Shop Floor Plan Feedback Wanted

[George Bregar]

This kind of came up in the "seal FLoor" thread but didn't want to get that off topic so am starting this thread. I am building out my 2x36 three garage as a woodshop, and walls ceilings and lights are done. Need to decide what to do with the floor. First, the shop is northern WI, where as you can imagine it gets plenty cold in the winter nd plenty humid in the summer...so humid that the concrete floor of the garage is always sweating. The thought of bare concrete is not appealing...you'll ever get it warm...or keep it fry. Plus it's a bitch on my knees and back.

My thoughts are to use either Placon http://www.spycor.com/CertainTeed_Platon_Waterproofing_Membrane_Subfloor _p/xsm.htm or a similar product called Delta-FL as a moisture and thermal barrier, and then use a high end "OSB" called Advantech www.advantechperforms.com for the actual flooring. The Advantech comes in 3/4" 3x8 t&G. It is highly moisture resistant and tough stuff. It would be secured to the slab with tapcons and then painted with a garage floor paint like Rustoleum.

An added bonus would be that I could finish the floor this winter and start placing machines and dust collection rather than wait til summer. No way I would be able to get that slab warm enough to paint until then.

Anyone have experiences with either of these two (or actually three) products? Thoughts?

[Damon Marxer]

George:

I do not know much about the products but my neighbor who is a builder and helped me build my outbuilding raves about the Advantec. We ended up using that for the subfloor upstairs and it does seem like very good material. I think it is a little more expensive than normal OSB but worth it.

Sounds like a good plan you have with the floor. You will love the wood floor vs concrete as it is much easier on the body. Wish I could have done that in my shop but it became fairly costly with everything else.

Good Luck,

Damon

[George Bregar]

Thanks Damon. The Advanteck is a about $21 a sheet at Lowes, but I think worth it. Sould eliminate issues of seam swelling that standard OSB is prone to. Its also smoother as it's sanded on both sides, and the strands are smaller.

[Ed Rosen]

George - good plan - I looked at two similar options that were a little easier to install - one called dricore and the other ovrx barricade - both come in T&G roughly 2' x 2' OSB panels; I believe the dricore has an integrated rigid dimple patterned polyethylene bottom; I believe the ovrx has an integrated bottom layer of softer R3.2 xps foamboard (I suspect the advanteck OSB you are looking at is a superior OSB). Here are two links to the products

http://www.dricore.com/en/eIndex.aspx

http://www.ovrx.com/

I liked the manageability of the panels and the 'non-tapcon' installation. In the end I went for the barricade bc of its higher insulation qualities and softer feel - it has worked out well for my basement shop subfloor thus far

I think you can see both of them at Lowes

[Matt Kestenbaum]

George,

I too looked at the Dricor system. One thing I noticed about it (pro) is that is has raised "cleats" in the moisture barrier layer, so it sits up off the concrete a half inch or so, allowing air circulation. This seems great for mold prevention, adding a little extra cushion, and also helping to keep the cold from coming through. The downside of this is perhaps that the floor system will require some transition at the doors and garage bays. I went to the Dricor web site and didn't see much about that. When I asked the guys at the contractor desk at Lowes about it they said the system was really designed for finishing-out basements.

At ~$6 a tile you'd be looking at ballpark $500.

This appears to be the floor used in the garage-shop in the the first featured shop in FWW Tools and Shops special issue currently out.

[George Bregar]

George - good plan - I looked at two similar options that were a little easier to install - one called dricore and the other ovrx barricade - both come in T&G roughly 2' x 2' OSB panels; I believe the dricore has an integrated rigid dimple patterned polyethylene bottom; I believe the ovrx has an integrated bottom layer of softer R3.2 xps foamboard (I suspect the advanteck OSB you are looking at is a superior OSB). Here are two links to the products

http://www.dricore.com/en/eIndex.aspx

http://www.ovrx.com/

I liked the manageability of the panels and the 'non-tapcon' installation. In the end I went for the barricade bc of its higher insulation qualities and softer feel - it has worked out well for my basement shop subfloor thus far

I think you can see both of them at Lowes I'm familiar with Dri-core...over $5/sf so a no. That barricade stuff is $7 for 2x2.

It looks like I may go with Delta-FL..it is similar to Platon but has a higher loading capacity. It has dimples to elevate the subfloor and is a moisture barrier. Plus Lowes has it on sale for $16 for a 3.5'x30' roll. $.15 a square foot :). Advantech is $22 for a 4x8...so $.70/sf. I found some "rustic" oak 3-1/4" T&G flooring on craigslist for $.99/sf.

[Bob Winkler]

This interesting to me 'cause the cold cement floor is definitely not fun. So is the Advantech the finished floor, or a subfloor for some other T&G floor?

Bob

[George Bregar]

This interesting to me 'cause the cold cement floor is definitely not fun. So is the Advantech the finished floor, or a subfloor for some other T&G floor?

