Finishing Tamped Concrete

[PaxWorks]

Hi All,

Apologies if I'm flogging a dead horse here, but I was hoping for some advice on what I can do to finish off my garage / workshop floor.

I'm just starting off getting my garage converted into a workshop, and I'm planning on getting started by plasterboarding the ceiling, adding some lighting, and painting the walls. The one thing I'm not entirely sure how to approach is the floor.

The floor is tamped concrete and only 3 years old, so it's in good condition, but after trying to clean up after my first project I realised just how much of a nightmare the tamped concrete will be long term as it made it nearly impossible to clear away all of the dust with my shopvac. I have absolutely no experience when it comes to anything involving concrete, so I was wondering what my options are? I'm keen to tackle this first as I'm looking to buy a table saw in the near future, and while my garage is fairly empty (more so thanks to the w***ers that broke into it last week) I thought this would be the best time to do the flooring.

Has any had success flattening out and finishing tamped concrete before? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Pax

 

[KT -andy]

Brush it clean , wash it clean them pour self leveling compound - read the instructions - :deer Quick trowel over and leave to dry .
Try not to paint yourself into a corner !!

 

[PaxWorks]

Thanks Andy,

Is this the kind of thing I should be looking for? https://www.screwfix.com/p/mapei-ultrap ... 25kg/4959f

Just wondering if the slope of the floor would cause an issue?

 

[LancsRick]

At the same time as sorting out your flooring consider what you want to do for security - if you want to put in some sort of floor anchor for the front door then do this before any finishing steps!

 

[PaxWorks]

At the same time as sorting out your flooring consider what you want to do for security - if you want to put in some sort of floor anchor for the front door then do this before any finishing steps!

I've been looking at some Asec bolt locks. I'm at the in-laws for the holidays who have ordered some after hearing about our mishap. So depending on how that installation goes I'll most likely pick up a set of those.

 

[adt]

You might need something slightly different to the mapei self levelling screed (linked above) for a sloping floor, especially if you want to leave this as the final finish.

I used this stuff to flatten the floor in my kitchen last year after taking a couple of small walls out (the concrete floor was different heights on the two sides of the old walls) and it worked brilliantly for this. It was like pouring something the consistency of double cream onto the floor and then just letting it settle itself out to get a flat level finish. This means, if you have much of a slope on your garage floor, you might find that it would just tend to pool at one end and doesn’t help at the high end unless you build up quite a lake at the bottom.

The other thing to note about this stuff is that it is quite soft and dusty when it has gone off, so I wouldn’t advise leaveing it as a final working finish. We’ve just got vinyl flooring down on top of it in the kitchen but you may need something a little tougher if you’re regularly moving heavy items about on it.

 

[Yojevol]

You could hire a surface grinder like this
http://www.brandontoolhire.co.uk/en/surface-preparation/534-str-floor-preparation-system.html

 

[katellwood]

2" x 1" at 16" centres, 25mm insulation in between then suttering ply on top. you can also put a DPM down first.

It transformed my working space, much warmer and kinder to chisels etc if/when dropped

 

[julianf]

I'd be right dubious is putting on a thin layer of self levelling onto a mature floor, with no intention of an additional finish on top. I mean it might work, but then again, it might just start to crack away in layers.

Plus it's surprisingly expensive.

Personally I'd be tempted to get some cheap tongue and groove laminate and the underlay (which will cost more than the top) and whack that down. At least if it fails it will be easy enough to replace and, I suspect it won't fail significantly for a long time anyhow.

I'd do it in my own garage if I want partial to a bit of hot work also (weld spatter)

 

[Steve Maskery]

I used Cabershield. Not much more expensive than ordinary chipboard flooring and doesn't need any more finishing. Non-slip. Tool-drop friendly.
It is one of the best choices I made with the workshop build, no regrets at all.

https://www.building-supplies-online.co ... 600mm.html

 

[PaxWorks]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

There seems to be mixed reviews on the self levelling compounds with regards to the finish and durability.

