Workshop Flooring Advice

[Lee Jones 6Participant @leejones6]

Just moved house and need to convert a prefab garage into a semi-adequate workshop.

The floor is currently concrete and is as rough as a <insert adage here>.

I need to level it to a final wearing surface using as little (value) height as possible.

The surface should be smooth, able to take weight (lathe, mill, etc) and not explode if I weld on it.

Any help would be gratefully received.

[Lee Jones 6Participant @leejones6]

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember12892]

[This posting has been removed]

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

If you use a concrete screed over a damproff course you are going to lose at least 50mm. One of the epoxy screeds would give a hardwearing and waterproof surface but they tend to be on the pricey side.

There is a product CosyFloor which is waterproof chipboard backed with insulation but again you would lose about 500mm height.

John

Edited By Journeyman on 30/01/2022 14:36:12

[Lee Jones 6Participant @leejones6]

I have seen the No Nonsense stuff, but I don't think it is wear levelling.

Perhaps that and same Epoxy paint might do the trick?

[Stuart Smith 5Participant @stuartsmith5]

I have used this recently to cast a plinth for my lathe on my uneven concrete floor.

**LINK**

The pack says it will cover 6 sq metres at 3mm thick, so may not be a cheap option.

It levels itself – just mix and pour it out.

Stuart

[Lee Jones 6Participant @leejones6]

I saw that on Amazon.

It has good reviews, but it does say it's not a wearing (top) layer.

You're supposed to lay other flooring on top of it.

[Stuart Smith 5Participant @stuartsmith5]

Lee

It is solid. I would say harder and stronger than normal concrete. It also has a very smooth finish. Although I used it to make a plinth 30 to 40 mm thick, so I don’t know how it would perform as a thinner layer.

Stuart

[MrT42Participant @mrt42]

These https://www.tradepricedeals.co.uk/everyday-vinyl-floor-tiles-grain-design-black-483-x-483mm-8mm-thick?pk_source=google&pk_medium=cpc&pk_campaign=14654260259&pk_content=126757756226&pk_term=9153&gclid=Cj0KCQiAi9mPBhCJARIsAHchl1zY7-I8byeVsNYWg8c6mDNc4mEnLWBQXPkfNAofWdx1PCfJB4NvKUUaAtR6EALw_wcB

are absolutely brilliant. Used them on my floor which is pretty much as you describe your floor.

Simply fill any bad patches in your floor with a cement slurry (neat cement mixed to a paste with some pva added to keep it from breaking up) Seal the rest with a mix of diluted pva and lay these on top. They will cover and hide any irregularities in the floor. They will give some insulation and act as a damproof course. They are also comfortable to walk and work on and easy to lay and lift if needed.

If you need to weld on the floor lay a piece of ply or sheet metal on top to protect them.

I think Lidl or Aldi occasionally have them in the middle isle.

J

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

I think the welding will be a problem. If you weld away from the floor, a cement screed would accept weld splatter etc, but its COLD. For me, thick plywood gives a kind working floor, allows you to roll heavy machines over it, is insulating but you have to respect wood and welding or accept that you will get a few burn marks on it.

My small workshop is 4" concrete with a carpet over it. Has weld burns on it, spilt epoxy, solder and all sorts. When it is totally worn out, I will get another second hand carpet. I do have an automatic powder fire extinguisher and smoke alarm in there and no dramas in the last 15 years of use – but the gremlins do pinch small nuts and bolts.

Bob

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by Lee Jones 6 on 30/01/2022 15:46:29:

I saw that on Amazon.

It has good reviews, but it does say it's not a wearing (top) layer.

You're supposed to lay other flooring on top of it.

No, it's not a wearing surface, and shouldn't be used as such. And it's definitely not as hard as concrete.

I put the Mapei Ultraplan on my old garage floor three years ago, precisely because I didn't want to raise the height too much. I topped it with Ardex K80, which does provide a wearing surface.

The Ardex K80 is also not as hard as concrete, but it's a lot harder than the Mapei alone, which would eventually crumble and flake if used as the top layer.

ETA: I posted about it at the time here.

Edited By Bill Phinn on 30/01/2022 16:38:54

[egaParticipant @ega]

Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 30/01/2022 16:11:56:

…

My small workshop is 4" concrete with a carpet over it….

The late Gerald Wingrove, car modeller supreme, had carpet on his workshop floor.

[Lee Jones 6Participant @leejones6]

As does Colin Furze, but he doesn't have to wheel his vertical bandsaw and lathe around.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

I used the green moisture resistant "P5" tongue and groove boards for my workshop floor. Laid direct on nicely tamped down concrete, not screeded and leveled.

18 years and counting.

Bit faded and a few marks but still eminently sound. Serious machinery on top, Smart & Brown 1024, Pratt & Whitney B, Bridgeport in the ton and over class.

I do some stick and MIG welding. No burn mark troubles working at "bench height". Working at floor level will most likely produce burns as the splatter won't have time to cool.

Clive

[Lee Jones 6Participant @leejones6]

I'd seriously consider something like that if I weren't concerned about flooding.

