H.Zwakenberg Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Hi group, on my IBIS project website I've added a few pages about what I did to turn a cold double garage into a suitable workshop. So far the walls and ceiling were treated this way. I'm still unsure about how to treat the concrete floor. It's cast directly on the sand and consequently it gets very cold (and I assume it may also diffuse moisture from below). Any ideas what to do about it? take care Hans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rviglierchio Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 As a construction manager I can tell you the only thing I've seen done for insulation that you can still reach is to insulate the edges of the slab down as far as you care to dig. I've always wondered at the value to this but the experts specify it in cold climates. Use as thick an insulating foam board as you can afford. As to moisture, there are products on the market that are used to stop leaks in basement walls that may also work for your floor. Burke and Sonneborn are two of the major brands. Google the subject for more info. Don't forget any application usually requires a very thorough cleaning/prep of the floor. Unless it's relatively new this is hard work. If your floor is of newer vintage we most always put a vapor barrier down and the sand is used to both protect it during the pour and allow moisture to get out during the early curing. But if you know it's not there, and it's often deleted under non-living spaces, then the sealers may be helpful. I'd also consider using a sealer that would be compatible with a later application of epoxy floor paint should you wish to go the final step to a really great shop or hangar floor. The epoxy alone solved my garage problem but in a warmer climate. Good luck. Dave V. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.Zwakenberg Posted December 17, 2006 Author Share Posted December 17, 2006 Hi Dave, thanks a lot for those great pointers and explanations. It's a 35 year old building - including the double garage - and we don't have information on exactly how it was built. My friend the architect explained a lot about best practices at the time, but that's not helping me a lot. I'm not going to dig out the outside and seal it there. It would be best - no doubt about that - but that's just too much effort. After all, it's a work shop, not a living quarters. Also, since the floor slab is cast directly on sand, only insulating the slab edges is not going to amount to much. If there were a cellar below the slab, it's the way to go; it's standard practice over here... My big concern is to create problems elsewhere by sealing the concrete floor from the inside. I could envision a scenario, whereby moisture/vapor that normally diffuses through the floor (if this is happening at all...), would then only have the walls on the sides to evaporate. I could see how this - long term - would attack the substance of the walls. Did I get it right, that you used a sealer below the epoxy floor paint? Wouldn't the epoxy be a enough of a sealer? fly safe Hans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rviglierchio Posted December 17, 2006 Share Posted December 17, 2006 Hans, You should have no problem with moisture in walls as most new slabs are poured on very thick (40 mils) vapor barrier and if tht caused wall problems we would have known long before now. I did epoxy only to a garage floor 20 years old after tremendous preparation and it's dry and cold! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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