Filling the garage floor can be done in different ways. The concrete floor attracts with its strength, comparative cheapness and the possibility of making it yourself. For many motorists, the garage becomes a second home, and therefore the issue of arranging this room is approached with all seriousness.
The floor in the garage is in specific conditions that distinguish it from similar coatings in other rooms. In addition to the standard requirements for any floor covering (strength, moisture resistance, durability, environmental friendliness, fire safety), the floor in the garage is subject to specific influences:
- A significant mechanical load caused by the mass of the car has both a static (when the car is stationary) and dynamic (when the car is moving) character.
- Local mechanical loads when installing a jack and other mechanisms.
- Impact mechanical loads caused by falling heavy objects and tools, often with sharp edges and corners.
- Chemical impacts occur when such fairly aggressive substances as gasoline, diesel fuel, machine oil, coolant, solvents, etc., often get on the floor, as well as the influence of exhaust gases.
As a rule, high design requirements are not put forward for the garage floor covering, but the reliability parameters must be on top. The floor in the garage is concrete, in general, meets the basic requirements, and therefore is popular in garage construction.
There are problems that still arise during the operation of concrete pavement. As a result of the dynamic load during the movement of the car, there is a significant dustiness caused by the constant peeling of particles of the concrete components from the surface. Oil and gasoline stains on the concrete pavement form stains that not only spoil the appearance of the floor, but also violate fire safety standards. In addition, these substances, being absorbed into the concrete, destroy it and cause unpleasant and harmful fumes, especially at elevated temperatures. These problems necessitate a particularly careful approach to pouring and applying the necessary additives and protective coatings.
Concrete floors in the garage are made on the basis of a sand-cement mixture. The most common composition recipe: cement grade not lower than M400 (1 part), river sand (3 parts) and crushed stone of fine fraction (3 parts). All this is thoroughly mixed with water to a state of thick sour cream. A concrete floor screed meets the most important requirements, but to create a truly durable and reliable garage floor, it is necessary to provide waterproofing from below (protection from groundwater and precipitation) and a protective cover from above (from peeling, dusting and impregnation with chemically active liquids).
Surface protective coating can be provided in several ways. Often used such means: polyurethane or epoxy composition, special paint for concrete. Such a coating should not give the effect of sliding for a person and automobile wheels, which is ensured by the necessary surface roughness.
Modern materials will help provide the necessary protection. One of the popular options is a topping system. This dry mix contains cement, plasticizers, pigments and fillers that provide improved mechanical and chemical properties. The solution prepared from this mixture is applied over the concrete screed until it is completely solidified. This hardening coating adheres reliably to the concrete pour and creates a reliable protective layer. It is important after 4-5 hours of exposure to carry out the final grouting of the layer using a special paddle tool.
Required Tool
When making a concrete floor in a garage, the following tool should be prepared:
- grinder for cutting reinforcement;
- construction mixer;
- vibrator or bayonet shovel;
- shovel;
- Master OK;
- putty knife;
- rule;
- a hammer;
- hacksaw;
- pliers;
- roulette;
- construction level;
- metal ruler;
- a container for preparing a solution;
- measuring bucket.
Pouring concrete floor
In order to properly pour the floor in the garage with concrete, it is necessary to perform several mandatory measures for waterproofing and strengthening the screed. If necessary, you can think about floor insulation.
How to fill the floor in the garage with concrete, in the garage, the arrangement of the concrete floor is as follows:
- Removal of soil over the entire floor area to a depth of 40 cm. The surface is well compacted.
- Formation of a pillow under a coupler. For this purpose, a layer of gravel of fine fraction 15-20 cm thick and a layer of sand 10-15 cm thick are poured. If there is a desire to insulate the floor in the garage, then expanded clay or slag can be used instead of gravel.
- Waterproofing installation. A roofing material or plastic film of increased thickness is laid over the pillow. The material is laid with an overlap of at least 20 cm.
- Installation of the reinforcing layer. On the waterproofing layer, it is necessary to lay a reinforcing layer in the form of a mesh of steel reinforcement with a diameter of 12-16 mm. If the garage has a large area or is designed for a heavy vehicle, then the reinforcement is carried out in 2 layers. At the intersections, the reinforcing rods are interconnected with steel wire.
- Installation of the bounding formwork. A limiter in the form of a board of the required width is installed around the perimeter of the garage, and also limits the viewing hole.
