Garage floor

[Steve AKA vitessesteve]

I am looking to design my own new garage workshop.  The floor slab will include a damp proof course.

If the floor were in a house it would have to include insulation.  Have you any thoughts on insulating a garage and specially the floor.

[Howard]

I use an old carpet from the house in my garage which absorbs any oil and can be thrown away after a few years..

 

 

[sparky_spit]

Same as Howard. I've now had an integral garage built, from soon after moving into this house, which has a solid concrete floor.  I've used carpet from the bedrooms left by the previous owners. Works well for me and seems to help keep the place warm. I use a runner under the car to soak up any drips.

[RobPearce]

My old garage at the last house had a tamped concrete floor, which I found to be really inconvenient for rolling the tool box around (it wouldn't) or any bodywork (all the rust fell in the ruts and wouldn't come out).

My new garage has a "powerfloat" concrete floor, which is lovely and smooth and can be cleaned (especially if painted). It also has underfloor heating with insulation below that. I suspect most people would consider that overkill.

[Steve AKA vitessesteve]

Quoted from RobPearce-

My old garage at the last house had a tamped concrete floor, which I found to be really inconvenient for rolling the tool box around (it wouldn't) or any bodywork (all the rust fell in the ruts and wouldn't come out).

My new garage has a "powerfloat" concrete floor, which is lovely and smooth and can be cleaned (especially if painted). It also has underfloor heating with insulation below that. I suspect most people would consider that overkill.

Where is the insulation?  I have read that it can be below all the concrete or below a final surface screen top.  If below it allows the slab to absorb heat during the day and release it at night - but the room is slower to warm up. 

[Steve AKA vitessesteve]

My last garage had that horrible tamped finish. I was told an agricultural style and I have resolved never to have such a thing again. Moving stuff was difficult if not impossible as the wheels/castors get court in the grooves. The floor was not sealed either and constantly shed dust making cleaning up mud and dust a nightmare. Never again.

[RobPearce]

Quoted from vitessesteve-

Quoted from RobPearce-

My new garage has a "powerfloat" concrete floor, which is lovely and smooth and can be cleaned (especially if painted). It also has underfloor heating with insulation below that. I suspect most people would consider that overkill.

Where is the insulation?  I have read that it can be below all the concrete or below a final surface screen top. 

I don't remember exactly but I think it was built up as hardcore, then waterproof membrane, then insulation, then the steel reinforcement on spacers, heating pipework and the concrete poured around that. A good few inches of concrete. You're probably right that such a big slab of concrete slows down the warming up but with the underfloor heating it's actually being used as a heat reservoir (like in storage heaters). As I'm only aiming for a "keep the condensation off" level (15deg or so) this is more efficient than trying to warm the air above.

[Velocita Rosso]

Quoted from sparky_spit-

Same as Howard. I've now had an integral garage built, from soon after moving into this house, which has a solid concrete floor.  I've used carpet from the bedrooms left by the previous owners. Works well for me and seems to help keep the place warm. I use a runner under the car to soak up any drips.

When Philip  moved into his new house , the previous owner left the latest smooth foam ,interlocking(like dovetails) sheets down .These are generally on offer at place like Aldi

[Clive]

Quoted from RobPearce-

 

My new garage has a "powerfloat" concrete floor, which is lovely and smooth and can be cleaned (especially if painted). It also has underfloor heating with insulation below that. I suspect most people would consider that overkill.

I didn't powerfloat, but went "old skool" and hired a "bull float" which is like a plasterers trowel, but huge, and on a long handle with flexi head. I had the concrete delivered, tamped it as usual, then once the concrete started to go off, I was out there at 8pm floating the surface off, leaving a very adequate finish with only a couple of marks. Though a fox did walk across it overnight, but most of the footprints troweled out.