell you that we went from floor joists on 16" centers to 12" centers and deeper joists. That will add about 1/4 -1/3 extra on the cost of the floor joists. The factor in concrete and finishing. Concrete and the flat work varies from place to place(maybe 1.50 to 3.00 per square foot for a 2" depth) Staining I have no idea on the cost because we did our own. Then factor in how much you will not spend on carpet, wood floor or tile. For us it ended up less than regular floors. That includes the extra cost of floor joists. Yours will depend on where the floor is supported on your design....See MoreSub floor just sits on top of foundation?
Comments (10)The example shown in the site is theoretically to Code. The Ontario Building Code, under which I build, for instance, says that "Building frames shall be anchored to the foundation unless a structural analysis of wind and earth pressures shows anchorage is not required." Maybe in a show home built for display purposes during a home show is the only exception I could think of. I pay special attention to this phase of the construction. Our minimum size requirement is 1/2 inch diameter at least 4" into the foundation and no further than 7'10" apart. "J" bolts are used, The curve goes into the wet concrete or filled void in a block. It is equally important that proper size and strength washers be put over the bolt before the nut is attached and tightened down. A study of homes that were destroyed by a tornado resulting in deaths north of Toronto pinned the fault to exactly those washers. The homes were anchored, but the bolts were not over washers. Often, too, structural steel is designed to anchor over similar bolts. Or expansion bolts placed in later. Or set into high strength grout....See MoreWorkshop Floor-wood or concrete
Comments (4)With our last house I had a detached workshop out back with a concrete floor. In our current home the workshop is built over the garage, so it has a wood floor. I did not skimp on the structure - the frame is 11-1/4" I-joists on 12 inch centers (I wanted to make sure it could handle the weight of the tools and not deflect). The sub-floor is 3/4" plywood and there is another layer of 3/4" plywood (sanded) on top of that. All things considered, I MUCH prefer the wood floor. It is warmer and easier on my feet and legs. If I drop a drill or router bit they aren't ruined. If I want I can run power up in the middle of the room. The only down side I can think of is wood glue. I have to make sure I spread newspapers under where I am gluing or the glue drips on the wood and hardens/adheres. But I can get rid of the lumps with a floor scraper. I would absolutely recommend he go for the wood floor if he can swing it....See MoreMoisture coming up through garage floor
Comments (10)I am guessing the garage was built by the homeowner somewhere around '79/'80 or so. I think the problem will be significantly lessened if I apply one of those above mentioned sealers. The bottom plates, I don't know. The prior owner to me, lived here for 31 years. He added the OSB and insulation at some point. I have not removed any OSB yet to have a look. This is the garage outer wall. Has the raised section the wall sits on. The sealant on the floor is all around the perimeter outer wall. Just to the right of the garage overhead door. Entry to house. When you walk in, the main entry door is immediately to the left, and to the right is a closet. Salt damage I am guessing. This is what the moisture in areas looks like shortly after it has rained. Shows up in various areas around the garage floor. Usually the same general areas each time....See MoreEric Zwicky
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