Garage floor options. Making the floor in the garage yourself - the best options. Do-it-yourself self-leveling floor in the garage
What floors are better to do in the garage, a question that many motorists ask themselves. The main thing is not to make mistakes, so that you don’t have to break and redo everything in just a year.
There are many reasons for surface damage. These include the heavy weight of the car, the harmful effects of aggressive fuels and lubricants (fuels and lubricants), large temperature and humidity fluctuations.
Which floor is better to do in the garage is discussed in this article.
Requirements for the floor in the garage
In order to determine which floor is better in the garage, you should get acquainted with the requirements for them so that they are durable and have a high-quality coating.
The floor in the garage must have:
- High degree of resistance to mechanical stress.
- Chemical resistance.
- Great fire safety.
- Good moisture resistance.
Before you decide which is better to make the floor in the garage, you should answer the following questions:
- Is it possible to make a floor with your own hands?
- What is the best floor in the garage to make it reliable and inexpensive?
- What is the best floor for a garage to increase its lifespan?
Garage floor options
concrete floor
Most often, for the floor, garage owners choose the traditional option -.
The benefits of this coverage are:
- Relatively low price.
- Durability.
- Withstands fairly harsh operating conditions.
- Cracks and potholes that occur during operation on the concrete surface, due to frost heaving and some mechanical damage, for example, when a hammer falls on the floor, usually do not cause much dissatisfaction among motorists.
But, the serious disadvantages of the concrete floor are:
- Its ability to produce a large amount of dust that settles on all surfaces in the garage, including the car.
- All kinds of chemical contaminants can be quickly and easily absorbed into concrete, which forms indelible unpleasant stains.
- Sometimes these stains can contribute to an unpleasant odor.
Tip: With all the variety of shortcomings, they can be completely leveled. To do this, the top layer should be coated with paints or sealants.
Painted concrete floor
Concrete flooring in the garage special paint will make it:
- Convenient to operate.
- More durable.
- Gives an aesthetic look.
- After painting, the surface will not emit dust, it will become less susceptible to mechanical damage.
This option of finishing concrete pavement is used most often. It is he who is chosen by many motorists when answering the question, which floor in the garage is better to do?
This is explained:
- Reasonably cheap.
- The ease of applying paint to the floor on your own, using any paint tool: brush, roller, sprayer.
Self-leveling garage floors
To ennoble an ordinary concrete floor in a garage, it is best to use modern bulk mixtures as shown in the photo.
Such compositions most often have two components that contain a polymer resin and a hardener. The instructions for use indicate that they are applied to the floor in liquid form, forming an absolutely even, impact-resistant base with high resistance and frost resistance.
These advantages will fully manifest themselves only with a certain thickness of the coating on the base, it must be at least five millimeters. Self-leveling floors are not only practicality, but beauty. Their aesthetic appearance is at a high level.
Tip: Such a perfectly smooth, glossy or matte finish can be painted in different colors, applied to it with a pattern.
Ceramic floor tiles in the garage
To obtain durable floors in the garage, you can use ceramic tiles for facing the concrete base. For this, only certain types of ceramic tiles should be used.
It can be:
- Porcelain stoneware, consisting of an alloy of granite chips and clay with some other fillers. Such a material in appearance and some characteristics has the same properties as natural stone, which allows ceramic granite tiles to have high strength, high resistance to frost, and resistance to aggressive chemical environments.
- Clinker tiles or ceramics, which, during the manufacturing process, are subjected to prolonged firing at high temperatures, which gives the material increased strength and frost resistance.
- Frost-resistant outdoor ceramic tiles are also suitable for garage floors.
Tip: For flooring in the garage, tiles should be selected with an anti-slip surface, which will protect the car owner from accidental falls.
Use for pvc flooring in garage
Such modern floor material has the form of separate modules. For its manufacture, durable, chemically resistant polyvinyl chloride is taken. High frost resistance allows the use of tiles in heated and unheated rooms, even outdoors.
PVC surface has the following features:
- It is not subject to slipping, while washing the car with careless movement, you can not be afraid to fall.
- It absorbs vibration well.
- Excellent resistance to high loads.
- Good resistance to mechanical damage.
- The material is easy to install. For this, there is no need to use adhesives: the tiles have special locks that allow you to assemble the coating, like a designer. If necessary, they can be easily disassembled into component parts and decomposed in another place.
Wooden floors for the garage
Tip: Car enthusiasts who prefer everything green should make wooden floors in the garage.
Advantages of wooden floors:
- Absolute safety: they are not sources of dust or emission of harmful substances.
- Boards that have become unusable can be easily repaired or replaced with new ones.
- The total cost of plank floors is quite low.
Tip: When choosing a garage floor, you should be guided by your capabilities, but you should not forget about quality. The durability and safety of your car depends on a properly laid, high-quality floor covering.
The disadvantages of wooden floors include:
- Short service life. After 4-5 years of operation, despite perfect waterproofing and proper care, plank floorboards begin to rot. But, damaged boards are easily replaced with new ones.
The listed floor coverings are far from all that can be used in the garage. These are just the most popular solutions. For example, you can make a regular earth floor - the cheapest option, and a natural stone floor - one of the most expensive.
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Happy car owners who have their own garage spend a lot of time in it alone with their own iron horse. The interior decoration of the garage in this case should be as neat, practical and comfortable as the decoration in your own home. Of course, the floor is subjected to the greatest load. In a huge variety of coatings, you need to choose exactly the one that will satisfy all the requirements of the owner and turn out to be the most durable and economical. Floor in the garage which is better - modern materials or black surface? The answers to the question are in this article.
Floor in modern garage
Floor options
The floor in the garage is subject to extremely intense impact: the wheels of the car drive on it, heavy objects move, and people walk in shoes. In addition to mechanical damage flooring it also receives chemicals: fuel, oils, acids, paint and other aggressive compounds fall down even among the most careful motorists. Washing your car will also shorten the life of your floor if the finish is not up to the loads.
An economical option of bulk earth or sand coating can hardly be called successful for obvious reasons: with such a finish, dirt is inevitable, which will be in the cabin or at home, especially in conditions of high humidity. When wondering which floors are better in a garage, you can answer that they are any, except for earthen ones, since they can hardly be called floors at all.
