Type of flooring in garage

[JamiePattison]

Hi

What would be the recommended type of flooring for a garage?

The ideal purpose would be to hold gym equipment so ideally something strong but also convenient to use daily and possible low temperatures etc.

Finally something I could install myself without having to hire a specialist if possible at all?

Thanks

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

My workshop is an old cow shed with a concrete floor, I put down 30mm batons about 500mm apart, infilled with kingspan kooltherm boards then topped with moisture resistant chipboard flooring from Wicks. It has been down for eight years now and I could not be happier with it. It is strong enough to cope with my planer thicknesser, mortiser and table saw being shifted around on it and it is warm and comfortable under foot. For a gym floor you could put a vinyl sheet or carpet tiles on top or even paint it with an industrial floor paint.

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[ChaiLatte]

What does the garage floor look like? Is it standard concrete, reasonably level, with a tamped finish?

If so, put down 50mm polystyrene insulation (Jabfloor is the hoover term for polystyrene insulation https://www.selcobw.com/jabfloor-70-floor-insulation-2400-x-1200-x-50mm-487310041), DPM over the top (https://www.screwfix.com/p/damplas-damp-proof-membrane-black-1000ga-4m-x-3m/2121p )and T&G chipboard (caberfloor is the hoover term here https://www.selcobw.com/caberfloor-p5-t-g-chipboard-flooring-2400-x-600mm-tg4-fscr) with the joints glued.

It will be warm, damp proof and 'springy.'

You can cut the chipboard with a handsaw, but a cordless circular saw is easier. You do need to make sure the joints in the chipboard are pulled up tight. A flooring clamp can assist (https://www.screwfix.com/p/magnusson-flooring-clamp-4m/932FT)

The challenge is making the perimeter neat. If you are to carpet or lino on top of the chipboard, than a 5mm gap filled with the cork strips for laminate flooring is OK as the carpet will cover them (https://www.screwfix.com/p/vitrex-cork-expansion-strips-0-6m-x-12-5mm-18-pack/6257h). If the chipboard is to remain bare, some kind of scotia, fixed to the wall (not the floor) will hide the joint.