- Installing beacons. In order for the filling of the garage floor to provide a flat floor, it is recommended to use beacons, the tops of which form the surface of the concrete screed. Such beacons can be made of wood or metal, and are fixed strictly vertically over the entire floor area in increments of 50-60 cm. The imaginary surface along the tops of the beacon is checked using a building level. The surface can be strictly horizontal or with a given slight slope.
- Preparing and mixing concrete mortar. It is important to ensure uniform mixing of the ingredients, and therefore it is recommended to use a construction mixer if pouring is carried out manually, without using a concrete mixer.
- Pouring a rough concrete floor. The solution is evenly distributed with a shovel over the entire floor area, compacted, and then leveled with a metal rule. The surface is leveled along the tops of the beacons. The thickness of the concrete layer is about 12-20 cm. The compaction of the mass is carried out using a vibrator, and in its absence, using a bayonet shovel. Filling the entire area in 1 run is very difficult due to the significant volume of the solution. To simplify the task, concrete is poured in sections that are limited to temporary mobile formwork from a board of the desired width. The flooded subfloor is aged for 10 days to dry and gain strength.
- Filling the final layer. The previous reinforced concrete layer is considered a subfloor. A finishing cement screed is poured over it. It ennobles the appearance and redistributes the load. A screed is made from a mixture of cement and sand in a ratio of 1: 3 with a thickness of 4-6 cm. The above-described hardening topping system can be used as the final coating.
- Formation of a protective coating. If you want to increase the reliability of the garage floor, you can pour a protective layer of epoxy mixture or polyurethane over the concrete screed. The manufacture of such protection is carried out strictly in accordance with the instructions for the material.
The concrete floor in the garage is widespread among motorists, because. adequately satisfies all requirements. To increase reliability, it can be covered with protective layers. Any person can make such a floor, but certain rules must be observed.
How to fill the floor in the garage with concrete in the garage updated: November 15, 2016 by: Artyom
Among the existing coating options, the most practical and durable is the floor in the garage made of concrete. From this publication you will learn how to properly pour a concrete screed with your own hands and ennoble it in various ways. We will also consider an alternative solution for a car repair shop - a durable wooden flooring made of boards.
How to concrete garage floors
Since most garages are designed to store cars, the flooring in such rooms is under increased stress. In order for the concrete base to serve for more than a dozen years, it must be poured according to the industrial flooring technology - to make a monolithic slab with reinforcement and waterproofing on a sand cushion.
Reference. The thickness of industrial coatings that can withstand a load of 500 kg / m² of area is 150-250 mm. The minimum thickness of the base for a passenger car is 10 cm, provided that good reinforcement is made. For heavier vehicles - minibuses and trucks, this figure increases to 150 and 200 mm, respectively.
Procurement of building materials
To pour a concrete floor in a garage on the ground, prepare the following materials:
If it is planned to build an inspection pit in the garage, then additionally you will need red brick for the construction of walls, plastic pipes for laying electrical cables and ventilation devices.
For laying ventilation in the pit, PVC sewer pipes are used.
The calculation of the amount of building materials is carried out as follows:
- a pillow of sand 10 cm high is considered over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe room;
- to prepare 1 m³ of concrete mix, you will need 6 bags of cement (50 kg), 48 buckets of sand (capacity - 10 l) and 74 buckets of crushed stone;
- waterproofing - the area of \u200b\u200bthe garage plus overlapping of the canvases on each other and overlaps on the walls of 100 mm;
- polyethylene foam - the perimeter of the room, multiplied by the height of the screed;
- the total length of the reinforcement is calculated on a grid with cells of 15 x 15 cm.
Note. The cement screed is made with M200 concrete in proportions by volume 1: 3: 5 (cement / sand / crushed stone). The ratio of components by weight is shown in the table.
Base device
In order to make a reliable foundation for concrete floors in the garage with your own hands, you need to dig a foundation pit 30 cm deep (calculated from the design level of the future coating). At this stage, an inspection ditch with a width of 0.8 m plus 25 cm is also dug out on brickwork, the length and height are arbitrary, selected individually depending on the height of the owner and the size of the car.
The walls and floors of the pit must be covered with roofing material, and then proceed to masonry
Advice. If you plan to install underfloor heating in the garage, then the depth of the pit will have to be increased by 50-100 mm (insulation thickness).