An earthen floor is the simplest, but also the most unfortunate solution.
Another option - wooden floors - also has more disadvantages than advantages. In terms of cost, it is comparable to bulk, and in terms of wear resistance it is much inferior to it. Due to its flammability, this floor is one of the worst options for garages, where fuel and lubricants can easily splash out, catch fire and cause serious damage.
Concrete base: floor slab and rough screed
The basis of any floor is a concrete slab or monolithic concrete block. In the first case, the quality and grade of concrete is checked by the manufacturer, so the factory concrete slab has good strength characteristics and can be used as a floor covering.
Monolithic concrete, which is arranged in place, may be inferior in strength to the slab. Normally, it takes 28 days for concrete to fully cure. In this period cement composition protect from drying out by constantly watering and preventing evaporation.
Concrete is not just a dried mortar, it is a substance in which water molecules are embedded in the structure of the stone, the strength of the finish coating depends on moisture content. If the technology is followed, then the screed will last a long time.
It is easy to determine a low-quality coating, it is enough to rub the screed with the soles of the shoes, and if sand appears, the floor should be “brought to mind” with other types of finishes, otherwise it will not last long.
The floor in your garage: what is better - a slab or a screed - it is impossible to answer unambiguously, since the coating should be evaluated individually in each case.
Related article:
Self-leveling floors
Screed floors are ready-made formulations, which have high plasticity, are able to fill all the voids evenly and, by analogy with liquids, spread strictly horizontally. Such products are easy to install, as they do not require additional alignment.
Bulk composition in the garage
There are several types of compositions, but all of them can be divided into two large groups- cement and polymer. Which floors are best done in the garage depends on how often aggressive substances will get on them. Cement compounds have very high strength, they are extremely durable and are relatively cheap.
Polymer compositions contain various substances, which, when hardening the screed, form a plastic, moisture-resistant monolithic coating. Additives are added to some mixtures to make the finished floor chemically resistant. This technology cannot be called revolutionary, on the contrary, it has been tested for decades, since polymer bulk compositions have been used in production shops at factories since Soviet times.
Ceramic tiles and porcelain tiles
Ceramics is one of the leaders among wear-resistant floor coverings. The secret to this tile's success is its silicate glaze, which is essentially glass, renowned for its chemical and abrasion resistance.
Using tiles as flooring
The disadvantages include fragility, because when heavy objects fall, the tile can crack. The quality of the finished base is highly dependent on the quality of the tile joints and the quality of the base. Under the tile, you will have to level the rough surface to an ideal state.
The technology for installing porcelain stoneware slabs is the same as that of ceramic tiles. Porcelain stoneware is not inferior to it in terms of strength and durability, however, from the point of view of ergonomics, it is preferable. The structure of the material is such that the surface will never be slippery. Water flows down it just as quickly, cleaning with solvents and rough mechanical cleaning. Porcelain stoneware can be purchased at a low price, budget articles will cost much cheaper than tiles.
Polymer tiles
Durable, easy to install, ergonomic and stable polymer floor has the only drawback - a high price.
Comparison of different types of coatings
From what it is better to make a floor in the garage, you can decide by evaluating the pros and cons of each type of coating.
Concrete surfaces and surfaces made of moisture-resistant coatings behave differently during operation. In a garage finished with any type of tile, you can bring perfect cleanliness, in which it is pleasant to work and just be. Concrete surfaces can also be washed, but the appearance is still inferior. Oils and fuels are easily removed from ceramics without leaving a trace, and the concrete floor remembers such stains forever. Acids do not harm tiles or polymer floors, but they destroy concrete, it begins to crumble, and local damage appears.
A garage is a narrowly functional room, the device of which must meet special requirements. In a limited area, you need to distribute a tangible load, so the floor in the garage is best done from strong, wear-resistant materials.
Basic requirements for flooring in the garage
Any machine has a significant mass and requires constant maintenance with a set of tools that increase the load on the floor surface, so it is better to provide a few features if you start to arrange the floor in the garage:
- The strength and resistance of the material to mechanical stress, the floor in the garage is subjected to high dynamic loads almost daily, therefore it must have a reliable foundation.
- The top coat must be resistant to chemical compounds and not react to the penetration of fuels and lubricants (fuels and lubricants).
- Moisture resistance of the material - it is impossible to exclude seasonal penetration of moisture into the garage when enough water and snow get from the wheels or fenders of the car.
- Garage flooring with flame retardant properties will ensure fire safety and will not allow smoke to spread.
Based on the above criteria, you can exclude materials such as wood and linoleum to make the floor in the garage. There is an opinion that if the wood is impregnated with special substances, it will become a suitable material for making the floor in the garage, however, over time, the flame retardant composition loses its properties, and the constant spreading of fuels and lubricants increases the risk of fire.
Important! Only a few materials are suitable for making garage floors, among which are a concrete or cement screed followed by a final laying or modern polymer floors (acrylic, polyurethane, epoxy). If you choose the option with polymer floors, you will also have to do the initial pouring of the concrete base.
Pouring concrete screed
The main problem when laying a concrete base is related to the interaction of the concrete and the adjacent soil, which should not be mobile or contain water. In order to prevent the negative consequences of excess moisture, you need to pour gravel crumbs, which will take over drainage functions and the excess water will be gone. The gravel embankment, which should be at least 10 cm thick, is covered with a layer of sand of the same height, which is visible in the photo, in order to compact the embankment layer and strengthen the adhesion to concrete.
Waterproofing - necessary element in order to exclude the penetration of water from the soil into the under-garage area. For this, a material such as a dense polyethylene film is used, which must be laid in sheets with an overlap of 20 cm one on top of the other. Next, a concrete pad is poured, which should be 20 cm thick, for its alignment, the installation of beacons is used in order to spend less time and material on leveling the finishing screed. The concrete cushion must necessarily be reinforced with a reinforcing mesh with a thickness of at least 10 mm, as in the photo.
