new floor on existing floor

[mercury offshore]

Hello everyone I'm new to this site found it online and seemed very interesting

I have a question you might already heard about a garage floor

I recently purchased a 2012 garage 29x37 feet and ho yeah the home came with it to for the wife lol

I always wanted to have radiant floors but unfortunately its a standard 4 to 6 inch floating slab and the past owner did it himself and its kinda botch no cracks but kinda wavy and ruff (not smoothed out properly) .

If possible I was thinking of pouring a 4 inch slab over the existing one with tubes for radiant floors

Is it possible? do I do a floating slab over existing one? do I tie it permanently with old slab (re-bar and adhesive) drill in to old to tie in ??? ??? so many questions that I'm not sure

thanks in advance for any info
can't wait for summer to finish the right way my dream garage
steve

 

[shaun oriold1]

You can absolutely pour a new slab over an old one. They make bonding agents for that purpose.

Id say though, if you're going to spend the money for a heated floor - Ideally hydronic. You're better off ripping up the old one.

Then you can insulate properly, pour, and finish properly. You'll know the whole story of the then finished floor. Spending that kind of money on top of an unknown isnt ideal.

S.

 

[rburke65]

First...welcome from Ohio! Next, as stated, you might want to remove the existing, and insulate since you are in Canada and I believe you guys get some chilly temps up there. Otherwise you will be trying to heat all of North Americas!

 

[mercury offshore]

yeah I got more info on the garage this week end and unfortunately the did not lay down foam before poring. That's a bummer and I'm kinda screwed in the way I cant rip out the old slab he built the garage walls on it the past owner did not do a footing before then build the walls and roof and finally pore the 4 to 6 inch slab. He just simply dough deeper were the walls sit so theirs about 12 inches of concrete under the walls going down to about 4 inches in the center.

I'm concerned if I cut around the perimeter the "slab footing" were the walls sit will shift and separate from new slab and will cause me a nightmare...

That's why I was thinking of putting down a 2 inch blue Styrofoam board on top of existing slab drill true old slab every few feet or so to anchor down my new 4 inch slab on top with the radiant in it and square mesh...

I have room to move up garage doors about 8 to 10 inches since it has 10 feet walls

let me know what you guys think and thanks for the replies guys
and yes it was f-ing cold this winter in canada almost 3 months of -25 to 30 degrees Celsius so that is why I want radiant floors to keep me warm in the shop during long winters like this lol

 

[mercury offshore]

If my plan seems to not be a good solution I will try to find an alternate solution but I'm kinda out of ideas...

thanks for any tips and advice
steve

 

[shaun oriold1]

I'm not sure if I totally understand your description. But if I am correctly. You can cut away your floor at the walls, then use rebar to tie in your new floor into the existing floor which is supporting the walls. It shouldn't separate much if it does.

Call around to basement lowering companies for quotes. This is right up their alley.