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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Building Questions >> Screed for a garage floor https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1606664348 Message started by Natedog on Nov 29^th, 2020, 3:39pm

Title: Screed for a garage floor
Post by Natedog on Nov 29^th, 2020, 3:39pm

The floor in this little unit im buying is in poor shape. Its got various patches and repairs in it, and in places has gone very dusty. I figure the easiest fix is just to drop an inch of screed over the whole thing. I'm assuming I'll want sharp sand and cement at roughly 3:1? Will I need to add any additives to it? Also is it an issue if I don't pour the whole floor in one hit? Its going to be much easier to do one half, then move everything once its cured and do the other half

Title: Re: Screed for a garage floor
Post by woodsmith on Nov 30^th, 2020, 8:20am

I’m no expert with concrete but an inch sounds a bit thin, normally you would use 50mm for a floor screed otherwise you risk it cracking. If the floor is just a bit rough and dusty you might be better off with self levelling compound. I’d try to do the floor on one go, perhaps hire a van for a weekend and store your stuff in there while the flooring dries. That’s another bonus for self levelling compound in that it would dry relatively quickly. Alternatively you could use an epoxy floor finish which would be dry even quicker at the expense of being more expensive I expect.

Title: Re: Screed for a garage floor
Post by thescruff on Nov 30^th, 2020, 11:57am

I agree with woodsmith, if it's load-bearing a minimum 2"

Title: Re: Screed for a garage floor
Post by Natedog on Jan 30^th, 2022, 5:16pm

now the roof is leak free, i'm looking to attack the floor at some point soon. The current floor has no pdc and varies between 1.5 and 2 inch thick where edges can be seen. It might have a small light (800kg) car in there, but mostly is going to be used for woodworking. No huge kit, just a half decent table saw.
Would it be best to pour concrete with a water proofing additive onto what is there, or put a plastic sheet down under it? I'm presuming that plastic sheet will be better damp proofing, but it might be preferable to have the 2 layers of concrete sticking to each other?

Title: Re: Screed for a garage floor
Post by woodsmith on Jan 31^st, 2022, 9:31am

It depends how much (thickness) concrete you are planning to lay. If you are getting it ready mixed you could ask the company supplying it. My workshop is timber, well insulated and 100% dry but I still have problems with rust forming on some of my tools and machinery. I’ve had a dehumidifier running over the last couple of days. So, if you are planning to put machinery in there, you need to make the floor as watertight as possible. You could contact the admix manufacturer for advice.