Why does everyone use a concrete slab?

[derosa]

I've started the planning stages of my garage and quickly realized that the poured cement floor is by far the biggest expense causing me to wonder if there isn't an alternative. I looked at some barns since I was hanging out in farmland this weekend and realized that all of them were wood floors over a shallow stone foundation. It made me wonder why a garage couldn't be the same.
The thought was a cinder block foundation with a center support wall or several piers. Have 3 or 4 beams made up of 2x8s or 10s that run the length of the floor and then put the floor joists over that. The following diagram might help with the description

black= foundation and piers
red= cross beams
blue= floor joists
Seems like several hundred foundation blocks and some lumber would be cheaper then a poured slab, just not as fast. A little slower still would be to make the foundation out of stone if it isn't illegal to pull the stone from the beach (the locals claim both, probably have to check with the DEC) that lies 500' away using the 4 wheeler and trailer for hauling.

Pros and cons of this, is this kind of construction still allowable? I've seen where some of these old barns are 80+ years old and still hold tractors.

 

[tatra]

be interesting to use a torch or welder on one............

 

[SteelArt]

Be interested to see what your hourly rate is, cause unless you count your time as free I can see it adding up quickly hauling stones on a 4wheeler.

Also don't confuse driving a vehicle on and jacking one up. The point load / force on a jack etc is far grater than that of a pnematic tractor tire etc.

Concrete is used as it is quick and cheap and lasts forever under most conditions and give the bext flexability to layout etc.

 

[Justanoldguy]

I think you will be very suprised as to how close the cost is to do these.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Several valid points. Might I point out the old growth lumber verses new growth lumber issue.

 

[Stinger]

Not flat, warps if it gets wet, rots, not as durable, catches on fire, splinters, hard to sweep clean, time to install, etc., etc., etc.

 

[Justanoldguy]

The "hard to keep clean" point is not valid.
Would be the same for concrete if it wasn't coated.
If it's coated then easy to clean.

 

[rasit]

If you go that route you have to call it a barn. Garages have concrete.

 

[reds]

Concrete is cheaper.

 

[gatchel]

What is the PSI rating of a wood floor? I wouldn't trust a jack on a wood floor. Not with me under the car anyway.

 

[kmacht]

Also check your local building codes. Alot of places won't allow a wood floor in a garage. I had the option of a wood floor in my pre-fab garage for no additional cost but couldn't do it because of the town building codes. Too much worry about gas/oil soaking the wood and creating a very combustible situation over time.

Keith

 

[willymakeit]

It works and is proven,plus all of the above.

 

[Fastback]

 

[sikopal]

What about the obvious advantage in case of fire?????? I'd rather have my old leaky Fords drippin' on a crete floor all day long over wood

 

[A_Pmech]

What is the PSI rating of a wood floor? I wouldn't trust a jack on a wood floor. Not with me under the car anyway.

Depends on the floor.

I was in a machine shop built in the mid 1800's that had a good wood floor.

As I remember it, the floor consisted of 8" wide 2x Maple flooring on top of two alternating layers of 2" by 6" tongue and groove Red Oak sub floor on top of clear 2"x20" floor joists on 4" centers spanning 20 feet.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

tee-hee!!!!

 

[Tman]

Easy, and all you questions are answered here in Nimrods thread!

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3740&highlight=Nimrod

 

[Justanoldguy]

clear 2"x20" floor joists on 4" centers spanning 20 feet.

20 inch deep joists on 4 inch centers?
Now that I would like to see.

 

[Matt M PA]

At least in our township a cement floor where cars are parked is a must.

 

[drmarkr]

Depends on the floor.

I was in a machine shop built in the mid 1800's that had a good wood floor.

As I remember it, the floor consisted of 8" wide 2x Maple flooring on top of two alternating layers of 2" by 6" tongue and groove Red Oak sub floor on top of clear 2"x20" floor joists on 4" centers spanning 20 feet.

Yep....that would be cheaper than concrete. Much cheaper.

 

[z28toz06]

8/4 (2") maple boards are probably more expensive per sq foot than concrete alone.

 

[derosa]

8/4 (2") maple boards are probably more expensive per sq foot than concrete alone.

True, I was looking at using 2" oak, I've got 11 acres to cut from and there are some older trees to draw from. The lumber mill down the road will cut and kiln dry the wood for about .75 a board foot. there are a couple of other trees that would supply the timber for the walls.

Several valid points. Might I point out the old growth lumber verses new growth lumber issue.

Valid point, the old stuff is definately better and stronger.

be interesting to use a torch or welder on one............

Can't weld, it's low on my priority list too.

Also check your local building codes. Alot of places won't allow a wood floor in a garage. I had the option of a wood floor in my pre-fab garage for no additional cost but couldn't do it because of the town building codes. Too much worry about gas/oil soaking the wood and creating a very combustible situation over time.
Keith

I will definately have to check building codes, ideas don't matter a lot if it doesn't get past the inspector.
Gas/oil soaking could be of some concern but I would put a rubber mat under the car before working on it, already do that since my current garage floor is unfinished. Also the floor would need to be finished with something like tung oil or something like it to help preserve it anyways.

Easy, and all you questions are answered here in Nimrods thread!

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3740&highlight=Nimrod

Sweet garage and just what I was thinking of, love the look of it.

Thanks for all the input, I may be over reaching with the idea of a timber framed garage with wood floor. I'll have the time to do the work but pulling everything together to accomplish it might be another issue. Also supporting a jack and jack stands is something of concern so I'll have to check the feasability of it.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Actually, I used to call on automotive factories, when we had some.
They used to make "wood block" floors. These were great on the knees and were very strong. Typically in the tooling shops.

