Concrete floor needs help

[almico]

I've poured through a bunch of threads looking for information, but I haven't found a situation quite like mine so I thought I'd start a thread and include some pictures.

I'm beginning the process of finishing my garage and converting into woodshop/hobby space. I'm hoping to have it done by the time the weather here in NJ goes south and I can begin a sailboat building project.

Right now there is a lot of clutter in there because I can't hang cabinets and shelves until the walls are done. I cleaned up and moved things around this morning so I could get some pictures.

Here is the space:


It's about 28' wide by 20' deep.

The big issue is that 2/3 of the garage was an addition, and the second pour has settled.



You can see the mortar from where the old block was removed.

Here you can see it better:



It seems to have settled relatively intact with only a few fine cracks:



This is likely the lowest spot. It's hard to tell if the slab was poured and then block put on top, or if block was laid first and the concrete poured inside.



Here is the outside corner:



Close up. There seems to be some space under there.



Here's a shot with the daylight casting some shadows to help see the surface:



For what it is worth, the property is on top of a mountain and bedrock is just below the roots of the grass. I can't dig anywhere without a pick and probably dynamite. There isn't a water issue.

I'm OK with tiling it, GarageTrak, or even an epoxy coating. I just want a flat, level, sweepable and durable surface. I need a surface that I can roll shelves, machinery and work tables around on.

Any suggestions, questions?

 

[almico]

I took a closer look at the lower slab and the issue appears to be that it is not flat, rather than not level. I ran a 36" level all over it and aside from the dips, it is level.

You can see in the pic that the height differential is almost equal at the front and back. It's just in the middle where is droops down.



I wonder if a self-leveling pour would help.

 

[almico]

Wow, photobucket sent me an email saying my free 10GB was almost used up and I need to upgrade to the paid version.

So I went into my library and deleted over half my old images. Two days later they say I've exceeded my 10GB and shut down my account. Nice!

 

[Bsj04]

It's because of the number of views. Every time someone views your thread/photo it uses bandwidth. There are a lot of members and it gets used up quick let here.

I can't see your pics so I can't really comment on your flooring needs but hopefully you can get the picture thing worked out and someone will give you some advice.

 

[almico]

All fixed.

I chipped up all the old mortar and I think I'm in love with a Makita breaker hammer! Sadly, only rented it for the day.



I got a piece if fence tube to check level and unevenness. The old slab on the right is flat and level. It's the one on the right that is the issue.



Another view:

 

[p_mori7]

Garage door is damaged as well. Is the building leaning / buckled or uneven in some way ?

If 'NO', then I would probably just run the level around the inside perimeter and pour overtop of what you have to get t the right level.

If the building also shows uneveness, there may be another issue (addition built over fill, etc).

 

[kwfloors]

Looks like an old add on. They must have wanted a bigger garage in the past. That joint is always going to move so nothing can hide it other than a threshold or reducer on that joint.

 

[almico]

Garage door is damaged as well. Is the building leaning / buckled or uneven in some way ?

If 'NO', then I would probably just run the level around the inside perimeter and pour overtop of what you have to get t the right level.

If the building also shows uneveness, there may be another issue (addition built over fill, etc).

Yeah, I bought the house that way. The dent in the middle was much worse. Someone had run there car into it to straighten it out. When I moved in I ran my car back into it from the reverse side. I'm contemplating ditching it and getting carriage type doors. I don't want the hardware overhead in the shop.

The building itself looks straight as can be. It's odd. Here's a silly image I did a while ago to see what carriage doors would look like, but it shows the building is fairly true.



I won't be parking cars in there, maybe just the motorcycle. I'm thinking about a wood floor, 3/4 T&G OSB over HDPE foam. I could put shimmed sleepers on the low side and just ply and foam on the good part to get things level. It doesn't need to be perfect, but I do need to roll machines and stuff around depending on the project. I'm building an 18' sailboat in there when it's done so room will have to be made.

 

[ffjosh]

Yeah, I bought the house that way. The dent in the middle was much worse. Someone had run there car into it to straighten it out. When I moved in I ran my car back into it from the reverse side. I'm contemplating ditching it and getting carriage type doors. I don't want the hardware overhead in the shop.

The building itself looks straight as can be. It's odd. Here's a silly image I did a while ago to see what carriage doors would look like, but it shows the building is fairly true.



I won't be parking cars in there, maybe just the motorcycle. I'm thinking about a wood floor, 3/4 T&G OSB over HDPE foam. I could put shimmed sleepers on the low side and just ply and foam on the good part to get things level. It doesn't need to be perfect, but I do need to roll machines and stuff around depending on the project. I'm building an 18' sailboat in there when it's done so room will have to be made.

I have seen some pretty B.A. Wood floors put over concrete.

Its what I want to do when I make a tool room on my workshop

 

[almico]

I have seen some pretty B.A. Wood floors put over concrete.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is "B.A. wood floor"?

 

[kwfloors]

Bad as_

 

[almico]

Ohhh...got it!

I don't know how good it needs to look, although that would be a bonus.

Building a boat requires some unusual woodworking steps due to the size. Many builders just screw laminating forms or patterns right to the floor because they are so big.

So I need a floor that I wouldn't mind putting screws into.