Perform further work in this order:
Note. The same operations must be performed in the inspection ditch, excluding the laying of the reinforcing mesh.
Before concreting the floors, you need to equip a pit for car repair - perform a simple screed, build brick walls and frame them with metal corners with shelf sizes of 35-50 mm. During the laying process, lay a metal-plastic pipe between the bricks under the lighting cable and a sewer pipe for ventilation. See the video for details of the technological ditch device:
After 3 days, when the masonry mortar has set, install plank formwork and lighthouses around the ditch. The latter are recommended to be made from reinforcement welded to rods driven into the ground, as shown in the photo. The number of beacons depends on the width of the garage and the rules for stretching the concrete mixture, but usually 4 are enough. - 2 along the walls and a couple in the middle.
Recommendation. Garage floors are best insulated with high-density polymeric materials - 35 kg / m³ foam or extruded foam. Lay thermal insulation boards on top of the waterproofing, but under the reinforcing mesh.
Laying extruded polystyrene foam on waterproofing
Instructions for concreting
Ideally, the floor in the garage is poured with imported concrete from an auto mixer (in jargon - a machine - a mixer). You will be required to: calculate the amount of concrete mix, order its preparation at the nearest enterprise and take the car at the specified time. For ease of installation, it is advisable to prepare a wooden gutter covered with plastic wrap, otherwise you will have to scatter the concrete with a shovel.
The use of a concrete mixer reduces the cost of the process, but adds labor intensity. To prevent cracking of the screed, the interval between batches should not exceed 40 minutes. The work is done like this:
After pouring, close the garage and do not disturb the monolithic slab for 7 days. If work is carried out during the hot summer period, water the concrete daily with a small amount of water. After a week, remove the formwork from the pit, and after another 7 days you can start finishing. It is allowed to load the coating after 4 weeks, not earlier. The master will tell you more about concreting floors in his garage in the video:
How to cover a concrete surface
An unprotected concrete coating tends to generate dust throughout its entire service life. The easiest way to avoid this is to saturate new garage floors with a deep penetrating primer. But over time, the surface wears out and dusts again, so concrete should be finished with something. We offer these options:
- the cheapest way is to prime and paint;
- buy rubber plates (these are used in stadiums) or a conveyor belt and stick to a concrete base;
- arrange a self-leveling floor made of polymeric materials.
Reference. There are many options for garage coatings, one of them is paving slabs. But, judging by the reviews on the forums, after 2-3 years of operation, a track from the wheels of the car forms on it. It is impossible to avoid the phenomenon: the tile is laid on a sand cushion, which sags from a constant load in one place.
Painting instructions
Simple painting of floors is carried out with special compositions that are resistant to abrasion - acrylic, silicate or polyurethane enamel. The first two are applied with a wide brush or roller, and polyurethane - with an airbrush. Application technology is as follows:
- Remove as much dust from the surface as possible.
- Treat the floors with a primer 2 times with a drying break of 15 minutes (or the time indicated on the package).
- After the primer is completely dry, apply 2 coats of paint.
An important point. The primer is selected according to the type of paint. If the latter is made on an acrylic basis, you need to buy the appropriate primer.
How to make a self-leveling floor
This wear resistant coating consists of two coats: a thin cement based self leveling screed (eg Cerezit CN-76) and a two component epoxy based paint. Preparation of concrete for application is carried out in the same way - dusting and thorough priming. Then proceed according to this algorithm:
Note. The surface can be made rough by pouring so-called decorative chips in the form of multi-colored crumbs on fresh paint.
Complete curing, or rather, polymerization of the epoxy coating occurs within 7 days. After that, the floors are allowed to be used.
Installation of wooden flooring
Wood flooring is not the best solution for a garage, but it is relatively cheap. The flooring is made of boards with a thickness of 35-40 mm, laid on logs from a bar with a section of 10 x 5 cm. The interval for installing beams is 0.5 m.
Installation of wooden floors is done according to the following technology:
Advice. To ventilate the underground space, make a pair of air ducts with grilles in the corners.
Conclusion
Pouring concrete floors is an expensive and time-consuming undertaking. You should think about where to put the car, workbench and other garage furniture during the construction period. To carry out the work, it is worth attracting an assistant - it is much more difficult to cope alone.
Proper organization of garage storage of a car, as practice shows, is one of the components of a long and trouble-free service of a car, and also a solution to many problems associated with maintenance and repair, the ability to start in winter, and simply with a question of safety.