 

[AndrewBigA]

Easy, and all you questions are answered here in Nimrods thread!

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3740&highlight=Nimrod

i thought of his shop right away.

i have also wondered about doing a wood floor but its not worth it for me since i dont own my building.

i dont see this being a problem as long as you dont do any welding.

im sure there are a million ways to protect the floor from rotting away.

i guess it really depends what kind of use you will have for the garage & perhaps how much floor traffic you plan as well.

will you park project vehicles or daily drivers that will go in & out of the garage a few times within the entire day/night?

if i took all that time & hard work to install a wood floor i would go crazy trying to maintain it.

i would get a thin piece of sheet metal & place that under the nose of the cars parked there.

just sharing my thoughts.

 

[Torque1st]

When was the last time that anyone saw any 2x -CLEAR- lumber that wasn't being used for concrete forms on some government job???

Also look into salvaged T&G box car flooring.

 

[taylorguitar]

we all waste enough money each year to pour a garage concrete slab...whether it's on cigarettes, cokes, junk fast food, fuel for that oversized truck you don't need, or whatever...i priced a new slab for my 16x20 garage. I'm gonna be broke...a good slab that will last the rest of my life is less than $400.

 

[Herb]

I too have a wooden floor in my garage. A wooden floor was a cheaper alternative in my case as I have a full basement under it. The floor specs are- 27' x 27', a single 18" x 54lb i-beam running front to back, 4"x9" hemlock joists 20" o/c, and 3"x8" t&g hemlock flooring on top of that. I sealed the wood with some Thompsons clear sealer in the hopes of keeping it easier to clean, but now (9 years later) it is really starting to look good as dirt and other **** that falls on it gets ground in. The only drawback is water leaks through it from anything parked there. Oh yeah, Brooke likes it too.

 

[tncatadjuster]

BINGO, We have a winner.

 

[jkeyser14]

I've got about a million of those "winners" on my property. The treatments every year keep the pest control company very happy. The bastards even ate my pressure treated 6x6's under my deck.

 

[LOWright]

Gives new meaning to having a woody in your garage! CONCRETE!

 

[regguy1]

One big plus is you can mount your lift with wood screws......

 

[banzaitoyota]

One big plus is you can mount your lift with wood screws......

Now why would you go to the expense of using wood screws when you have a LISTA Cabinet drawer of segregated drywall screws (sorted by head color) to choose from?

 

[Tman]

Some of you tend to forget that we don't have termites in some parts of the country.

 

[Torque1st]

^^^ Not yet anyway....

 

[Justanoldguy]

No termites at all here in NZ.
Plenty in OZ though.

I'm looking at another workshop of 7000sq/ft with a wooden floor.
2 inch thick and a very solid joist/bearer underfloor.

 

[WNYflyer]

Actually, I used to call on automotive factories, when we had some.
They used to make "wood block" floors. These were great on the knees and were very strong. Typically in the tooling shops.

Those block floors are great stuff. Used a lot in automotive plants in certain areas.

To the OP, if you really want a wood floor then a floor made out those wood blocks would be great as long as codes wouldn't cause you a problem.

Heck living in Rochester you might even be able to pick some up cheap salvaged stuff from the parts of that huge factory they have been demolishing over the years. You might be able to track some of that down but most likely snapped up already.

 

[derosa]

Those block floors are great stuff. Used a lot in automotive plants in certain areas.

To the OP, if you really want a wood floor then a floor made out those wood blocks would be great as long as codes wouldn't cause you a problem.

Heck living in Rochester you might even be able to pick some up cheap salvaged stuff from the parts of that huge factory they have been demolishing over the years. You might be able to track some of that down but most likely snapped up already.

Can't really get that stuff, but apparently if you want it they'll give out all the free trees you can take. There is a large availability of storm downed trees, or trees that got too big the city needs to dispose of. Could be a good source of timber framing. I've been looking into lumber mills, so far the two common ones are bandsaw mills which are expensive even used but quiet and fast, log length also tends to be limited. Chainsaw mills which tend to be loud, slow and wasteful (doesn't matter so much with downed trees) but can do any length logs. Since I'm moving country ish, finding downed trees should be even easier. The farmers near my parents are also willing to let me take all the field stone from their piles I want.
This project could take a couple years but I'm gonna try to make something older and more rustic styled and see if I can't keep the costs down to nails, screws, and shingles that match the surrounding roofs. Beam construction with thick hardwood floors,

 

[6768rogues]

I noticed that you are in Rochester, NY. I used to do code enforcement for Monroe County.
The Building Code of New York State requires that a garage floor be non-absorbent. Wood will not do.

 

[bazzateer]

I noticed that you are in Rochester, NY. I used to do code enforcement for Monroe County.
The Building Code of New York State requires that a garage floor be non-absorbent. Wood will not do.

What about if the floor is sealed?

 

[Groovy]

I made a barn\shop back in the day and used a crushed stone aggregate called macadam it was like ¾ stone, sand type mix they put it under the highway in PA and I got free. It packed really tightly you could almost roll a creeper on it. It stayed fairly level a little bit of rutting. It’s still there the guy parks his Kubota and Scag mower yard stuff in there.

As posted many many down sides to lumber on the floor besides fire, rot, bugs, maintenance, there may be some applications it is handy if you wanted to use it as say a wood working area and wanted a to install a dust collection system or a raised floor to run conduit for electronic or server equipment but you could ask the mafia in your area if they had any bodies to hide maybe they would install a thick concrete pad for you.