Garage / workshop

[Richardhealey]

Thanks David, I thought self levelling resin was a good option, as there are a couple of very minor differences in the floor levels in a couple of places where we had to hold the weight of the pit shuttering in place from above
I am usually in favour of the performance and look of good old grey garage floor paint. I guess it’s not quite as straight forward with resin as I thought...
I’ll do some research on interlocking tiles...
Many thanks,
Richard

[mgcjag]

Hi Richard...leave plenty of time for the concrete to fully dry out befor you apply any paint/coating....about a month/inch.....do you have a plastic membrane under the concrete?....if not you cant paint it.......Steve

[Series1 Stu]

Nice work, Rich.

Don't forget to find a way to stop leaves, frogs and mice getting in under those doors. I Rawl-bolted a length of angle iron to the floor for the doors to close against. Maybe do it before laying a self levelling screed?

Perhaps some drop bolts to fix the doors at the bottom, too?

It's going to be a great benefit having a decent size retreat.

Regards

[Barry]

Just seen your new garage, Richard. Just one but of advise; you need to insulate the walls and ceiling otherwise you will get condensation. With the construction you have in your timber framed garage it is easy. Put rock wool insulation between the framing, both on the walls and underside of the roof, and then pin sheets of platerboard over that to the framework. Do the same with the garage doors, but seal those with a plywood sheet. Seal the gaps with a rubber seal, as you would with sealing the door of an E-type! Place a de-humidifier in the garage in the winter, and you will find condensation stays at around 45% in the worst case scenario. I worked out my “U” value, and it meets current Building Regs for a house! The condensation in classic cars forms when the dew point is reached. The worst of it is it forms inside the box sections and inner panels. Not what you need. Hope this helps.

Depending upon the finish of your concrete floor, be careful which resin you use. Unless the floor is smooth concrete to start with, you will need a self levelling screed to go over it. Alternatively, the other option is to install interlocking vinyl tiles. There are many on the website. The best one is to pick a thicker tile, otherwise they curl. The other advantage is you can easily change a damaged tile.

To explain, for my day job I’m an architect.

[Richardhealey]

Thanks Steve, Stu and Barry for your extra tips.
I will let the floor cure for a good month. It’s interesting with the fresh concrete and possibly as the pit not yet dropped in place just how humid the garage feels at the moment.
I was definitely intending to insulate the walls with rock wool and board over too, before setting up the shelving etc. And there is a gap at the bottom of the main doors that needs attending to. I definitely like the idea of some angle iron for the doors to close against.
I already have a dehumidifier and use it in the single garage I am storing all the parts in, though the doors fit horribly on the current one and I can get a couple of litres of water in a few days. Nice to have the evaporate for cooling systems though! i’ll Plumb the dehumidifier in permanently ( no need for emptying) in the new garage. I remember the horror of finding my Triumph covered in ‘sweat’ during one particularly damp winter; the pit I had at that time was not damp proof as the mechmate pit is...
Cheers all,
Rich

[Heuer]

You need good airflow through the garage so put vents at either end.

[Polse7317]

Hi Richard y'll see below what i have done in my garage, (already posted in another thread but the pics have disapeared….! ) The floor is in EPOXY resin , very very sliding stuff….! but easy to clean, as David said , Don't forget to fit in the pit , light and electric plug . Ihave fitted also a sliding basket to keep the Tools at the right height…
I have waited 4 months before painting the époxy with a deshumidificator, which gave me 1/2 gallon/ day even after painting ! the humidity test was 16% when i have painted

[Barry]

Excellent job, looks good. One question, what have you lined the inside of the pit with. If there is no liner or damp barrier, you will likely get damp in there. One way of resolving that is to coat the walls and floor of the pit with a Sika Render product. It is what I specify for any of my clients who have damp cellars.
Best
Barry

[Polse7317]

Hi Barry , i have tried resin with glass fiber without succes…. As you have seen in the pics above, i had plenty of water in the hole before concrete. Now i have some water that i swipe before working…..!
Can you tell me the exact ref of SIKA product i need ? i went on SIKA site …. but there is so much different products and i am lost when i have to do the choice

[Richardhealey]

Hi Yves,
Thanks for you post - I like the work you have put into your garage and know what effort it took
I still haven’t decided what to use in the floor - so many options!
My new concrete floor is actually very level, aside from two places where the pit shuttering supports interrupted the exact levelling. I’m thinking I might sand it exactly flat and then use trusty floor paint, having neutralised the concrete first. We’ll see. I like floor paint, isn't too slippery, cleans well and is easy to touch up...
Luckily and fingers crossed, the Mechmate pit is waterproof, has lights, plugs, sliding seat and tool tray - which is why I chose it in the end.
Hopefully the pit will be installed this week if all goes well
Cheers,
Rich

[Barry]

Hi Yves
I can’t remember the last spec we used for a client. I always contact the Sika technical department; so do the same and ask them which will be the best product. It will be important to tell them the material you are applying the render to. I have had particular success applying a Sika product in basements with a high water table. Let me know how you get on.

Best
Barry

[Polse7317]

I have contacted SIKA hotline and they told me to use SIKA TOP 145 , so i'll do that after a concrete blast cleaning and pump the water level outside with the hose i have fitted before
I'll post here when it will be done....

[Barry]

I looked in one of my project files this evening, and the render you have been advised to use is the one specified for the walls and floor of a damp basement. It worked for my client, so should work for you. Let me know how you get on.