At the final stage, the floor in the garage is poured cement screed, to strengthen which you also need to use a metal mesh with 10x10 cm cells. The screed must also be covered with polyethylene and left to dry until it becomes a light shade, which indicates the complete absence of water in the screed. For the final leveling of the floor, self-leveling compounds can be used, in which plasticizers are added to improve performance.
If the surrounding conditions allow you to freely wash the car in the garage, then the floors should be poured with a slight slope to quickly drain dirty water.
Floor coverings for the garage
In order to make a fine floor covering for the garage, you can use various materials:
- topping system- used to strengthen the concrete-cement surface and can be both the final version of the floor finish, and preparatory for laying the finish coating; hardening topping mixtures consist of crystalline quartz or corundum rocks with the addition of metal powder;
- floor tiles- this is the most common option when choosing finishing materials for a garage; in order to tile floors, it is better to use frost-resistant porcelain stoneware that can withstand increased loads; porcelain stoneware "gres" - non-enamelled single-fired ceramic tiles, very durable, produced various colors and shades; porcelain stoneware tiles have excellent technological performance: low water absorption, resistance to abrasive loads and chemicals, a variety of colors and patterns; porcelain stoneware better tolerates impact and temperature changes;
- rubber cover- available to everyone, inexpensive and durable, it is made from fractionated crumbs obtained from old car tires, thick rubber is available in rolls or in the form of tiles that can be laid very easily; the coating has a relief non-slip structure, when laying it is better to use an adhesive designed for outdoor work;
- modular flooring for a garage - such a coating is assembled according to the type of puzzles, the main component for its production is polyvinyl chloride, which provides increased strength and elasticity of the coating; if you choose a PVC floor covering, you don’t even have to glue it to the base, because the installation takes place by joining special locks; the PVC coating is antistatic, has a rough surface with an anti-slip effect and can be purchased in any shape and color, as seen in the photo;
- concrete base painting- the cheapest option for a fine finish, but conventional paints wear off and peel off over time, so it is better to use a special impregnation for concrete, which penetrates 2-3 cm into the thickness and stably stays on the floor for a long time; the photo shows that paints for concrete allow you to choose the desired color; latex, one- and two-component epoxy paints must be applied in accordance with the attached instructions in order to achieve a permanent result; you need to calculate your capabilities so as to complete the staining in one step, since the paint dries quickly.
Particularly demanding garage owners use the concrete polishing technique, which consists of several stages: the cleaned concrete surface without cracks and drops is polished using abrasive mechanisms, the concrete is impregnated with hardening mixtures and polishing begins, after which the surface must be finished with several layers of polyurethane varnish. If, to achieve an impressive decorative effect, granite or marble chips are added to concrete, the polished surface will acquire a unique pattern. Looking at the photo, you can see that the polished concrete floors have an interesting intricate texture.
The polymer flooring for the garage combines many advantages - both high technological properties and an attractive external condition. The polymer coating is made from special mixtures that are easily mixed and distributed over the floor plane with a spiked roller. If the resulting polymer mixture is of the correct liquid consistency, then it is able to self-level, and the master needs to remove possible air bubbles from the mixture with spikes on the roller. Before this, it is necessary to repeatedly prime the concrete base with binder mixtures in order to prepare the surface for applying a polymer coating. Dried floors must be sanded and painted to achieve a flawless effect, as shown in the photo.
When building a garage, special attention should be paid to the floor. If the surface becomes damp, emits a lot of dust, and cannot withstand the load, this will negatively affect the safety of the car. Do DIY garage floor There are several ways, each of which has its own advantages. A concrete screed is considered a classic base, but other floor options are also in demand: earthen, self-leveling, wooden, and even tiled.
The cheapest floor is earthen. It does not require financial costs, has a very simple device, but at the same time it has low strength and highly absorbs moisture. Such coverage can be done temporarily if the construction budget is very limited. Also, this option is suitable for those who do not often use the garage, and most of the time is on the road.
The process of arranging an earthen floor is very simple:
- when marking the site for the foundation, the entire vegetation layer is removed;
- after pouring the basement, the interior space is cleared and leveled;
- using a tamper, carefully compact the base;
- when the roof is already mounted in the garage, a layer of greasy clay with a thickness of 10 cm or more is poured onto the floor;
- carefully tamp the base.
You can do without clay, but it significantly increases the strength of the floor and provides good protection from moisture.
Concrete floor
Concrete screed is the most popular coating in private garages. Such a floor can withstand very strong and uneven loads, is not afraid of fire, is resistant to various oils, solvents and gasoline, and is durable. Concrete can pull moisture, but correct device sex completely eliminates such risks. Although the amount of work is quite large and will require a lot of time and physical effort, the process itself has a simple technology.
Construction stages:
- manufacturing viewing hole;
- floor level markings;
- soil preparation;
- backfilling with sand and gravel;
- laying waterproofing;
- reinforcement;
- floor filling.
All work is carried out after the completion of the construction of the garage, but before the start of the interior decoration of the premises.
Step 1. Preparation of the pit
An inspection pit is not a mandatory element of every garage; it is only needed for those who independently repair their car. It should be noted that a pit cannot be made in a site where the groundwater level is 2.5 m. A place for it is usually chosen in the center of the room, departing a certain distance from the entrance.
Having determined the location of the pit, they dig a pit. Its parameters are:
- width 75-80 cm + 30 cm for waterproofing;
- depth - the growth of the owner of the garage + 30 cm;
- length - vehicle length + 1.5 m.
On the ground, mark the boundaries of the pit and begin to dig. During work, you need to ensure that all walls remain as vertical and even as possible. After excavation, the floor is compacted with a rammer, then a thin layer of clay is poured and rammed again. Next, the bottom of the pit is covered with a layer of roofing material, the edges of which lead a little to the walls.
A concrete mixture is poured over the roofing material to a height of 7 to 10 cm. The top of the concrete is leveled and left to dry. It is not necessary to cover the pit while the solution dries.
Step 2. Laying the walls
When the concrete in the pit is hardened enough, you can lay out the walls. For these purposes, red burnt brick and aerated concrete blocks are best suited. Laying is carried out immediately around the entire perimeter; it is impossible to lay each wall separately. So, the first row is laid in level, leaving about 15-20 cm between the walls of the pit and the brick. The protruding mortar is immediately removed with a trowel so that when finishing the pit, it is not necessary to knock down the hardened concrete.