Undoubtedly, garage storage of a car provides all these advantages, especially if the garage building itself is made according to the project and taking into account the needs of the owner himself. But for some reason, many owners put off such a moment as a smooth and durable floor in the room for the final stage of construction. And at the same time, it is one of the most important elements of the design of the garage parking lot.
For an already built garage building, pouring the floor requires a certain set of preparatory work:
- At the initial stage, the surface is cleaned of construction debris and pre-levelled.
- Next, the location of the building relative to the surrounding area is assessed. In most cases, garage doors are designed on a small hill in relation to the road, because otherwise there is a big risk of getting a small pool inside the building in the spring and summer, and an ice rink filled with ice in the winter. Thus, the level of the gate will be taken as the level of the floor.
- It is recommended to immediately outline the floor level along the perimeter of the walls, so that during work it is easier to navigate relative to the laying of the base layers.
- Inside the building, the state of the soil, its density and the presence of groundwater close to the surface are assessed. Such an assessment is required to determine the scope of work on laying the floor, the calculation of the necessary materials.
Site preparation works are carried out in the following order:
- Site leveling.
- Raising and removal of the top layer of soil.
- Preparation of the earthen surface for backfilling with rubble and the creation of a pillow.
At the end of the preparatory work, a flat, solid surface of the soil base should be obtained.
Determination of paving thickness
A simple calculation shows that for an average car weighing up to 2.5 tons, it is enough:
- top concrete slab 15-17 cm thick;
- insulation layer (in case the garage is planned to be used as a car repair shop or just a workshop with being in it in winter) 10-15 cm;
- a layer of sand up to 10 cm thick;
- gravel or crushed stone 15-20 cm.
Total, total 55-62 cm. It should be noted right away that this “pie” may have certain deviations, but in general, the dimensions of the layers must be respected.
Quite often, garage cooperatives grow in places of wastelands or dumps, where the construction of residential buildings is very difficult and where the soil is very unstable. In this case, the thickness of each layer is recommended to be increased by at least 5 cm, and the concrete screed should be made with additional reinforcement with welded steel mesh.
Tools and materials, choice of brand of concrete
The ideal option for pouring a concrete floor in a garage would be to use ready-made concrete from a mixer, but given that this is quite often very problematic, you will have to prepare the solution yourself. To do this, prepare the following tool:
- concrete mixer;
- shovel;
- Master OK;
- rule at least 2 meters long;
- a long building level or, even better, a laser level;
- grinder with cutting wheels;
- welding machine;
- hammer and mallet;
- tamper;
- special clothing and protective equipment.
- crushed stone of the middle fraction;
- sand;
- boards 15 mm thick;
- reinforcement 8 or 10 mm;
- welded mesh of the middle cell.
Pillow preparation
The first layer on the soil base is laid rubble layer. Crushed stone of the middle fraction is evenly distributed over the entire surface, and after checking the level of horizontalness with the help of a rammer, it is compacted.
On top of the compacted layer of crushed stone is laid layer of sand. Just like crushed stone, it is leveled and compacted. When compacting, in addition to ramming, it is possible to provide for the use of a vibrating plate or a garden roller.
Damper clearance, hydro and thermal insulation
The top layer of a concrete floor should be considered as a separate monolithic structure, which, like all objects, tends to change its dimensions depending on the ambient temperature. In order to prevent mutual deformations of the walls and the base, it is recommended to arrange a damper gap along the perimeter of the floor. Simply put, this is nothing more than installing 15 mm thick wooden boards around the entire perimeter as a buffer layer.
The role of such a gap when constructing a floor of several slabs is played by demarcation strips used to enclose the perimeter of each of the slabs.
A waterproofing layer to prevent capillary entry of moisture from the soil under the slab and its destruction is recommended to be made using standard waterproofing tools used in construction technology - roofing material or polyethylene film. The film is the best option, this material will make the coating uniform, without joints, and besides, it will cost much less than roofing material.
Laying waterproofing is carried out in such a way that the film or roofing material lies evenly over the entire surface area, and the edges go onto the walls of the garage and are raised above the base by 5-7 cm.
As a heat-insulating layer, you can use:
- dense sheet foam;
- expanded clay.
From the point of view of efficiency, expanded clay looks more preferable both in terms of practicality of work and in terms of safety, because foam plastic is a favorite habitat for rodents.
