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Forum topic by jovol | posted 10-15-2015 01:45 AM | 1985 views | 0 times favorited | 28 replies | ![]() |
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10-15-2015 01:45 AM |
Topic tags/keywords: concrete floor workshop level flatten Hi there LJ! I’m asking for advice on how to deal with this. Should I lay new concrete? Create a wooden floor? Perhaps some of you have dealt with this before. The space is 18’ x 8’. Thanks, |
28 replies so far
#1 posted 10-15-2015 02:31 AM |
Better check with the person you are renting from first. -- Handcrafted by Mike Henderson - Channelview, Texas |
#2 posted 10-15-2015 02:48 AM |
Welcome to Ljs John |
#3 posted 10-15-2015 03:08 AM |
There’s supposed to be a slope for drainage. And a belated welcome to Lumber Jocks Jovol! |
#4 posted 10-15-2015 03:16 AM |
I’ve asked my landlord and she is okay with me doing so. This is an outdoor shed/garage in well-used condition, and she is open to any rehabilitations I do. Unfortunately supply of such spaces is on the low side in SF.
The self-leveling route sounds doable and robust. How thick can a layer of this go? The difference in the low-side to the high-side is about four inches. With all my recent woodworking tool purchases, it would be nice to use them for this process. The only part of the wooden floor fix I’m worried about is the height delta between the floor and outside, making it hard to wheel machines in.
That’s a valid point. There likely should be some sort of mild slope. However, the current floor is very uneven and “warped” (presumably sunken over the years). However, I don’t think a drastic slope for a shed that shouldn’t be draining anything is intentional. |
#5 posted 10-15-2015 04:23 AM |
The only part of the wooden floor fix I m worried about is the height delta between the floor and outside, making it hard to wheel machines in. Is there room outside the door to install a ramp that will solve that problem? Seems like no matter which method you use, that end of the shop is going to be 4” higher than it is now. :-0 -- My mother said that anyone learning to cook needed a large dog to eat the mistakes. As a sculptor of wood I have always tried to keep a fireplace. (Norman Ridenour) |
#6 posted 10-15-2015 04:50 AM |
Good point. There is room I could add a ramp. The sleeper+plywood floor does seem the least invasive and probably cheapest route! Not to mention I could take the materials with me whenever I leave this space. Is there special plywood to use for flooring? And what should be the thickness be? |
#7 posted 10-15-2015 10:54 AM |
I don’t think a thin layer of concrete will stand up to rolling machines. I totally agree with Jim re: plywood. I would definitely use 3/4 and I would check into the tongue and groove ply made for subflooring. Good luck I think it will be a worthwhile investment and make the shop much better to work in. -- Everything is a prototype thats why its one of a kind!! |
#8 posted 10-15-2015 11:04 AM |
Something like this? Would this be fine without any other layer atop it? |
#9 posted 10-15-2015 11:48 AM |
I would be concerned about any plywood or especially strand board laying directly on concrete. I would use pressure treated sleepers to level floor first, then a subfloor made for moisture or even 5/4 pressure treated deck boards. Also ask yourself: How many critters and bugs are going to move in under this gap in the floor ? Maybe layer of self leveling concrete will solve a lot of future problems . -- "My mission in life - make everyone smile !" |
#10 posted 10-15-2015 01:09 PM |
I had this problem and solved it by ripping 2×4’s to different widths to level the finished floor and screwed them together and screwed tongue and groove plywood over it. (Not anchored to the floor) When I moved I unscrewed all of this and took the floor with me, and installed it in my new shop. I knew where the heaviest equipment would be and put the ripped 2×4’s 12” on center there. -- No PHD just a DD214 Lubbock Texas |
#11 posted 10-15-2015 01:36 PM |
You might want to look into sprays and/or powders for insect control. Put them down before you add the plywood floor. -- "I love it when a plan comes together" John "Hannibal" Smith |
#12 posted 10-15-2015 03:37 PM |
This can turn into a pretty big and expensive project. You can get self leveling products for floors, but they’re not meant to be the top coat. In the areas where it is not thick, it will eventually crack and come off the floor. They are meant to level the floor before putting in the final flooring, whether it be carpet, tile or hardwood. You could also put the self leveling material down, then build a floating floor out of plywood with some 2×4 or similar support underneath so the plywood will not lay directly on the concrete. If you’re wanting to just fill holes, you can try some concrete and mix in some concrete adhesive and apply the adhesive to the floor also. We have done it in a shop we have here but it only is good for some of the deeper holes. If it’s shallow, it won’t stand up to too much rolling around on it. |
#13 posted 10-15-2015 03:53 PM |
Most self leveling products like K-15 Ardex have limitations on how thick they can be applied. Also, how high a lift (single poor) can be done at a time. I believe that an aggregate will be required for anything over an inch. Self leveling products are very expensive and tempermental when it comes to application. If you are going to do this with a cementitious product, look into using a product like Paragon Deck Mud to do the actual slope correction. Basically it is a sand and Portland cement mixture that will give you about 1” over 10 sqft for less than $5. A self leveling pour can be applied over the top of that. -- Paul, Duvall, WA |
#14 posted 10-15-2015 06:56 PM |
Sometimes, I get lazy, and this would be one of those times! Instead of all the work required to level/flatten the floor, I would get a quote or two from a concrete guy to pour a floor with some reinforced steel in it. This would be a simple job for someone who does it for a living, and they have the tools and skills to do the job right the first time. I don’t know if a permit would be required, but you could ask someone that knows. -- Handcrafted by Mike Henderson - Channelview, Texas |
#15 posted 10-18-2015 07:50 PM |
A lot of concrete floors cracked because the dirt underneath them was not compacted properly, this could -- As ever, Gus-the 80 yr young apprentice carpenter |
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