Wall laying. Metal corner around the perimeter
All subsequent rows are laid out with offset vertical seams, which helps to strengthen the walls. To keep the masonry vertical, every 2-3 rows are checked with a level; at a time it is not recommended to build more than 6 rows of bricks. The last row of bricks should be 6-7 cm below the threshold level. Subsequently on brick walls a metal corner will be laid, which should not protrude above the floor surface.
Step 3. Pit waterproofing
After two or three days, the walls of the pit can be waterproofed from the outside. Using a dense roller on a long handle, the brick surface is coated with a primer and left to dry. Next, the bituminous mastic is heated, and with the same roller it is applied to the walls in a dense layer. Backfilling with soil of free space behind the walls of the pit is carried out after the mastic has completely dried. The voids should be filled with soil in layers with obligatory tamping, otherwise the earth will sag under the concrete coating and cracks will form.
Step 4. Marking the floor level
The markup is done with a laser or water level, the usual building one is not suitable here. With a laser level, the whole process will take a matter of minutes, but marking with a water level will take more time. For convenience, marking is done at a distance of 1 m from the subfloor, and then transferred to the zero mark. So, first, 1 m is measured from the threshold upwards and a mark is made with a pencil. Then one end of the level is attached to the mark, and the other to the adjacent wall, where the water level in the tube will show the location of the next mark.
Thus, 2-3 marks are left on each of the walls; after that, 102 cm are measured down from the upper beacons and marks are also made with a pencil. It remains only to beat off the marking line with a coated cord, and zero level defined.
Step 5. Preparing the base
In the process of building a garage, excess soil and construction debris remain inside the building. All this must be removed, and then additionally remove another layer of earth to a depth of 30 cm. The depth should be the same over the entire area, so all visible irregularities should be cleaned off with a shovel. With the help of a rammer, the soil itself is carefully compacted, then a layer of sand and clay 3-5 cm thick is covered, spilled with water and again taken up by the rammer. The higher the density of the base, the stronger the floor will be.
Step 6. Arrangement of a sand and gravel pad
The thickness of the gravel layer is 10 cm. If the garage is large, it will be difficult to pour a layer of the desired thickness without additional measurements, so you can simplify the task. To do this, wooden pegs of the desired height are driven into the ground, placing them in even rows. Having fallen asleep gravel to this level, you should tamp it well, pull out the pegs and fill the voids with the same gravel.
In a small garage, you can do it differently: in each corner and in the middle of the walls at a level of 10 cm, you need to put a bright mark. This technique will help to quickly fall asleep gravel, without wasting time on measurements. The next layer is sand; it can be fine or coarse-grained, even with an admixture of clay, but without debris and big clods. sand cushion for greater compaction, they are spilled with water and rammed again. Finally, the base plane is checked with a large building level or rule to avoid the formation of bumps.
Crushed stone with a diameter of 40-50 mm is poured onto the sand, the thickness of this layer is about 5 cm. The surface is leveled, compacted, covered with a small amount of sand and moistened. They ram again, trying not to leave sharp protrusions. In conclusion, the base is poured with lean concrete, the layer thickness of which is 3 cm.
Lean concrete is mixed in the following proportion:
- 1 part cement;
- 3 parts of sifted sand;
- 6 parts of small gravel.
This solution has low strength, but it perfectly levels the base under the screed. Concrete is poured onto rubble, leveled over the entire area with a rule and left to dry.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Cement | Cement is an astringent binder that holds the remaining elements of concrete together and gives the mixture a uniform stone-like structure. For the manufacture of concrete mortar, it is better to use cement M500 or M400 (pozzolanic or slag) |
| Sand | Sand is an aggregate that provides normal hardening of the mixture and closes the voids between the large components of the mixture. For concrete, washed, sifted sand with a fine, medium fraction, less often - coarse |
| rubble | As part of concrete, various crushed stone can be used - stone, slag, limestone, gravel, etc. For lean concrete, stone, gravel and mixed types of aggregates are used, both fine and coarse grains |
| Water | It is a reagent for the cement hydration reaction, which leads to the hardening of the mortar. For the optimal course of this reaction, it is important to observe the correct proportion of reagents (cement and water), which is commonly called the water-cement ratio or the W / C module. |
| Additives | Plasticizers, water repellents, antiseptics, sealants, surfactants, air-entraining agents, hardening retarders or accelerators, etc. |
Step 7. Waterproofing the floor
When the concrete dries, it is treated with any primer mixture.
Special membranes are used as waterproofing, roll materials, bituminous mastic and liquid rubber. Ruberoid, film, membrane are spread on the floor, and the edges lead to the walls. Cloths are necessarily laid with an overlap of 10 cm. Very often, the roofing material is laid directly on hot mastic, then the canvas is tightly glued to the base and reliably protects the floor from moisture.
Step 8 Reinforcement
For reinforcement, you will need a metal mesh with mesh sizes of 10x10 or 15x15 cm. It is cooked from reinforcement with a section of 5 mm. The grid is laid so that about 5 cm remains between its edges and the walls. The same distance must be left around the perimeter of the viewing hole. In addition, the mesh should be slightly raised above the surface, so plastic or metal supports 2 cm high are placed under the bars.
Step 9 Install Beacons
To make the floor perfectly flat, you need to make a screed along the beacons. Such beacons can be metal corners, profile, but it is most convenient to use steel pipes of small diameter, for example, 25 mm. To fix the guides, a little solution is kneaded, and the pipes themselves are liberally lubricated with machine oil. Lighthouses should be located in even horizontal rows, the distance between which is 1.2-1.5 m. Heaps of mortar are thrown onto the floor along the wall every 15 cm and the first pipe is laid on them. Using the level, set it horizontally and at the same time level it at the zero mark. When all the guides are installed, you should once again check their horizontal. To do this, the level is placed perpendicular to 2 or 3 lighthouses.
