Concrete Questions

[87YJ]

Howdy -

Newbie to the board and have been searching through many old posts. I'm heading down the final stretch on a 28X32 Pole barn / toy box and getting ready for concrete. Talked to multiple concrete contractors about the floor and am getting mixed input, so I'd appreciate your experience and throughts.

I'm in NE ohio and plan on having heat in the build when I'm working, but not continually. Useage will be garage for my pickup in one bay, trailer/lawnmower/etc in another and the rest as a workshop for my Jeep projects.

Appreciate comments and experience on the following:

Drains or No. (Won't have water piped into the building)
Initial thought was yes, but the more I think, I'm wondering if a drain is worth it.

Is an apron in front of the building worth it? If you have one, how far out from the building does it extend?

Sealer on the floor - is it worth it and what works well.

Other suggestions / lessons learned about concrete floors would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[imported_banzaitoyota]

Dont use the cheapest contractor
Drains: Check your zoning, potential for problems
I would not recommend Grunts Garage Botique Carbon Fiber Expansion Joints ( ), thay are very hard to keep glossy

Buy the biggest apron you can afford and have room for

 

[RonBou]

I have a 4 foot apron in front of my garage and I am glad I did it. It looks good, gives a nice entry from the asphalt to the garage and gives me a place for a comfy lawn chair when I "take a break".

I sealed my floor with Rustoleum gray floor epoxy. It makes the garage look clean all the time, dropped nuts and bolts are easy to find, and clean up of oil and grease spills is quick. Glad I spent the time and effort doing it.

DRAIN: If your building code allows, DO IT. When that pickup comes in full of water or snow it will be less messy with a drain...and sealed floors are slick when wet.

 

[MXtras]

Drain? I think that is a personal choice decision. Me? Probably not. Get a nice squeegie.

Apron? Absolutely. At least long enough and wide enough to comfortably work on something just outside the garage on a nice summer day. NOT an option. I would suggest having a slight slope up to get into the garage - maybe not the entire apron, but at least the last 12"-24". Maybe a 2"-4" rise.

Sealer? Not for me. My current garage sees a lot of abuse from welding and such, so I am not sure a coating would survive all that well for me. It would look nice, but I am into function more than appearance. If your want to use your garage for entertainment purposes, then I would seal it. I could not tell you what to use but I like gray or grey - either one.

I would suggest that you get the contractor to smooth it until it is shiney. And ask him to get it as flat as he can - this will help for fabrications. Don't assume that it will be flat just because it is new.

Scott

 

[87YJ]

Thanks for the input. After talking to a couple of more contractors, I'm going to delay the apron until next year...a few have recommended to let the ground settle as much as possible and avoid future problems. Also eases the $ impact righ now, even though it may be a bit more overall long term.

When I say sealer, I'm talking about cure in sealers that since into the concrete, not an epoxy or other type of top coating. Kinda like the Thompson's water seal idea for concrete (only commercial stuff - not thompsons) Does anyone have experience with these type of sealers?