Wood floor for shop?

[Lightningmike]

Just wondering if any one has any experience with this. Have a 40 x 64 shop and use it for pickups, sleds, quads, boat etc. No heavy trucks now. Still would like to put some kind of a drain in it.

They want $26,000 plus for concrete and I think that money could better go to something else. Was thinkin 3 x 12 planks with treated plywood overtop maybe. Lots of sealers out there for wood that should make it ok.

Any feed back would be great. Thanks

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[Joholio]

In floor heated concrete. Jus sayin

 

[Lightningmike]

That would be ideal

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[AreWeThereYet]

The only problem that i foresee with your idea would be moisture underneath and mold,.. you will the get the smell coming up through the floor if this is going to be an enclosed bulding

 

[Lightningmike]

Yes, this is one of my concerns.

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[the_real_wild1]

Doing that much wood would not be cheap neither. I would do the floor in sections if you can't afford to do it all at once.

 

[52weekbreak]

Faced with a similar dilemma, I just used gravel. Works just fine but if you need a work area, just pour a section of concrete and you can add to that as you can afford.

 

[Polarblu]

The problem with sections is the cold joint. All floors heave,now instead of a little crack you will end up with levels. To work against that you hilti in anchors sideways and epoxy the joint, sounds good doesn't work they still shift as slabs and will never be level. As far as resale value, you will have shot yourself in the foot. Wood rots. Good compaction on 3/4 minus crush gravel is the cheapest, can't use a creeper but it drys hard.

 

[xmsummit154]

Don't waist your money on wood Order the concrete you wont regret it.

 

[Lightningmike]

Ive had it as a gravel floor for a few years now and its hard on sliders etc and to work under vehicles. Also have thought about concrete on half and gravel for the rest. Only work in the one half anyway so maybe put concrete in that end..... had just heard of some using wood. Value all the input. Thanks. Keep the ideas rolling.

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[ABMax24]

I think if your going to do it do it all, just because you do half doesn't mean it will be half as much, there will be costs for the contractor that won't be halved that he will still be passing on to you, so to do half could still be 15,000 or more. And don't forget about the gravel you will constantly be sweeping off of the concrete.

On another note think of resale value, depending on how long you plan on staying at your current place the price of the floor should more than pay for itself in increased resale value.

 

[Megrizzly]

What is the overall goal of the shop? Are you going to park your vehicles in it each day and use it a fair bit or more for storage and occasional wrenching. Concrete is the better value in the long run in both situations. Sectional pouring isn't a great idea as listed above, but you also don't know what concrete will cost in the future. Turning a cold storage into heated shop will add as much to more of the cost in increased value of the property. I would recommend in-floor heat if your going to park vehicles/sleds each night or do a lot of work in the wintertime. In-floor is great because it's warm to work on, doesn't lose the heat when opening the door like ingested dies, and moisture drys very quick.

 

[Lightningmike]

What is the overall goal of the shop? Are you going to park your vehicles in it each day and use it a fair bit or more for storage and occasional wrenching. Concrete is the better value in the long run in both situations. Sectional pouring isn't a great idea as listed above, but you also don't know what concrete will cost in the future. Turning a cold storage into heated shop will add as much to more of the cost in increased value of the property. I would recommend in-floor heat if your going to park vehicles/sleds each night or do a lot of work in the wintertime. In-floor is great because it's warm to work on, doesn't lose the heat when opening the door like ingested dies, and moisture drys very quick.

It is our garage and used daily. I know infloor heat is fantastic but adds to the cost again. Thinkin I may just have to wait awhile to do concrete..I know that would be the best. Also didnt realize that poring in sections would cause that much grief.

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[somethingnuw]

The problem with sections is the cold joint. All floors heave,now instead of a little crack you will end up with levels. To work against that you hilti in anchors sideways and epoxy the joint, sounds good doesn't work they still shift as slabs and will never be level. As far as resale value, you will have shot yourself in the foot. Wood rots. Good compaction on 3/4 minus crush gravel is the cheapest, can't use a creeper but it drys hard.

my dad is a contractor in Vancouver I asked him and what polarblu above sdaid is bang on... he mentioned crushed lime stone (navy jack) pack it down leave 5 inch of room for future concrete... in the mean time your floor will harden right out... add a bit of water compact again... turn out almost like concrete and in a few years you can pour your concrete... if you left the 5 or 6 inches above you wont have to remove the gravel before you pour... your floor would have settled where the heavier trucks park preventing cracking in your concrete in the future... kind like you did your own pre load!