Along the perimeter of the garage, it is necessary to leave small gaps between the screed and the walls 1-2 cm wide and fill them with damper tape. This will help to avoid damage to the coating when shrinking the garage. Now it remains to weld the frame from the corners for the viewing hole. A steel corner 50x50 mm is cut into 4 parts according to the size of the pit and welded in the form of a rectangle. The finished frame is primed and dried, and then laid on brick walls. If desired, you can paint the corner with red lead - this will be additional protection against corrosion. Under the weight of the concrete solution, the frame may be slightly deformed; to prevent this from happening, the corners should be strengthened with temporary struts from a bar.
Step 10. Filling the screed
First you need to calculate the approximate volume of the solution. To do this, the floor area is multiplied by the height of the screed, which is 5 cm. For example, if the area is 35 square meters, then the screed will require at least 1.75 cubic meters concrete mix. A solution is being prepared in a ratio of 1: 3, and it is better to take cement grades 400-500, and sand can be replaced with screenings.
The solution should be sufficiently thick and homogeneous, so it should be mixed very carefully. The finished mass is poured between the beacons so that the solution covers them, and then a metal rule is carried out along the pipes and all the excess is pulled together. The rule must be pressed strongly on both sides and driven evenly, then the surface of the screed is simultaneously compacted and leveled.
1-2 days after pouring from the screed, carefully remove the guides. Since the pipes were lubricated with oil, this process will not require much effort. The grooves from the lighthouses are filled with the same solution and the surface is left to dry. To avoid cracking, it is recommended to moisten the floor regularly; you can also cover the surface with wet sawdust and periodically spray them with water. After 10-12 days, the sawdust is swept away, and the floor dries already in the open state. The complete drying of the concrete screed usually takes about 4 weeks.
Ceramic tile flooring
This option is quite expensive, since high-quality floor tiles are expensive. But such a floor looks great, is easy to clean, emits very little dust. Tiles must be purchased with a wear resistance class of at least 5, and if there is no heating in the garage, then frost-resistant. Laying is recommended to be done no earlier than 2 years after the construction of the garage, otherwise the coating will deform during shrinkage.
For work you will need:
- primer;
- tile adhesive;
- ceramic tile;
- notched trowel;
- level;
- plastic crosses for seams;
- grout.
Step 1. Preparing the base
Tiles are laid on a concrete base. If the rough screed has been damaged during operation, it is necessary to repair all the irregularities with cement mortar, clean it of dust and cover it with two layers of primer. Quality screed easy enough to prime.
Step 2: Finishing the floor
The adhesive composition is diluted according to the instructions and allowed to brew for 10 minutes. On reverse side tiles apply part of the adhesive, the rest on the floor with a notched trowel. Apply the tiles to the floor, smooth and gently press. Plastic spacers are inserted between adjacent fragments, which ensure the uniformity of the seams. After leveling, the tiles are checked with a level so that the floor is perfectly even. Glue should not get on the front side of the ceramics, all accidental splashes and smears are immediately wiped with a rag.
Step 3. Grouting
After laying, you need to wait 3 days and wipe the seams. For this, a special composition based on cement is used. The seams are moistened, and then the working mixture is applied with a rubber narrow spatula. After filling the seam, the excess is removed with a neat sharp movement. When the process is completed, the grout is allowed to set for half an hour, after which the seams are washed with a damp sponge. You can drive into the garage by car after 2 weeks, when the glue is completely dry and the floor acquires the desired strength.
Self-leveling floor is expensive, but the benefits of such a coating fully justify the cost. The self-leveling floor has a service life of at least 40 years, it has a very high strength, is easy to clean, does not burn, and has a perfectly flat surface. Epoxy and polyurethane industrial mixes are best suited for the garage. You can do the installation yourself, because the pouring technology is very simple.
Step 1. Preparatory work
The rough base is cleaned of dust and all cracks are sealed. Recesses with a depth of more than 3 cm are also filled with mortar and dried. After that, the floor is treated twice with a primer.
Step 2. Pouring the mixture
The floor solution is prepared exactly according to the instructions, otherwise the quality of the coating will decrease. During operation, the temperature in the garage should not be less than 10 and above 25 degrees. If the room is large, the filling is carried out in stages, dividing the area into several sections. Level the mixture with a spiked roller, carefully removing air bubbles. Drying will take about 20 days, after which the coating is ready for use.
Wood floors in garages are very rare. Despite the ease of installation, low cost and environmental friendliness of the material, such a coating is not popular. Even the densest wood cannot withstand the loads of a car for more than 5 years. In addition, a wooden floor is flammable, and in a garage where gasoline, oil and thinner are stored, this is doubly dangerous.
If you still want to make a wooden floor, the installation technology is simple and straightforward:
Video - Do-it-yourself floor in the garage
The floor in the garage is no less important part of the building than the walls. It depends on the correct technological solution and competent installation whether the floor can withstand the load from the mass of the car. This article discusses ways to make the floor in the garage with your own hands.
Peculiarities
The requirements for the floor in the garage are different from those for the foundation in houses. Garage flooring is different mechanical strength. Coating resistance to repeated mechanical impacts from heavy vehicles must be ensured by the choice of the correct material and the particular installation technique. Each contact of a large vehicle can cause mechanical damage. In the garage, shelves are often placed with heavy things that create an additional impact on the floor.
Another important feature of the garage flooring - resistance to fuels and lubricants. The floor covering must not be susceptible to chemical contamination. The car usually uses a lot of various kinds caustic and combustible materials - antifreeze, special oil, cleaners. Contact with these substances on the floor should not cause destruction of the coating.
The choice of flooring for the garage is significantly different from the material for facing the living room.
The garage floor must have reliable protection from the fire. Wood use options are acceptable provided additional processing tree. The application of a special mastic is necessary, as the floor often interacts with combustible materials. If it is not possible to purchase necessary funds, then preference should be given to another type of material.
It is important to remember that after processing the surface should not have a strong chemical smell, because ventilation in the garage is difficult.
moisture resistance- Another distinctive characteristic of the floor in the garage. Cars cause constant contact of the coating with water and snow. The material must be protected from rotting under the influence of dampness. This is another reason why you shouldn't stop choosing. wooden structure. The concrete floor is able to withstand increased moisture.
An unreinforced floor may rot and cease to withstand increased mechanical stress.