Expanded clay is carefully distributed over the area of the entire garage and slightly compacted with a roller. 
Reinforcement
It is recommended to install a metal reinforcing grille in accordance with the dimensions of the car. So, in the place where the wheels are supposed to pass, it is recommended to install the longitudinal bars of the lattice every 7-10 cm, in other places it is enough to place the reinforcement in such a way that cells 15*15 or 20*20 cm. For heavier equipment, you can strengthen the parking lot with an additional layer of reinforcement.
The ideal option for fastening reinforcement is the fastening of rods using electric welding, but for a small load it is enough to connect them with soft mounting wire.
It is recommended to raise the reinforcement belt above the insulation layer by 5-7 cm so that the concrete freely penetrates under the reinforcement and the belt structure is in the middle of the concrete layer. Additionally, it is recommended to install and fix the welded grating, this will strengthen the floor structure.
The reinforcing layer is installed in such a way that it is 5-7 cm lower from the surface. 
Installation of beacons
To obtain a flat and smooth surface, it will be necessary to install beacons, which will serve as guiding supports for leveling the surface of the poured concrete.
They are installed independently of the reinforcing belt of the slab. For installation, it is recommended to simply drive metal pins from the reinforcement into the surface of the pillow. On top of them, taking into account alignment in the horizontal plane, guides in the form of beacons will be fixed.
If there is a long rule, it is enough to install three beacon guides - one guide along the walls and one in the middle. The small size rule will require the installation of more of these fixtures.
The distance between the beacons is chosen in such a way that the rule lies freely on them. with a margin of 10 cm on each side.
Such a condition is necessary so that when leveling the surface, the rule moves not only along the guides, but also with small “left-right” movements, the top layer is leveled.
Direct pour
The order of work is as follows:
- Pouring with homogeneous concrete is carried out, starting from the most distant corner from the gate.
- The finished portion of the solution is leveled over the area of \u200b\u200bthe base so that it is 1-2 cm above the level of the beacons.
- After the concrete is unloaded by the rule, gradually moving in the direction of concreting, vibration movements are carried out, leveling the surface.
- Gradually moving towards the gate, the entire floor area is poured and leveled.
You can clearly see the general procedure of work in the following video:
What care will be required?
It is recommended to leave the flooded surface to dry for 1-2 days. Usually, after 3 days after pouring, concrete can already be walked on, and after 7 days it is able to withstand the first load, although it will only gain its design strength at normal temperature. on the 28th day.
In the hot season, concrete is very afraid of the top layer drying out, this can lead to cracking of the surface or even peeling of the layers. To prevent this, it is recommended to wet the surface with a small amount of water, starting from 2 days. Further, during the operation, it will be enough just to periodically clean and irrigate the base with water.
In contact with
In this article, we will not talk about the installation of floors in garage boxes and public garages. It is unlikely that anyone will make them with their own hands. Let's talk about the concrete floor in the garage for one or two cars for private use.
Requirements for the floor in the garage
In the device of floors there is such a thing as floor design. For design, it is necessary to determine the operating conditions of future floors and determine their device from them.
The floor in a private garage, which I will later call the garage floor, is not exposed to large vehicles, tractors will not drive on it, and therefore the mechanical impact on the garage floor will be classified as moderate. Also, rainfall and direct water flows will not fall on the floor in the garage, because we do not intend to wash the car right in the garage. Therefore, according to the impact of moisture on the floor of the garage, we will consider it average, with a margin.
These operational features medium exposure to humidity and moderate mechanical impact will be the basis for the conditional design of the floor.
Garage floor construction
We will draw the floor structure in the garage based on the recommendations of SP 29_13330 of 2011 under the name "Floors". According to this document, a concrete floor in a garage with the above performance features should be:
- With a slope of 1-2% from the middle to the sides. If you think your garage floor will be dry, then no slope is needed;
- The total thickness of the concrete floor with the inclusion in the floor structure from the soil base: the underlying layer, screed and floor covering must be at least 120 mm.
Subfloor in the garage
The base of the floor in the garage can be any soil, except for peat, chernozem and other weak soil. They require replacement. The base of the floor must either be leveled or the required slope of 1-2% must be made on the ground. The base soil must be compacted.
