dirt floor *****!

[wes]

im moving into a new house next week. Its actually quite old, and so is the 1 car detached garage. Its got a dirt floor. Im looking for oppinions on what to do with the floor. I dont wanna work in the dirt. But i dont really wanna pour concrete since im just renting. any alternatives or oppinions?
wes

 

[bmwpower]

How about stone? Level the dirt out and pour some stone in.

 

[wes]

ive been reading about wetting the dirt, then packing pea gravel into it, then maybe laying some sort of rubber mat down on that?

 

[Der Bugmeister]

That might work...or those 24" square patio pavers - you get to take them with you, but probably not as cheap as pea gravel.

 

[REFLEXX]

level it as best as you can the throw down some plywood! Some 3/4" sheets will do nicely with some flat steel straps to connect them. Perhaps a coat of paint to keep stuff from absorbing?

If jackstands are involved, add another small piece of 3/4 ply.

 

[Daves 41]

im moving into a new house next week. Its actually quite old, and so is the 1 car detached garage. Its got a dirt floor. Im looking for oppinions on what to do with the floor. I dont wanna work in the dirt. But i dont really wanna pour concrete since im just renting. any alternatives or oppinions?
wes

Ive heard about rototilling the dirt floor then getting 10 or 15 bags of quickqrete tilling that in to the dirt, then leveling and tamping it down wetting it down and letting it dry. Dave

 

[Wardrum]

In one of our storage buildings, we leveled out the dirt, compacted it and placed rubber mats used in horse barns on top. We got the ones that are 3/4" thick and they are tough as nails. We drive fork lifts and all kinds of vehicles on them with no apparent wear in 6 years. The mats are available from most equine supply companies.

 

[wes]

those rubber mats sound cool. i will see if i can find em in a search. thanks guys

 

[kartracer55]

Once you drop hardware on gravel its pretty much impossible to find it in any short amount of time. Trust me on that one


Anything with "Equine" attatched to it is usually obscenely expensive... once again trust me on that one



I think Daves Idea with the quick-crete is pretty slick, but Ive never done it or seen it done. If you can lay down gravel then ply wood it would probably work faily well also, however you will want to tie them together so they dont warp on you.

Just a thought

Jim

 

[sjsfire]

In one of our storage buildings, we leveled out the dirt, compacted it and placed rubber mats used in horse barns on top. We got the ones that are 3/4" thick and they are tough as nails. We drive fork lifts and all kinds of vehicles on them with no apparent wear in 6 years. The mats are available from most equine supply companies.

What Wardrum said...........Find them also at places like Blain's Farm and Fleet or Rurual King in my area. I think they have locking tabs. You'll still want to level the dirt out......

 

[MXTMOPR]

Same deal with my shed when I moved in. The previous owner built a 12x12 concrete block shed and left the floor dirt. GRRRR. I raked it smooth,added some pea gravel and 5/8" plywood. Works just fine for the lawn tractors and such. The only caution I have is to somehow seal the perimeter where the wood meets the walls. Critters have a way of getting under the wood and building homes down there. Then ya have a soft spot in your floor. I used a horizontal 2x4 attached to the wall and caulked the gap where it meets the wood floor. I would not recommend painting the floor, unless you never go in there with wet shoes or tires.

 

[3/4tonYJ]

i liked the idea about "pavers"....

I was thinking about regular small bricks. level and compack the the ground first, then use a layer of sand, and fit the bricks together tight. with some good prep work, i'd guess it could come out pretty good, similar to a patio deck or walkway...............
plus, since your renting, you could take the bricks to your next place if you want.....

 

[Wile1Coyote]

Don't buy the place! 1 Car? Dirt Floor? GONG!

 

[mike944]

You said you're renting the place. Have you talked to your landlord? Many landlords are willing to pay for materials, if you supply the labor, for almost any project that will add value to the property.

The famous example is painting, as long as you're not painting it some obscure color, that's an improvement that he will realize next time he goes to rent it. Now a garage floor, might be a different story, since there's some significant $$ involved.
________
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[Qtrmeg]

Hmm, you would only need about three yards of concrete.

 

[Coach James]

For one of our buildings, 8x10,we leveled the ground and covered it with 12"x12" patio pavers. Swept sand in between the cracks and it's been good for going on 20 years now.
Coach