Flooring in garage over concrete floor?


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Old 03-16-10, 07:49 PM
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Flooring in garage over concrete floor?

Hello,

I'm turning half of my 4 car garage into a photo studio for my wife. The area will be fully insulated and have a heater during the winter and an air conditioner during the summer. I live in central Illinois to give you an idea of the temperature differences. The floor in the garage is nice, smooth , and a level concrete floor. My wife wants to put laminate flooring down. I'm scared about the floor sweating in the summer? Is laminate flooring do- able? Should I put down plastic first? Is there a certain type of vapor barrier I should use? Thanks for any help/ advice. - Mike
 
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Old 03-17-10, 04:20 AM
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Hi buzz, one of the problems with converting that garage to conditioned living space is that floor was not installed with insulation underneath. Nor was the exterior of the foundation prepared for moisture or heat issues. If the perimeter of the building is well drained with water from the roof directed 8 to 10 feet away and the soils underneath are basically dry then some type of floor may work. Laminates have moisture issues and although your current floor may look dry, it is that way because the moisture below is diffusing through the concrete and evaporating. Once covered with a vapor barrier, the moisture content of the concrete will rise to match the soil below.

It's crude, but you can test with a 2' square piece of plastic taped to the floor. Let is sit for a few days and remove and see if there is a color change or moisture. A slightly darker color says moisture.

I'll attach a link to try to help. Others will chime is as well.
BSI-003: Concrete Floor Problems —

Bud
 
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Old 03-17-10, 04:35 AM
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Another course to consider is installing a sleeper system and subflooring, then your finished flooring. you have a step up into the house anyway, so taking up half of that with a 2x4 grid wouldn't create a problem. You most likely won't lose height because garages are usually taller than the house structure. Just a thought.
 
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Old 03-17-10, 07:07 AM
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garage ffloor

Originally Posted by buzzharley
Hello,

I'm turning half of my 4 car garage into a photo studio for my wife. The area will be fully insulated and have a heater during the winter and an air conditioner during the summer. I live in central Illinois to give you an idea of the temperature differences. The floor in the garage is nice, smooth , and a level concrete floor. My wife wants to put laminate flooring down. I'm scared about the floor sweating in the summer? Is laminate flooring do- able? Should I put down plastic first? Is there a certain type of vapor barrier I should use? Thanks for any help/ advice. - Mike
Just for thought.....Most of the time my garage floor looks perfectly dry. Many times when the weather is changing like before a storm in the spring it looks like I sprayed it with the water hose!!!
 
 

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