If the underlying layer is planned to be made of concrete, and not of sand or gravel, then the soil must be reinforced with a layer of crushed stone (gravel), which must be sunk into the ground by 40 mm. In addition, under the concrete underlying layer, it is necessary to make waterproofing, from the penetration of sewage and groundwater.
Garage waterproofing
Waterproofing should be provided under the concrete sub-base if:
- There is a high probability of groundwater rising to the bottom of the underlying layer.
- If the underlying layer is below the level of the blind area of the house.
The waterproofing of the garage is combined with the waterproofing of the foundation of the house, the walls of the basement or semi-basement.
For waterproofing use:
- Bituminous roll materials on mastic;
- Polymer self-adhesive materials;
- Polyethylene laid on prepared ground
- Bituminous mastics;
- polymeric mastics;
- Cement waterproofing solutions in the form of a screed on the ground;
- Bulk waterproofing from crushed stone (gravel) impregnated with bitumen;
- asphalt concrete.
From this list, the first three points are practically used in private housing construction.
Underlayment floor
The subfloor layer acts as a damper between the floor screed and the subfloor. In theory, it is made from options (either / or):
- Sand layer 60 mm thick;
- Gravel (crushed stone) layer 80 mm;
- Concrete 100 mm thick.
For garage construction, underlying layers of concrete are practiced. Such an underlying layer is called rigid and is performed:
- From monolithic concrete;
- From reinforced concrete;
- From reinforced concrete;
- From SFRC (steel fiber reinforced concrete)
- From SFBZH (steel fiber-reinforced concrete);
Where the class of concrete must be at least B22.5.
B22.5 class concrete
At "home conditions", concrete of class B22.5, concrete grade M300 is "prepared" as follows (read concrete grades):
- Cement M400 (cement: sand gravel) 1: 1.9: 3.7 (kg) /// 1: 1.7: 3.2 (liter)
- Cement M500 (cement: sand: crushed stone) 1: 2.4: 4.3 (kg) /// 1: 2.2: 3.7 (liter)
The price of a cubic meter of ready-mixed concrete B22.5 in the Moscow region is about 2700 (gravel) - 2950 (granite) rubles. For a garage 3 by 6 meters, you need 1.8 -2.0 cubic meters of concrete, without driveways.
Screed
If you do not need to cover communications, close the thermal insulation layer, then a floor screed in the garage, as a separate element of the floor structure, is not needed.
Garage floor covering
The next element of the garage floor design is the floor covering. It can be done:
- Concrete B 22.5 25 mm thick;
- From the DSP solution with a thickness of 30 mm (concrete B 30);
- Cement-concrete slabs 30 mm;
- Mosaic-concrete slabs 30 mm;
- Xylolite 20 mm;
- Ceramic acid-resistant plates 30-35 mm;
- Bulk polymer floor 4 mm;
- Laying floor ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware on floors with an average intensity of mechanical action according to SP not allowed.
It is worth noting that in a “home” garage, special rubber slabs and other coating materials can become floor coverings, which are described in the article How to cover a concrete floor in a garage.
How to make a concrete floor in the garage with your own hands
We are considering the option that the garage is part of the house, its extension and is combined with the house by a common foundation or the garage option, as a separate building on a strip foundation.
Stage 1. Preparation of the base (soil).
Works included:
- Removal of the grass layer of the soil.
- Backfilling (backfilling) of soil to a level above the level on the street.
- Soil compaction.
Stage 2. Ramming the base with crushed stone.
Covering the base with a layer of rubble. Ramming of crushed stone into the ground by 40 mm.
Stage 3. Sand cushion for the convenience of laying the waterproofing (optional).
If polyethylene 2 layers of 200 microns is chosen as a waterproofing agent, then a sand cushion can be made for its safe laying. The pillow needs to be rammed.
Stage 4. Waterproofing.
Waterproofing is carried out over the entire area of the garage with polyethylene or rolled waterproofing material with a 30 cm approach to the foundation.
Stage 5. Damper around the perimeter.
Along the perimeter of the garage, along the foundation, 20-30 cm strips of solid insulation 20-30 mm thick are laid.
Stage 6. Formwork for concrete.
To prevent concrete from flowing out into the street, blocking formwork is made.
Stage 5. Concreting of the floor with reinforcement.
Reinforcement is carried out over the entire area of the garage, with a mesh with cells of 10 by 10 cm. The mesh should be raised 3 cm from the surface.
