Water heaters

Pouring concrete screed in the garage. How to make a concrete floor in the garage with your own hands

The floor in the garage must be durable and resistant to mechanical damage, which are inevitable during the active operation of the car. Therefore, the choice of material is obvious - only concrete will be strong enough for a reliable foundation and further application of protective or decorative coatings. Correctly pouring a concrete floor in a garage with your own hands is not as easy as it might seem at first glance, but it is quite feasible.

Building Basics

Concrete, as a material, has its own set of pros and cons. The main plus is its durability: it is fireproof, does not deteriorate under the influence of water, and it is extremely difficult for it to cause serious mechanical damage. On the other hand, concrete has a serious disadvantage: it easily and quickly absorbs all kinds of oils, on which dust later settles, turning into dirt. To neutralize this minus, various protective coatings are used to avoid persistent contamination.

Correctly pouring the floor in the garage is a process that requires certain knowledge and skills in this area. In case of lack of self-confidence, it is better to invite a specialist who will help with the calculations and proper organization. For long term floor operation it is necessary to correctly perform all the work, which is most often divided into the following stages:

To concrete the floor in the garage correctly, you must first complete the necessary preparation.

preliminary work

The performance of preparatory calculations of the floor is required to be carried out together with the observance of all the nuances: the place in which the garage will be located, the condition of the soil, the correct selection and characteristics of materials. All this it is best to entrust to a specialist who will do such a job much better than a person who has not previously dealt with construction. It should also be noted that it will be necessary to organize the drainage of water from the garage in such a way that there are no troubles during its operation.

First of all, you should mark the zero level of the floor. This can be done using a laser, water level or level. For comfortable operation, it is best to do it at the level of the gate. If this is not possible, then a drainage system should be developed. For accurate marking, the zero level of the floor should be marked on all walls.

Next, you should calculate the thickness of the concrete layer and the sealing pad, depending on the weight of the machine. For a car weighing up to a ton, the floor thickness should be about 10 cm, pillows - 15 cm. For cars with a larger weight, this figure should be larger.

In addition, it is required to purchase all necessary materials in sufficient quantity, and preferably with a small margin of 10% for unforeseen cases and possible problems. TO preparatory work should not be taken lightly, as mistakes made at this stage can adversely affect the entire further construction process or spoil the operation of the finished floor.

The main materials required in the work:

To improve the performance of concrete, additional additives are often used to increase the strength of the floor, reduce its cost, or shorten the final setting time. Additives to the traditional composition of concrete are selected depending on the required changes.

Pit preparation

First you need to remove the top layer of soil to a certain height. It depends on the desired characteristics of the floor. If just a concrete floor is planned, then the earth is removed by 25 cm in height, but if an inspection hole is required, then the value is adjusted depending on the individual wishes of the car owner.

The creation of a viewing hole depends on the availability in the area ground water and their depth. If this value is less than two meters, then it is better to do with an ordinary concrete floor.

After removing the required amount of soil, the remaining pit is carefully compacted until a dense surface is formed.

Pillow laying

To create a sealing pad, materials such as sand and crushed stone are mainly used. Gravel in this case is used much less frequently, since due to its rounded shape it is much more difficult to achieve sufficient density from it. Sand must be of high quality and carefully sifted.

The ratio of materials is 1: 2, that is, sand should be half as much as concrete. If the preliminary calculations turned out to be erroneous and the pillow is obtained above the required level, then it is worth returning to the pit stage and removing an additional amount of soil. In order to prevent this from happening, it is worth noting on the walls not only the zero floor height, but also the height of the pillow.

The sealing pad is necessary in order to avoid further shrinkage of the soil and the destruction of the concrete layer. If it is planned to lay a viewing hole, then a concrete screed is laid on the bottom of the pit, the solidification process of which coincides with the process of laying sand and gravel. After the screed has hardened, you can begin to install the walls of the pit.

You can level the pillow on your own, but in order to achieve normal density, it is better to use a vibrating platform. It can be rented from some construction companies.

In this case, a high layer density will be ensured, which will significantly extend the life of the floor. It is also worth considering the presence of a damper gap, which is necessary if the garage building has recently been built and has not yet had time to sit down. For its organization, foam is most often used. In some cases, an additional layer of waterproofing is placed on top of the sealing pad.

Slab reinforcement

To avoid rapid cracking of the floor as a result of high loads, the concrete slab is pre-reinforced. For this, rods with a diameter of 6-10 mm are used, which are placed in a grid with a sector size of about 15 cm. The grid sheets overlap each other and are fastened with wire.

To avoid cracking the floor, the reinforcement must be at least 3 cm deep in the concrete. For this, special props should be used, as it should not come into contact with the insulation or cushion.

Pouring concrete

This is the main stage of work that requires a careful approach, since it is difficult to fill the floor in the garage so that it is even and has a uniform layer thickness without sufficient skill. For this, a system of beacons will be used, which are used as long slats aligned along zero level gender. The distance between them should be about 30 cm.

