Garage & Shop Floors

Field note 02

Garage floors

A garage floor carries vehicles, gets wet from rain and snow melt, and gets swept. A smooth troweled finish makes it easy to keep clean. The floor also needs to meet the driveway at the door without a lip.

Field note 03

Shop and barn floors

Shops and barns need a floor you can roll equipment across and work on. A smooth finish and flat surface make that easier. Larger floors get more control joints, laid out in a grid of panels.

Field note 04

Replacing an old garage floor

Cracked, stained or sunken floors can be broken out and poured new. It's a bigger job in an enclosed space, so photos of the inside and the door help Lane plan it.

Field note 05

Cutting the floor into panels

Saw-cut joints on an interior floor are the clean straight lines you see in a well-finished shop. They control where shrinkage cracks happen so the floor looks neat for years.

Field note 06

Getting a garage or shop floor right

A garage or shop floor takes more abuse than almost any other slab around a house. Vehicles, jacks, rolling toolboxes, oil, road salt and dropped parts all land on it. The floor needs a solid base, the right thickness for what you plan to park and roll, and control joints laid out so cracks follow the lines instead of wandering across the bay.

Drainage is the other half. Most garage floors should fall gently toward the door so water from a wet truck runs out instead of pooling under it. If you want a floor drain, a trench drain or a specific finish for coatings later, say so up front, because those decisions change how the slab is formed and finished.

If you are building a new shop, tell Lane the building size, door locations and whether the walls sit on the slab or on separate footings. For an old floor that is cracked, sunk or broken, send photos so he can tell you whether it makes sense to tear it out and pour new. Either way, the first step is a text to (931) 922-1252 with a few pictures.