Constant temperature fluctuations should not Negative influence on flooring. The material must withstand critical freezing or heating. In the garage, you can carry out a water or electric heated floor, but this solution is not always advisable. The power source of such a system must be connected to the central heating system of the house. Otherwise, you will need to draw up an independent project, which is not entirely rational for such a room.
In the market of finishing materials for arranging the floor in the garage, the following materials can be distinguished: ceramic tiles, polymers, rubber tiles, wood panels, concrete. Each of the listed materials has a certain set of mechanical characteristics and installation features.
The choice of material should be made taking into account the characteristics of the room and its functional purpose.
Kinds
Wooden flooring In most cases, they are used for facing residential premises. However, at proper processing this material can also be used in the construction of the floor in the garage. Boards are environmentally friendly and have good thermal insulation. In addition, the wooden floor has an aesthetic appearance and gives the interior aristocracy.
Painting or varnishing the boards will protect the coating from water and dampness.
The main disadvantage of wooden flooring is the inability to withstand a prolonged critical load. Such a floor quickly deforms under the weight of cars, and therefore requires frequent updating. The coating must be changed every five years. It is not recommended to arrange such a floor for those who are not ready to spend extra money and time on maintaining a garage. The tree supports combustion well, so in the event of a fire, the chance to save the room is minimal.
It is important to know that the wooden coating is laid on a soil base. The laid surface must be additionally primed and painted. Before laying, each panel must be dried and treated with an antiseptic. These measures will increase the operational life of the tree and protect it from harmful chemical influences.
Concrete floor is widely used due to its reliability and long service life. Such a coating does not require frequent updating, and is also easy to use. cement mortar after curing, it becomes resistant to water, so it can be easily cleaned with direct jets of water. The coating is able to withstand critical loads without damage.
For the installation of a concrete floor, it is necessary to purchase cement, fine and coarse aggregate, as well as reinforcement to reinforce the coating. All components have a low cost, so owners with a small budget prefer to lay the concrete floor. Crushed stone is chosen as a coarse aggregate, and sand plays the role of a fine component. Reinforcement of the concrete screed is made metal mesh with a cross section of about ten millimeters.
The main disadvantage of the screed is that during operation a lot of dust is formed on it. To avoid constant cleaning of the room, the masters recommend covering the surface with paint. Cement floors are often used as a subsurface for subsequent tiling or hardwood flooring. Laying ceramics requires additional marking and work.
The concrete floor does not conduct heat well, so the surface will always be cold. This can be corrected - to conduct a heating cable.
Ceramic tile has a high cost and requires a lot of time and labor costs for laying. When installing the floor in unheated room porcelain stoneware should be used. Such tiles are frost-resistant and able to withstand cooling to a critical temperature. Fragments are fixed with a special construction adhesive. Porcelain stoneware flooring must be laid smooth coating without height difference.
The latest solution for garage flooring - poured epoxy floor. This type of base differs from its counterparts in increased wear resistance. The floor is resistant to chemicals, so it will maintain a perfect surface throughout its entire service life. The coating does not require special care and does not create excess dust during operation. The polymer floor is different high quality, durability and reliability.
Decorative elements can be added to the liquid composition, creating an unusual pattern on the floor surface. Color pigments will not reduce the quality of the material. The surface does not fade under the direct rays of the sun, retaining the original color throughout the entire service life. With high-quality laying, such a coating will look like liquid glass.
Epoxy floors are impermeable, so they are recommended to be placed in conditions of high humidity. Polymers are resistant to sudden temperature changes.
A significant disadvantage of epoxy coating is the high price. Self-leveling floor requires a concreted rough base. The cost is due to the environmentally friendly composition. Floors do not emit harmful chemicals, which is a guarantee of safety for the health of residents. The service life of such a floor at minimal cost time and effort for cleaning can reach 50 years.
Modular PVC tile floors are safe and have a long service life. This floor covering consists of several layers. A layer of fiberglass is laid on a solid base, which maintains the rigidity of the product. Next comes the color layer. Depending on the cost of the plate, the pattern on the surface can be anything. So, some owners order PVC with interesting 3D effects. The final layer is protective.
Masters are advised to purchase PVC plates. This floor is distinguished by high technical specifications and does not require special skills for styling. Installation of tiles is not much different from laying ceramic mosaics. A damaged fragment is easy to dismantle and replace without the need to remove the entire layer.
Thanks to a wide range of sizes, modular tiles fit well in small spaces.
A feature of PVC tiles is the presence of special protrusions on the edges of parts. Due to these protrusions, the panels adhere to each other. The coating does not require the use of construction adhesive for fixing. Pieces of the puzzle are securely fixed to each other. The seams of such a floor are practically invisible.
A good alternative to polymer floor - corrugated steel decking. The surface is able to withstand long-term loads from overall transport without deforming under the weight of the load. The metal floor does not create excess dust, so it is easy to clean. Thanks to the ribbed coating, maximum surface roughness is achieved. The metal withstands impacts from heavy objects without cracking or deforming.
steel floor has significant value. Increased impact resistance allows you to achieve maximum coating life. Such "heavy-duty" floors are more wear-resistant compared to their counterparts made of polymers. Laying a corrugated floor does not require special skills, but it is impossible to freely cut the puzzle pieces.
It is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the floor in advance and order tiles taking into account the dimensions of the room.
garage flooring asphalt crumb Provides good tire grip. Crushed stone or brick crumb is used both for cladding the surface around the building and for laying the floor inside. It is important to understand that asphalt can only be laid correctly using a roller. The base is pre-filled with gravel, which must be compressed. The use of construction equipment will allow you to get a smooth and reliable floor in the garage.
The main advantage of such a coating is resistance to chemical attack. Asphalt withstands sudden changes in temperature. It is important to understand that such a coating cannot be laid in cold period of the year. Otherwise, under the influence of temperature fluctuations, the coating will crack. The cost of this coating is small, but it is better to entrust the laying to road specialists. Such a coating will reliably serve for many years.
Surface preparation
As a rough coating, the easiest to install and affordable is a concrete floor. The primer of the cement-sand screed is easily done by hand. Concrete material can be used as the main floor if cost savings are needed. Rough coating can be obtained in several ways. Among them are the laying of a reinforced concrete slab and the pouring of a cement screed.