Concreting is carried out from the far corner of the garage to the exit. If concrete is kneaded by hand, it is better to break the garage into sections.
Installation of beacons for the concrete floor of the garage no need. Concrete is leveled with a homemade wide rake of boards. The thickness of the concrete layer is from 100 mm. Under paving slabs, a thickness of 100 mm is sufficient, under a self-leveling polymer floor, the thickness of a concrete floor is from 120 mm.
For uniform leveling, beacon boards or strips of insulation are placed on the walls of the garage at the desired level.
Stage 6. Care of concrete. 28 days curing.
For the first three days, the concrete is wetted with water and covered with polyethylene. Subsequent of the 28 days of concrete hardening, the mode of ventilation without draft is observed.
Stage 7. Floor finishing device
The final coating of the garage floor is done after the concrete has completely dried and a moisture test has been carried out. As a finishing floor covering in the garage do:
- bulk polymer floor,
- Laying stone tiles;
- Laying street clinker;
- They make a rubber floor, etc.
How to pour clean floors in a garage building with concrete with your own hands is known to professional builders, craftsmen with a capital letter. But they are in no hurry to reveal secrets, to make them public. Meanwhile, there are no particular difficulties in this, only scrupulous observance of technology, the use of high-quality materials and a minimum of tools will be required.
Motorists planning a concrete floor in the garage want to understand what are its advantages and disadvantages, unlike latex or wood. Such a coating is arranged in open areas, ramps, it is suitable for parking lots and closed insulated boxes.
The advantages of a concrete floor are as follows:
- durability;
- low cost;
- universality;
- ease of manufacture.
On a completely frozen floor that has gained strength, you can safely put a motorcycle, a car - it will withstand the weight, will not crumble or deteriorate.
Necessary tools and materials
To make a concrete floor, you will need simple, common tools. To prepare the mixture, you will need a concrete mixer - a special installation with an electric drive. It is not recommended to use manual labor for 2 reasons: it will take more time, and significant efforts will be required to evenly distribute the components in the mixture, in addition, the full amount of work will have to be divided into small portions equal to the batch capacity.
You will also need a trowel - this is a special device for leveling the concrete mixture; level, as well as a few shovels. The materials that are needed to make the floor are easy to buy at a hardware store: cement, crushed stone and sand. For greater strength, it does not hurt to use reinforcement - mesh or ready-made frames.
Choice of concrete pavement
An important criterion for choosing a future concrete coating is the brand. The strength of the floor, durability and proportions of the components will depend on it. The correct selection of the composition of the mixture, taking into account the requirements for the manufactured plate, is half the success.
An important point is related to the foundation itself: the floor will be laid on the ground or on top of the existing, “old” coating. It is likely that excavation of the topsoil (in the first case) and the obligatory crushed stone preparation will be required.
To get started, you need markings: what will be the thickness of the floor, where to draw lines on the walls indicating the upper edge of the future coating. The composition of the "pie", immediately preceding the concrete floor, is as follows: a layer of sand without clay impurities, not river (up to 5 centimeters), on top of it - crushed stone (about 10 centimeters). And already at the end a monolithic slab with a thickness of at least 10 centimeters will lie.
Passenger
For a small car, a small car, the determining factor is the thickness of the crushed stone layer and concrete - about 100 millimeters each. It’s not bad if the top edge of the finished coating is flush with the ground level outside the gate so that a threshold does not form: it’s more convenient to use the garage, drive in and out.
Wire meshes with a diameter of 5-6 millimeters are suitable as reinforcement - this will increase the strength of the structure.
Freight
For a minibus, a truck, the requirements for the base are tougher: the thickness of crushed stone and slab is doubled, and reinforcing bars or welded rolled mesh with a diameter of 1-12 millimeters are used as a frame. Accordingly, the brand of cement should be used not lower than M400.
Preparatory work
Preparation includes excavation or removal of the old floor (earthen, wood). The main guidelines at this stage will be the following requirements: work carefully, in accordance with the predetermined thicknesses of the layers of the bed / floor, be sure to use a level.
It is extremely undesirable to “hack”: the flaws made at the initial stage will require adjustments at the subsequent ones. For example, an error in the calculation of the coating, careless digging will cause overconsumption of concrete, the need to level the clean floor mark by increasing the amount of the mixture.