 

[X-it]

How are your bottom plates on your outside wall? Ha Ha. I have tried a lot of things over the years and one thing I found just amazing is how well regular plywood stands up with just poly under it and sitting on the ground...25 years and still not rotten. One day with a cheap laser level sloping your grade so the water will go where you want it. A large tarp layed down and 2 layers of 3/4 plywood, staggered of coarse and glued and screwed with home hardwares solid stain on top, or your favorite tough paint. I have seen concrete break when you think It will not and hold good when you think it will fail.

 

[Nytroman]

I built my 30 x 60 car garage in 2003 and never had enough funds to pour the floor so after a year of gravel making dust and loosing wrenches I purchased about a dozen or so redi mix bags, sprinkled evenly over gravel, got out the garden hose and rented a small plate tamper and added water and tamped till I got a nice concrete looking coating. It broke apart in the bay I parked my truck due to melting snow and salt but the work bay for the toys held up fairly well. No floor jacking ect with out having to repair(couple cups of water and redi mix)

Once saved up enough poured my cement(2010), that couple cm of redi mix broke up easy with my little JD tractor and filled some mud holes in my storage yard.
The down fall was the heat was lost easily to the ground and was damp in the shop compared to the cement which is so worth it if you can

 

[Lightningmike]

How are your bottom plates on your outside wall? Ha Ha. I have tried a lot of things over the years and one thing I found just amazing is how well regular plywood stands up with just poly under it and sitting on the ground...25 years and still not rotten. One day with a cheap laser level sloping your grade so the water will go where you want it. A large tarp layed down and 2 layers of 3/4 plywood, staggered of coarse and glued and screwed with home hardwares solid stain on top, or your favorite tough paint. I have seen concrete break when you think It will not and hold good when you think it will fail.

Mine is a pole shed so with the gravel built up enough I have really good drainage outside. Still wonder about a sump of some sort in middle but I think it should drain away. Does your liquid run out somewhere with the plastic you have down?

Don't get me wrong guys, I know concrete would be the best but just looking for alternatives. Thanks again for the ideas.

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[X-it]

I just assumed it was a pole barn, i have tried lots of things over the years. I find concrete cheaper and faster for me that is, but if you do not know how to prep it, it can be really costly when it cracks and breaks. I was just giving your wood alternative that know would work and you could handle. If you are doing lots of pressure washing inside this may not be great, but your slopes would have to be such that the water will run out your door openings so it does not pool for excessive periods of time. Water needs very little slope to run.

 

[52weekbreak]

Nytroman has a good suggestion with the bagged concrete. My father in law put down 4 inches of gravel in his pole shed. Used ready mix bags at 1 for each 4 square feet. He used his old garden rototiller and mixed it in about 2 or 3 inches. Raked it smooth and wet it down while someone else was running the plate tamper around. As he had packed the base before, it has never moved and made a great surface until he poured concrete. That was 20 years. You could buy the concrete for $4.25 per bag so that would work out to about $2,700 + tamper rental and a day of your time. It would also make a bullet proof base for your concrete. You could install a sump and grade appropriately now or when you pour the concete.

Good luck

 

[Lightningmike]

I built my 30 x 60 car garage in 2003 and never had enough funds to pour the floor so after a year of gravel making dust and loosing wrenches I purchased about a dozen or so redi mix bags, sprinkled evenly over gravel, got out the garden hose and rented a small plate tamper and added water and tamped till I got a nice concrete looking coating. It broke apart in the bay I parked my truck due to melting snow and salt but the work bay for the toys held up fairly well. No floor jacking ect with out having to repair(couple cups of water and redi mix)

Once saved up enough poured my cement(2010), that couple cm of redi mix broke up easy with my little JD tractor and filled some mud holes in my storage yard.
The down fall was the heat was lost easily to the ground and was damp in the shop compared to the cement which is so worth it if you can

Nytroman has a good suggestion with the bagged concrete. My father in law put down 4 inches of gravel in his pole shed. Used ready mix bags at 1 for each 4 square feet. He used his old garden rototiller and mixed it in about 2 or 3 inches. Raked it smooth and wet it down while someone else was running the plate tamper around. As he had packed the base before, it has never moved and made a great surface until he poured concrete. That was 20 years. You could buy the concrete for $4.25 per bag so that would work out to about $2,700 + tamper rental and a day of your time. It would also make a bullet proof base for your concrete. You could install a sump and grade appropriately now or when you pour the concete.

Good luck

I am kinda likeing this idea as a temp fix. Sounds like its holding up not bad. Just sick and tired of so much dust in everything. If it keeps that down and sits half azzed solid I may try it for now. Especially if you can use it as a base later.

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