Planning my workshop - Need some advice regarding flooring.

[Joshua Richards]

So, I'm planning on building the workshop. My garage is... in pain right now, as I've picked up a Minimax SC3 sliding panel saw, and a Powermatic 160 planer that have raped my real estate. In addition, the floor in the garage is seriously unlevel (I'm talking 18 inches from level end to end) and it's not feasible to work in there.

I want to cut some costs, as I just dropped 60k into a home addition, and I'm not wanting to pick up much more debt. So, my first thoughts are a pole barn. 30' x 40'. Initially, I'm going to have the barn put up and the roof on. Then I'll frame it out and enclose it on my own time.

My biggest question is regarding to flooring. Concrete is stupid expensive for a slab of that size. I was thinking of building out the floor like I'd do a deck. Compacted gravel on the ground with a moisture barrier underneath. On top of that, floor joists (2x6) and OSB subflooring panels. On top of the subfloor, I'm thinking shop built hardwood floors I can mill as I go with the planer / jointer. My concern is whether or not the floor will support the weight of my equipment. The heaviest object will be the planer at approximately 1200lbs. I can disperse the weight a bit with a pedastal. Everything else is of a more reasonable size.

[Shane Copps]

For what it's worth, I'm doing a 27x27 shop in a couple of months. everything is done except the floor and I'm thinking I will have concrete poured for that. I personally think that a wood floor would be better, but as the shop may be pressed into "sometime" service for a parking/ auto shop area I don't think I will go with the wood route. I'm still wrestling with the decision though.

I am sure I didn't help much. I will be following along as you get suggestions and I hope you let us know what you decide to do. I would like to see pics and thoughts as you go.

What do you expect the cost difference to be from pouring the floor vs. the gravel/wood flooring option?

Thanks
Shane

[Jamie Buxton]

Where are you? In northern climes, frost heaving might be an issue.

[Drew Pavlak]

Just built a 30' X 60' in Michigan with a slab out the front for storing wood. Slab is 21' x 21' have 20' x 20' carport that will go on it to cover the wood. Anyway, the slab cost about $1500. About $3.50 sqft. That seems to be the going rate in my area unless you know a guy. for me to go with something else I would have had to save at least half the cost to make it worth while. At $3.50 sqft a 30 x 40 slab would be close to $4500. Do you think you can frame in the floor for $2250? Also it was done in 3 days. So that was a big plus for us. Didn't have to wait to get the floor in to start doing other stuff.

There are a lot of places to save money in the barn, I know for me the floor wasn't one of them. I just bit the bullet and put in the concrete. Then everything else wasn't held up because of that. In the end you have to do what you feel you can save money on. I know OSB is really expensive up here. You will need close to 40 sheets of 3/4" OSB ($800), Approx. 100 - 2x8-10' Treated ($1700). That's $2500 just quick estimating. Obviously you could do may different things, but you would still need fill, nails, moisture barier.......pretty soon you are at the cost of concrete.

IMO - Up here in Michigan, I think it would be a wash. Where you are at it may be different.

[Larry Edgerton]

You don't have you're location. That could make a huge difference in suggestions.

I am doing a floor in about the same size shop. Mine was a equipment repair facility so has floors heavily sloped to the drain. I am thinking of doing a poured concrete perimiter over 2"foam with infloor heat tube in this, and infilling the center with wood for an assembly area. Heavy machines can set on the concrete with dust collection/wiring in the floor and benches on the wood floor for my old knees.

I am pouring the concrete myself which takes much of the cost out of concrete.

Larry

[Jeff Duncan]

I'd be curious to know the cost difference as well. It would seem concrete would be the easiest and cheapest way, but I've never priced it out so...? If you do go wood I would beef up everything so that you don't have to worry about your 1200 lb machine. Use deeper joists space closer together and full 3/4" subfloor. If your going to mill your own flooring, (ouch), you can mill it thicker than the normal 3/4" stuff which will also help with heavier equipment. I always believe in overbuilding for shops as you never know what you may add down the road. When I moved into my current shop 10 years ago the heaviest tool I had was a dual drum sander. When I move out in a couple months I'll be moving a 4000+lb wide belt…you just never know

good luck,
JeffD

[Michael Zerance]

For cost, strength, and durability...I would go with concrete.

[Jim Andrew]

As for the feasibility of using gravel under a wood floor, I have used gravel under concrete, and compacted it with a plate compactor. The right kind of gravel really does compact well, much better than sand, and I would think you could lay gravel down, in thin layers of course, no 12" layers, pack it down tight, lay flat treated boards and lay flooring on it. Just an opinion, but if you can keep the moisture out, and termites etc, probably would make a acceptable floor. You would have a treated perimeter board around the outside of the building that should keep your gravel from working out from under your floor, so should work. If you can have your machines laid out before you put the floor down, put a few extra boards under your machines. If you have building skills, a pole building is really not a difficult project, using trusses, treated posts and metal roofing. Keeping it square is the secret to your success.

[Michael Zerance]

If you want to do a wood floor, how about an end grain floor...

This was done by a company called Kaswell. Interesting company and some nice work. I have no affiliation with them...I just like what I've seen.

http://kaswell.com/gallery-2/?type=&...ion=industrial

Pine_Cincinnati-Incorporated.jpg

[Tim McCarthy]

For what it's worth---concrete is great but not by itself! I live in a temperate climate (western WA) and I covered my concrete floor with OSB. Concrete is cold, hard on joints and very hard on dropped tools. I would factor in the eventual covering of the concrete into my decision if I were you. You might not want to spend the money on something you are going to want to cover later on.

Just my 2c worth.

[Roger Feeley]

That Kaswell stuff is neat looking. I noticed that they offer synthetic blocks. I wonder if that would be similar to Trex. I saw that the specific gravity is around 1.0. I wonder if it would be possible to rip Trex to nice square edges and glue it down.

[Joshua Richards]

I should have included my location. I'm in East TN, and while this winter was rougher than usual we have no real danger of deep freezing.

[John Prexta]

Joshua,
I built a 24/40 with gambrel roof (Full second floor -12/40). Ceilings are 10 ft 4 inches. I did opt for concrete - it was about 3k done on a Saturday morn. Like the thread I just read earlier about concrete - I had vapor barrier down, then sealed the concrete. Would it be nice to have a wood floor - yes, but I'm not too upset about it. I'm no engineer but I'd think that you're 2x6 floor joists might "settle" after time - causing some problems, particularly where your half ton piece of equipment is sitting.