The first way to organize the foundation requires special construction equipment. self-lay concrete slab impossible - its weight will not allow the work to be done without the help of a team of specialists. Laying the slab will require high material costs, but will save time.
Pouring a concrete screed is quite cheap, but laborious. To correctly lay and process the surface, you need to spend a lot of time.
The screed must not be poured on sloped areas. The slope in laying the cement surface is unacceptable. In this case, as a rough surface, you must use reinforced concrete slab. If there is a desire to install a warm floor in the garage, then the presence of a screed is mandatory. The wooden structure on the logs is suitable for laying the floor in a bathhouse or living quarters, but will collapse under the influence of a load from a car.
Before direct pouring, it is necessary to remove the upper soil layer from the surface. Next, the surface is coated with clay and covered with a layer of aggregate - crushed stone, sand and gravel. After that, a layer of waterproofing made of polyethylene is lined with a thickness of not more than 200 microns. Roofing material is also suitable for these purposes. The film is overlapped, its edges are fastened with construction tape. At the junction of walls and floor, the edges of the film must be raised.
A reinforcing mesh is mounted on top of the waterproofing. Reinforcement will help provide the necessary strength and rigidity of the future surface. Next, you can start pouring concrete screed. During the laying process, the surface must be leveled with special spatulas - this will facilitate grinding after the cement has dried.
Floors must be left for at least 4 weeks to fully cure. The laid surface is covered with a protective film and periodically wetted during the drying process.
The concrete base after drying must be carefully cleaned. The main disadvantage of concrete is a weak top layer. A clean coating quickly wears out and becomes unusable. The screed well absorbs oils and other chemical substances, which negatively affects the coverage. Therefore, the masters recommend not to complete the installation of the garage floor at the stage of pouring the screed. It is better to lay a tile or a metal coating on the resulting base. So the concrete will be protected and will last much longer.
Installation
To make a wooden floor with your own hands, you must first process the boards with a special protective agent and leave for a few days. The humidity of the wood flooring before laying must match the humidity of the air in the room. To achieve this result, wooden panels must be laid out around the perimeter of the room. If the bars lie on top of each other, then the wood may not receive the desired moisture content. This may cause deformation of the floor after installation. To eliminate defects, repairs will be required with a complete replacement of the damaged board.
You can lay the wood on a pre-cleaned primed concrete screed. The beams-logs are installed on the screed in increments of 100-200 cm. In order for the boards to hold, they must be fixed with dowels every half a meter. The step of intermediate logs is 400 millimeters. The wooden base must be covered with a layer of waterproofing.
A small gap must be left between the protective film and the wall to ensure floor ventilation.
On top of the insulation you need to lay boards - the finish coating of a wooden floor. The panels are nailed perpendicular to the joists in order to properly distribute the load on the structure. In order for the coating to withstand heavy loads, the boards must be at least 4 centimeters thick. On finished surface antiseptics and paint are applied. These techniques help to keep the coating from the effects of chemicals.
Ceramic tiles are also laid on a rough concrete base. Wear class ceramic material should be around 5. Before laying the tiles, the screed is primed twice and cleaned of dust. Construction adhesive for fixing the mosaic is prepared in advance and left for a while.
This procedure is necessary to improve the adhesive properties of the material. The adhesive is applied both to the ceramic fragment and to the concrete surface.
The width of the gap at the joints of the tiles should be the same throughout the masonry. The joint is adjusted using a plastic cruciform spacer. The evenness of the surface is checked by a laser level. It is important to ensure that adhesive composition did not get on the front surface of the ceramics. Contaminants must be removed on site: the surface is difficult to clean from the cured adhesive. For complete drying of the tiles, it is enough to wait about 3 days.
Joints must be treated with a special grout. The product contains cement. Due to the immunity of the binder to water, the seams are reliably protected from the influence of moisture. The mixture must be applied with a silicone spatula, excess material must be removed. The time of complete drying of the solution in domestic conditions reaches 30 minutes. After the tile must be sanded with a wet sponge and leave the coating for another two weeks.
The concrete screed plays the role of a rough coating for the installation of a self-leveling floor. In order to qualitatively finish the perimeter with an epoxy mixture, it is necessary to achieve ideal flat surface screeds. Any cracks and flaws must be repaired, as the polyurethane mixture is translucent. Mixing the solution for pouring the floor is carried out in a room with a temperature not lower than 10 and not more than 25 degrees.
Filling is performed in several approaches. Optionally, coloring pigments are added to the composition. To eliminate air bubbles, a spiked roller is passed over the surface. The procedure for laying such a coating is simple and does not require the supervision of specialists. It takes at least three weeks for the floor to dry completely.
Waterproofing
The concrete base can pass ground water. During operation, wet spots will begin to appear on the floor without a protective layer. It is impossible to remove them from the surface. To prevent the coating from getting wet, it will be necessary to remove the finish layer and lay the waterproofing. Floors should also be protected from external influences of moisture. For example, when snow melts from the surface of tires or when washing a car.
The first stage in the installation of waterproofing is the backfilling of the gravel pad. Small rounded particles act as a drain, therefore, they ensure the removal of water from the surface. Moisture does not stagnate and does not cause rotting of the floor. The thickness of the pillow should reach 100 millimeters. After laying on the surface, it is necessary to repeatedly walk with a roller to compact the layer.
The gravel is then covered with sand. This is necessary so that excess moisture does not accumulate on the concrete base of the foundation. Sand is able to absorb moisture and prevent concrete from corroding. The layer of sand backfill should reach one centimeter and be well compacted. Before the direct laying of a concrete slab or pouring a screed, it is necessary to lay polyethylene.
Waterproofing material is also laid after pouring concrete and laying reinforcement. Polyethylene helps to reduce the evaporation of water from the concrete mass. This technique helps to increase the service life of the base. A reinforced concrete pad with a layer of insulation should dry for several weeks. It is possible to lay the subfloor only after the base has completely dried.
The slope of the screed should vary between 1.5 and 2 percent. The slope is directed towards the garage door. Thanks to this design, excess water will spontaneously drain from the surface of the garage floor.