Bob I was thinking of just using the Advantech but decided to put some 3-1/4 oak T&G hardwood flooring over it...found some on CL for .99 sf. I know people have used poly'd OSB for a floor with goof results but it seems like to me that it would not be durable enough. The oak flooring should be plenty durable and I still am less than 1/2 the price of just the dricore. The key though is the Delta-FL...it acts as both a moisture barrier and a thermal break...plus it provides some give so it will be easier on my ole knees. I'll post pics....looking to install it all over the post Christmas weekend.

[George Bregar]

George,

I too looked at the Dricor system. One thing I noticed about it (pro) is that is has raised "cleats" in the moisture barrier layer, so it sits up off the concrete a half inch or so, allowing air circulation. This seems great for mold prevention, adding a little extra cushion, and also helping to keep the cold from coming through. The downside of this is perhaps that the floor system will require some transition at the doors and garage bays. I went to the Dricor web site and didn't see much about that. When I asked the guys at the contractor desk at Lowes about it they said the system was really designed for finishing-out basements.

At ~$6 a tile you'd be looking at ballpark $500.

This appears to be the floor used in the garage-shop in the the first featured shop in FWW Tools and Shops special issue currently out. Matt, the Delta-FL overlay moisture barrier has dimples and does the same thing as dricore...raises the subfloor off the slab...for the very reasons that you list....albet better I would think as it's a sheet material. It's also very much less expensive. I'm only doing 2/3 of the garage...the other third has a garage door still, a wood rack, and will be used for finishing and assembly so painted concrete will work ok there. so the 20x24 space would cost about $799 for dricore alone. The Delta-FL and OSB would cost $240...if I upgrade to advantech osb then about $400.

[Ed Rosen]

just a clarification for future threader searchers - dricore is a little under $6 a 2x2 tile, not $5 sq ft -- more like $1.50 sq ft - the barricade is a bit more (+0.25 sq ft?) but offers more thermal insulation and a bit easier on the legs - no affiliation

[George Bregar]

just a clarification for future threader searchers - dricore is a little under $6 a 2x2 tile, not $5 sq ft -- more like $1.50 sq ft - the barricade is a bit more (+0.25 sq ft?) but offers more thermal insulation and a bit easier on the legs - no affiliation You're right...my bad. Still pricey stuff. As it turns out I picked up the Delta-FL for $9 for 42"x30' at the Lowes in Plover, WI...they had a close-out. $.09/sf! :p . OSB is $11/sheet...$.34/sf. So total is $0.43/sf.

[David G Baker]

George,
I just finished a front porch enclosure and I used Dricore on the concrete slab. The floor is 10'x20'. Dricore was a pleasure to work with. Don't know if you have a local Menard's, if so check them out on the Dricore price. Mine cost me $5.49 a panel, that makes it around $1.38 a square foot if my math is correct. It costs a little more if you get it from Home Depot.

[George Bregar]

George,
I just finished a front porch enclosure and I used Dricore on the concrete slab. The floor is 10'x20'. Dricore was a pleasure to work with. Don't know if you have a local Menard's, if so check them out on the Dricore price. Mine cost me $5.49 a panel, that makes it around $1.38 a square foot if my math is correct. It costs a little more if you get it from Home Depot. I'm familar, and it's just too pricey. I really think my Delta-FL/OSB combo is a better solution too. The Delta-FL is a roll our product, and provides a continuous moisture barrier. I would think tha Dricore might have an issue there. Also, because the subfloor is 4x8 osb, it should be more tolerant to variances in floor level than the 2x2 dricore. Of course, I will have to tapcom the osb to the slab but no need to ship all those 2x2 panels. In any event my solution is 25% of the cost of the dricore...about the same even with 3 1/4" oak hardwood T&G flooring.

[Jason White]

I'm in the process of laying "Dri-Core" tiles down over my concrete shop floor. Got them at Home Depot. I read in Fine Woodworking that they can raise the floor temp by about 5 degrees. Also a plastic vapor barrier underneath to reduce moisture instrusion. Very easy to install.

Jason



This kind of came up in the "seal FLoor" thread but didn't want to get that off topic so am starting this thread. I am building out my 2x36 three garage as a woodshop, and walls ceilings and lights are done. Need to decide what to do with the floor. First, the shop is northern WI, where as you can imagine it gets plenty cold in the winter nd plenty humid in the summer...so humid that the concrete floor of the garage is always sweating. The thought of bare concrete is not appealing...you'll ever get it warm...or keep it fry. Plus it's a bitch on my knees and back.

My thoughts are to use either Placon http://www.spycor.com/CertainTeed_Platon_Waterproofing_Membrane_Subfloor _p/xsm.htm or a similar product called Delta-FL as a moisture and thermal barrier, and then use a high end "OSB" called Advantech www.advantechperforms.com for the actual flooring. The Advantech comes in 3/4" 3x8 t&G. It is highly moisture resistant and tough stuff. It would be secured to the slab with tapcons and then painted with a garage floor paint like Rustoleum.

An added bonus would be that I could finish the floor this winter and start placing machines and dust collection rather than wait til summer. No way I would be able to get that slab warm enough to paint until then.

Anyone have experiences with either of these two (or actually three) products? Thoughts?