I like the idea of tongue and groove with a DPM underneath it, mainly because I have more experience ( albeit still limited) with something like that.

If I was to use laminate tongue and groove, or the cabershield (if I can find somewhere that doesn’t sell minimum packs of 20) would it work with just a DPM underneath?

Another thought, would something like this work with some kind of adhesive underneath to prevent it from moving? Rubber Flooring

 

[mindthatwhatouch]

Any half decent builders merchant or timber place will be able to supply caberfloor or the equivalent.
Just purchased some egger protect P5 for just under £13 plus vat.

 

[PaxWorks]

Few more questions:

If I were to go with the self levelling compound, the main downside seems to be leaving it as the final finish due to it not being a wearing surface. Would painting over that with good quality flooring paint as a final finish be enough? Or does it really need some other form of flooring on top of it?

With the Cabershield flooring, cant I put this directly on the concrete, with a DPM underneath it? Or does this really need joists underneath to make it a floating floor?

I like the idea of the rubber flooring rolls as they are considerably cheaper than the tiles. But my main concern would be keeping it flat and preventing it from riding up on itself and staying flat when using castors on it. Has anyone had first hand experience with this type of flooring?

 

[Steve Maskery]

With the Cabershield flooring, cant I put this directly on the concrete, with a DPM underneath it? Or does this really need joists underneath to make it a floating floor?

That is what I have. Concrete, DPM, jablite, OSB, Cabershield. No joists. You can see it happening here

 

[mbartlett99]

I used latex screed from Travis Perkins but can't remember the brand and then painted with floor paint - it certainly isn't soft or dusty and has taken a hammering over the last eight years. It isn't a cheap option and it will pool - its a self levelling compound after all. If you do go this route on a large surface like a garage floor be prepared to work very quickly as you don't get much time to work it. Ideally have someone there to mix it while you pour and shove it around.

 

[julianf]

The bonding of a poured finish will depend a lot on what it's sticking too.

I would be most concerned about its ability to withstand impact without flaking off. Again it's not budget, and you can bet that, even if most of it was flaking away, some of it would have stuck so hard youd have to break your back getting the last bit of a failed job up!

One last point - don't be mistaken in believing its self levelling. Self smoothing, sure, but it's not like water in a glass. You need to trowel it level (quickly) and let it smooth itself.

To do a large area, certainly as a novice, you'll need some mixing and someone getting it on the ground at the same time.

If the surface is not level to start with (ie not flat, OR level) you'll need markers in to level the compound to when laying - again, it's not like water.

There can be tape around the walls of a small area, or screws set on a grid into the floor of a larger area (level the screws by screwing them in to greater or lesser amounts, and assume you're going to remove them as you go - whilst in your frustration that it's all going off and you still have half the job to do.... Maybe have a 3rd person for screw removal?)

 

[PaxWorks]

Thanks for all of the responses, definitely some food for thought.

I'm getting the impression that the self levelling compound approach is a bit out of my depth. Even if I were to get a decent finish with it, I can't seem to find any products that would actually work as a final finish anyways without putting other flooring on top of it.

While I like the Cabershield option Steve Maskery suggested, and it looks great the way he's applied it, I'm not sure how this would work in a garage and the transition between the combined thickness of all of the materials and the entrances to the garage.

I'm tempted to go with the rubber flooring roll option (or tiles if I can convince the long haired colonel on the price). It just seems like a much easier option for what could be the same if not better finish. Has anyone had first hand experience with these?

 

[John McM]

I had great results on my tamped garage floor using Setcrete High Performance Floor Levelling Compound - 20kg from Wickes. It is a final ware surface but I also painted it and added flakes. Looks great and was easy. Vac floor, prime then Mix in a plasters bucket with drill and paddle. Dump it out, spread it out a bit. I used a 2’ length of skirting board with a 5’ batten nailed as a brush handle. Mix pour etc.
Goodluck

 

[John McM]

Here is a pic

 

[John McM]

And before