Among waterproofing materials for protecting garage flooring, roofing material, protective films and membranes are used. The coating is fixed with hot mastic. The adhesive provides additional protection against water. Walls can also be coated with a protective mixture to a height of up to 20 centimeters from the floor level. liquid rubber can only be applied to the surface without visible defects.
Polymer film has a fairly low price, and you can fasten it together with a simple adhesive tape. For regions with predominantly low temperatures masters advise installing penetrating insulation. It is important to remember that waterproofing layers can be raised to the wall to a height of 15 centimeters.
Heating
Insulation should be selected based on normative documents. The recommended air temperature in the garage should reach +5 degrees. As the temperature rises, condensation in the room increases. High humidity can adversely affect the safety of the car.
You can insulate a wooden floor with boards from 5 centimeters thick. The step between the base logs should not exceed 50 centimeters. Otherwise, the floor will deform under the load from the car. A concrete floor without a lag can be insulated with a simple wooden flooring. For the device of such a base, larch panels are suitable. Wood has the ability to retain heat, so this flooring will significantly increase the temperature in the room.
The thickness of the concrete screed above the insulation should be about 100 millimeters. insulating material under the screed must be resistant to deformation. The base soil and the foundation of the garage are always subject to requirements for additional reinforcement.
Among heaters, hygroscopic samples are produced. Such coatings protect on both sides from moisture penetration. However, even such a coating requires a waterproofing device.
On modern market building materials, you can purchase the following heaters:
- Expanded clay. This material has a low cost. Its installation requires preliminary excavation of the pit, because the thickness of such a heater can reach 45 centimeters. Expanded clay is a loose mixture, so during the laying process it will need to be leveled. For these purposes, beacons are used.
- Styrofoam. This type of insulation is laid on a concrete slab and serves as a good base for pouring the screed. The density of such a material should not be lower than s-25, and it is better to take a plate thickness of about 10 centimeters. It is not recommended to leave gaps between the insulation panels.
- Styrofoam under plank base significantly different from the analog under the concrete screed. The density of such sheets can be any. The dimensions of the plate can be 50x500x1000 millimeters. Masters recommend additionally purchasing vapor barrier material to protect the tree from excessive moisture.
The choice of material largely depends on the financial capacity of the owners. Masters recommend arranging a concrete base for all types of topcoat. Concrete is a good base, better resists critical mechanical loads. A slab or screed will serve as a good floor even without final finishing. There is no cheaper and more reliable option today.
However, it is better to additionally coat the screed with paint so that it retains its smoothness for a long time.
A solid base guarantees a porcelain stoneware coating. It is important to remember that compliance with the laying technology requires the intervention of qualified specialists with construction equipment. This option is suitable for someone who is ready to shell out a sufficient amount for the installation of the floor in the garage. Porcelain stoneware coating looks aesthetically pleasing, masters recognize it as the most durable. The cost of laying the material pays off with a long service life.
When choosing tiles for masonry, preference should be given to polymers. Ceramic mosaic with a complex pattern in this room is inappropriate. The cost of such tiles is many times more than rubber and plastic counterparts. Preference should be given to rubber fragments, which are no less easy to install and operate. Polymers do not require special processing of seams. The joints of some coatings are invisible, which creates the illusion of a monolithic coating.
A warm water or electric floor is not the best solution for a garage. You should choose easy-to-use and relatively cheap materials. It is important to understand what characteristics the future coating should have and how often it will be replaced. Wooden flooring is suitable for eco-conscious people, but you need to be ready to change the panels after 5 years of use. Stone tiles look expensive, but not appropriate. It is important to choose a coating with sufficient roughness.
Beautiful examples
Before making a choice, you can familiarize yourself with the preferences of other people. This will help avoid mistakes or help in creating an interesting floor option.
Polymer fragments with fine relief create the effect of a repeating pattern. This option is perfect for flooring in small garage. The dark rubber coating is well combined with the light wall covering. The neat seams of the tiles are smeared with a dark composition that does not stand out against the general background of the floor. Important feature- the tile is laid seam in the seam without shifts, so there is no visual curvature of the space.
Another option for using rubber panels is the alternation of colors in a checkerboard pattern. The combination of red with white or black looks bright, but at the same time minimalist. This solution is perfect for owners of large garages. Wide colored fragments give the room a zest.
For such a floor, it is necessary to use wall cladding in neutral shades. Light paint or plaster will be a great addition to a bright base. The room is filled with air and light, which is uncharacteristic of the typical idea of finishing a garage. The seamless connection of the tiles creates interesting effect influx.
Stone fragments with white seams look massive and elegant at the same time. Clarity and accuracy of execution is a hallmark of this room. Nice brown color goes well with light walls. Ceramic masonry duplicates the wall covering.
Ceramics on the walls not only serve as a visual continuation of the floor, creating the illusion of depth. Tile protects light walls from pollution. The surface is easy to clean and does not require extra effort. wooden shelves and cabinets match the color of the floor. The image turns out to be curtained, without unnecessary heaps.
The floor paved with concrete mosaic looks unusual. Mixing masonry creates a play of forms. This technique enlivens the gray room, adds some elegance to it. The alternation of ordered masonry with a chaotic arrangement of fragments does not create dissonance. This is achieved by using a material of the same color.
Such a floor will withstand even the most critical load, because it is close to the structure of the streets. The pavement will be combined with rough wall cladding. It is important to understand that such a floor will always be cold, since the stone does not conduct heat well. This garage is great for storing a car, but working in it in cold weather will be difficult.
The plank floor is suitable for connoisseurs of the texture of natural material. The panels create the perfect coverage. It is pleasant to work indoors because it is filled with light. Such a garage is more suitable for a workshop. The boards are varnished, which not only protects the surface, but also gives it a beautiful sheen.
A wooden budget floor retains the natural smell of wood. As you can see, the connection of wood panels is almost seamless. Boards are laid parallel to each other. The geometry of the room is not disturbed and due to this arrangement of logs, it visually lengthens. This option is perfect for a small garage.
A distinctive feature of this interior is the rich color epoxy floor. Due to the laying technology and coating features, the floor acquires a glassy sheen and solidity.
