quick (cheap) slab or other flooring

[mikeyr]

I need to expand my garage a little

I am going to build a 12x12 (or 12x14) extension out the back end of my garage, this will only have my powder coating oven, blasting cabinet and my welder along with grinder and some other small metal working tools, the idea is to make this my "dirty" room, the oven will be there merely because it takes so much floor space.

Its not very convenient to bring in a concrete U-Cart (actually impossible where I want it) so I would have to wheelbarrow the concrete from the street (120ft. away) and its too small an amount to have a pumper bring it in. According to the web, I need 1.5 yards for 3" and 2 yards for 4".

What else could I do for a floor ? I even am considering leaving it DIRT but that would not be very nice. I will build a proper footer for the walls of course. I am thinking 18x18 concrete squares would work, the primary goal right now is quick and cheap (emphasize quick).

 

[larry4406]

Well....

12x12 is more a less a shed. So I am thinking, sink pressure treated corner posts with a footing, then build a 2x8 deck with PT flooring, conventional 2x walls with sheathing, trusses/rafters, sheathing, shingles, etc.

I would not put a "foundation" in for a 12x12 space and not follow thru with a hard concrete floor. What is your foundation? Block? if block, then you are mixing mortar, lugging it in as well, so you may as well mix concrete. Some supply houses will deliver pallates of bagged concrete, so you could mix it yourself.

 

[coppermouse]

You could bring in crushed limestone (304) and rent a compactor

 

[twostory]

Just prep a good base and rent a "concrete buggy" to bring the concrete from the redi-mix truck on the street to your slab area. The buggy will move 1/3 yard of concrete at a time. It also has a hydralic dump bucket. Very easy to move several yards of concrete. They rent for around $50 for 1/2 day.

 

[russlaferrera]

Considering "cost", stone, vs. blocks, vs. concrete there should not be that much of a price difference.

Considering "ease". rent the dumper (as twostory recommended) do it right the 1st time and be done with it.

 

[goodfellow]

Well there is one more option. I saw a nice yard shed built "on the cheap". The owner dug out 3" of dirt, filled it with gravel then sand and finally put 2'x2' concrete tiles down on top. The tiles were form a HD closeout --

What was interesting is that instead of using sand to fill in the joints (like in a patio application) he used cement that he broom brushed into the joints. After that he hosed it down and the cement hardened everything up quite nicely.

For a garden shed it looks real nice and quite sturdy

 

[mikeyr]

Ooh, never seen a concrete buggy before, that would solve all my issues.

My goal is to get this done fast as I have a deadline on a project and need the space. That is why I considered leaving it dirt and filling it later. The money is not a big deal, well ok IT IS, it always is. But in this case the difference between all my options is minor in the big picture and I would prefer doing it right the first time. I was thinking about the 2'x2' tiles over what they call here a "road base" and then dusting it with cement, seen that before and it worked. Right now I have most of the trenching done for a footer, hope to get the footer done this week (or weekend), its just a shed so I am thinking 12" deep with rebar should be good enough and a block wall (2 blocks high) to get above the dirt level. Maybe even overkill but I have already mostly dug it, the garage slab was 24" deep when they poured it a few months ago. I plan on 6" concrete with rebar and then 2 rows of blocks, then the wood. Its only 3 walls since I am backing up to my garage which already conveniently has a 9ft. wide door right where I need it.

Calling rental places now

 

[KMR Construction]

I poured a 12x17 slab 4" think in the same situation. With 2 guys wheel barrowing we did it in about 30-45 min