Edited By Lee Jones 6 on 30/01/2022 18:17:26

[peak4Participant @peak4]

When we had the new garage built, the builder was planning on using a self levelling screed to finish it off.
Instead, I ran over any high ridges etc with an angle grinder and used interlocking vinyl tiles from PlasFloor
http://www.plasfloor.co.uk/

Note that they are plastic so might be damaged by weld splatter, but seem functional enough and easy to clean.
Over a large area, there might be a bit of an issue with expansion/contraction as temperature changes.
When the garage door is open, the morning sun in the summer shining on the front part does cause it to ripple a small amount, but it is over 5m wide.

The garage is now rather more full, but the floor is still OK

Bill

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I got mine done with mastic asphalt, smotth, no dust, damp proof. I then had 20mm polystyrene and chipboard, but just cheap vinyl or carpet would have been OK if short of headroom

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

A thin self leveling compound about 3 to 6mm will breakup if heavy things are moved over it ! Knock off the high spots and floor with shuttering ply, one good side. Cheap ish, warm and you can paint it if you wish. Noel.

Edited By noel shelley on 30/01/2022 21:17:20

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

Hi peak4. Nice set-up ! Just wondering: have you ever used a trolley jack or axle stand on your tiles? If so, do the tiles stand up to the highly concentrated load, and does a loaded trolley jack sink into the tiles at all and make it difficult to roll when loaded?

Do the tiles recover from a heavy point load or does it leave a 'dent' in the tile surface?

Thanks.

Edited By John Doe 2 on 31/01/2022 12:51:47

Edited By John Doe 2 on 31/01/2022 12:53:16

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Posted by John Doe 2 on 31/01/2022 12:50:30:

Hi peak4. Nice set-up ! Just wondering: have you ever used a trolley jack or axle stand on your tiles? If so, do the tiles stand up to the highly concentrated load, and does a loaded trolley jack sink into the tiles at all and make it difficult to roll when loaded?

Do the tiles recover from a heavy point load or does it leave a 'dent' in the tile surface?

Thanks.

Trolley jacks aren't too bad, even with the Disco, but axle stands certainly do dig in. One set of mine have flat plates welded to the bottom of each leg, which seems to be the way to go.
For obvious reasons, it's worse in hot weather as the plastic is softer.

If you have a look through the manufacturer's web site, heavy machinery seems to have the tiles fitted around it, and the installation instructions do mention leaving expansion space around the edges.
At the front of the garage near the door, I've now got Dexion shelves each side, and cut small holes, so the legs sit directly on the concrete, to allow a bit more movement for expansion when the sun hits the front in the summer.
The centre is catered for by having a pit in the middle, and the rear, whilst full width, is in the shade, so doesn't seem to have a problem.

Bill

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Peak4

Looking at similar tiles to do my garage once I've found someone to lay some extra concrete on the floor to get my car and bike lifts flush.

Will yours stand up to motorcycle centre stands. In my case around 500 lb of Norton Commander rotary and 630 lb of Yamaha GTS 1000 "funny front end". Dont really want to add load plates because the whole idea is to reclaim all the garage space.

Clive

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Lee – you could try High Performance Setcrete Levelling Compound, sold at Wicks. Flows to a depth of 2-15mm(so won't raise the surface level by much) and will take a heavy load – I was going to put a 300kg Aga on it until I found our floor was level enough. You will also need the Setcrete primer under to make sure it sticks to the concrete.

Just a suggestion,

Chris

[peak4Participant @peak4]

Posted by Clive Foster on 31/01/2022 15:22:02:

Peak4

Will yours stand up to motorcycle centre stands. In my case around 500 lb of Norton Commander rotary and 630 lb of Yamaha GTS 1000 "funny front end". Dont really want to add load plates because the whole idea is to reclaim all the garage space.

Clive

Clive, It will certainly manage a centre stand in the short term, though I suspect if left over a hot summer, you would develop dents.
If I'm going to be leaving a bike for a planned long time, I tend to just slide a tile offcut under where the centre stand legs will sit.

Side stands don't seem to be a problem, but I do normally have a lump of wood under them, to keep the bike(s) more upright to save space.

My stable consists of Ducati 900GTS, Yamaha XT600, Triumph Bonnie T140, & Guzzi Le Mans3

When it comes to using a hydraulic bike table, I raise it slightly off the ground on four lengths of wood, about 2"x2" or a little larger. This takes the weight off the wheels at one end, and feet at the other, as Guzzi + Bench is quite a lot of weight, but the main reason is that the tiles, whilst fine to walk on, are a bit slippy. The first time I tried running a bike up the ramp, I ended up chasing the workbench across the garage.

At the end of the day, it is a vinyl tile about 3mm thick, so it will never be impervious to dents; on the other hand, it's easy enough to lift one and replace with new.
When I cut them to size, I used a bandsaw, and a small block plane to tidy the edges.
The dovetail edges need tapping down with a hard(ish) rubber mallet.

From what I recall Plasfloor were happy enough to supply a sample.

Bill

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