The Amazes Uses of Concrete

Tips to Consider Before Pouring a Concrete Floor in Your Shop

If you've got a large shop or a metal shed where you do car repairs, fix machinery, or take care of other tasks, you may want to add a concrete floor. That makes your space easier to work in, faster to clean, and more professional looking. Before you make the leap, however, you may want to consider the following.

Don't Do It Yourself

Small concrete jobs can be great for DIY projects, but if you have a large shop that holds several vehicles or machinery, that is simply too large for a novice to handle. If you want the concrete to last, you should hire a concrete contractor. They can advise you on everything from rebar to thickness.

Consider a Waterproof Membrane

If you live in a wet area, you may want to lay a waterproof membrane underneath the concrete floor. This prevents water from seeping up out of the ground and into your concrete. If the moisture is allowed to travel freely through the concrete, freeze-thaw cycles may lead to cracks. Additionally, you may also want to ensure that the contractor puts in a layer of gravel to encourage drainage as well.

Pour the Floor Before Building If Possible

Don't even have your shop yet? Then, consider pouring the floor before you put up the shop. This makes it easier to get into the space to do the concrete work, and once the concrete slab is complete, you can simply build your shop around it.

Consider In-Ground Heating

Whether you're putting a concrete floor into an existing shop or pouring one for a new shop, you should consider taking advantage of this opportunity to put in inground heating. In particular, you may want to explore radiant underground heating.

In some cases, you can even lay thin radiant heating mats on top of existing concrete, but in that case, you need to cover the radiant heating mats with gypsum or another type of material. If you want a full concrete floor, you need to add the heating elements during the construction process.

Put in a Drain

When you're doing a lot of work in your shop, the concrete floor is going to get dirty. So that you can maintain it easily, you may want to add a drain to the floor. Ideally, the floor should slope toward the drain just slightly. This encourages the water to run in that direction but doesn't make you feel unstable when you're walking across the floor.

To learn about more options and to find someone to help you, contact a concrete contractor today.


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