Level markup
Includes the removal of lines on the walls, the installation of high-rise beacons that facilitate the work. The ideal option is marking with a level, but the use of a level - laser or water - is also suitable as a compromise. The task is to balance the bubble exactly in the middle, which means that the planned surface (line) is horizontal.
To make it easier for yourself, the risks are performed with a bright marker, which will be visible against the background of the wall. It is permissible to pull a thin cord (for example, white) over the driven nails.
Soil preparation
It consists in cleaning from pollution (spills of oil, debris), excavation of the top layer of soil and deepening to the required, predetermined level. The roots of plants, trees, grass, any foreign inclusions are also removed. They will remain under the coating, may begin to destroy it and will not allow you to do a job with good quality.
The root system of flowers is able to break through such dense structures as concrete and asphalt, so it is very important to completely get rid of their presence.
Backfilling of sand and gravel cushion
In fact, the layers of gravel and sand are not mixed, like components in cooking, but are laid alternately on the ground. It is recommended to level the "floor" of the mini-pit, in order to carefully and accurately distribute the components of the pillow. Sometimes it is advised to soak and compact the sand in order to increase the density of the layer, to fill all the voids at the bottom of the pit.
Regarding crushed stone: professionals prefer to use more than one fraction, but a mixed one - up to 2/3 of the medium, the rest - fine. Such proportions will provide the required rigidity of the layer so that it does not “play”, and the individual particles lie tightly against each other. Crushed stone is also rammed with a manual or mechanized rammer. On top of it, waterproofing is arranged.
Waterproofing
Modern technologies allow the use of cheap and effective methods to ensure waterproofing of the future coating, eliminating its contact with the soil and aquifers. For example, ordinary plastic film used for greenhouses and hotbeds. There are also more "serious" compounds - polymeric and bitumen-based. They need to be applied to the finished preparation, wait for it to dry, and then proceed to the next stage - laying the reinforcement cage.
Reinforcement
Opinions regarding the need to reinforce concrete with steel rods or mesh differ: on the one hand, such a step increases the strength of the slab, on the other hand, it increases the cost of work. By itself, concrete tolerates distributed and point compressive loads well, but with a sharp pressure drop it can burst.
The reinforcement in the body of the slab perceives external influences and allows them to be dispersed over the entire plane of the structure. The mesh and frames are used to strengthen the floor, increase its strength, reliability. In this case, the metal is laid with a small gap (not close) to form a protective layer of concrete (usually 2-3 centimeters).
Pouring concrete
The components have been purchased, everything is ready for concreting and flooring. It remains to decide on the methods of implementation: mix the solution manually or with a concrete mixer. The latter option will improve the quality of concrete, increase labor productivity. It is not necessary to buy a new unit for this, it can be rented.
Do not forget about the ratio of concrete components - crushed stone, sand and cement, as well as the amount of water added.
The liquid mixture fits better, but its brand will be lower, the rigid one is more difficult to work with, but the plate will come out strong and reliable. As a compromise, it is possible to purchase a ready mix at a concrete mixing plant - it will be manufactured and delivered directly to the site, in the required quantity and with the required quality. It is highly desirable, for a good filling of voids, to use a vibrator or a vibrating screed.
Layer thickness calculation
The thickness of the layers, the choice of brand of cement and the calculation of the components of the mixture depend on the load on the future foundation. For an ordinary garage in which a bicycle or motorcycle will stand, it is one, for a passenger car - another, for a truck - a third. Approximately the thickness of the plate for a small car is selected within 100 millimeters, for a car of greater weight - 2 times thicker. A layer of rubble is approximately equal to this value, sand - about 5 centimeters.
Installation of beacons
Lighthouses are needed not only at sea, but also in construction: they determine the marks and boundaries of the laid concrete layer. Markers are set in height, marking the upper edge of the future slab, as well as along the edges, if pouring is done in several stages. Their color and material are chosen so that they can be seen well against the gray background of cement.
Filling the screed
The screed is made of cement-sand mortar and refers to additional work. Most often, it is done to level the surface or before installing an insulating layer.
Problems often encountered
There are a number of questions that beginners should pay attention to in order to help them avoid mistakes:
- Settling of floor areas. Most likely, voids formed in the preparation, or it itself was not done carefully enough.
- Cracks (mesh fine or deep). The technology was violated: the choice of the water-cement ratio was incorrect, the load was applied before the onset of the mixture setting (28 days), the work was carried out at low temperatures.