If pouring the floor in the garage is done on your own, then you will need to rent special equipment:

concrete mixer (2 pcs);
concrete receiver;
submersible vibrator.

Receiver ready mix allows you to supply the solution to the center of the room, which facilitates its distribution, and the submersible vibrator levels the concrete layer and removes the air that has got inside.

Since a large thickness of the concrete layer requires an appropriate amount of mortar (about 2.5 cubic meters), then kneading it on your own in one day is likely to cause a lot of problems. In this case, you will need the help of several people.

If there are no friends who are ready to help with pouring the floor, and funds are limited, then it is better to use a ready-made solution that does not require kneading. This will be cheaper than hiring a team of workers to mix and level the concrete.

Protective coating

Since pouring the floor in the garage with concrete is a process that does not cause a desire to repeat it, it is worth extending the durability of the floor by applying a special coating. It will avoid the accumulation of dirt resulting from the ingress of oils on it.

The following materials are most often used as a final coating:

Correctly and diligently laid floor in the garage can last for decades without losing functionality or cracking. To do this, the process of its manufacture should be approached thoughtfully, providing for all possible nuances, including the organization of a viewing hole. In this case, the garage can be built for a small amount and personally see the quality of its construction.

Concreting is the easiest way to provide a garage with a strong and reliable floor. Although not difficult, this process requires decent labor and financial costs. But you don’t need a luxurious garage and you don’t need to spend extra money at all. How to competently fill the garage and what can you save on?

Do-it-yourself garage filling

3 stages of concreting the garage floor

1) Ground works

Preparation, in fact, comes down to land work.

Before you start concreting, you need to take a shovel and carefully level the ground. It is required to remove any irregularities. The smoother the surface of the earth, the best result can be achieved in the end. A well-compacted soil is required for concrete pouring. Make sure that the surface does not have any, even the slightest slope. Otherwise, the machine will constantly roll down.

earthworks

Foundation for pouring - to be or not to be?

Usually a pillow of sand and gravel for garages for cars is not made. It entails additional costs, and brings little real benefit. Even if cracks appear without it, they will be non-critical.

If the car is a truck, a base of sand and gravel is required. And its thickness should be at least 10 cm. Otherwise, the concrete will crack very quickly.

Gravel is poured first, and then sand. The gravel must be well compacted, and the surface of the sand carefully leveled. Sometimes a layer of waterproofing is placed on top.

2) Reinforcement

Reinforcement is needed to prevent future cracking of concrete. For these purposes, a special masonry mesh is best suited. The greater the strength concrete pouring You need the thicker the reinforcement should be. For an average statistical garage, reinforcement with a diameter of 5 mm is sufficient. A grid with cells of 240x240 mm is usually used. The more load your floor will carry, the smaller the grid cell should be.

If you have passenger car, you can get by with one layer of reinforcement.

Reinforcement with masonry mesh

At this stage, beacons are installed. Their role is most often performed by reinforcement, a profile or a corner. Beacons are aligned with a level. Usually two such guides are sufficient.

It is better to install beacons so that they do not touch the masonry mesh. During the pouring of concrete, the grid will have to be walked on, and the beacons may move if they come into contact with it.

3) Concrete pouring

Factory concrete is best for concrete garages. Take a brand of concrete not lower than M200. For an average garage, a concrete pour thickness of 10 cm is enough.

It is most convenient to order a ready-made concrete solution from a company specializing in this at a specific time. Modern technology will not only deliver concrete to you, but also fill it in the place prepared by you.

Making concrete for a garage by hand is a very time-consuming process, since a decent amount of it is required for a garage. Therefore, when preparing it, several people must be involved. And it is more difficult to fill them, since it is required to divide the garage into small zones, which are filled in turn.

If you plan to concrete the floor of the garage, plan to immediately concrete and drive to it. Then you do not have to pay for the concrete mixer 2 times. And if your neighbor also wants to pour his garage, you can agree with him to do it on the same day, and you will reduce your costs for the delivery of concrete.

Together cheaper

It is better to pour concrete with a company of several people.

As it is poured onto the masonry mesh, it is necessary to carefully distribute the solution over the surface with a shovel.

Pouring process

When the pour is completed, the concrete surface must be carefully leveled using a rule that slides over the beacons. By moving the rule to the left and right, you will better level the surface of the concrete. This is a very painstaking work, but the result will be a flat and smooth concrete surface if the beacons are installed correctly.

In one cycle of left-right movements, the rule is attracted to itself by no more than a centimeter. This is the secret to a perfectly flat garage floor.

Fill Alignment

The screed sets quickly, so you need to follow a certain pace. Professional teams of concrete workers have already developed a certain pace of work and the coherence of the concrete pouring process, and your company will have to learn this during work.

Concrete pouring hardens within 7 days. After this period, the car can be parked in the garage. During this week, you will not have to sit idle, but you will need to pour concrete twice every day (required in hot weather!). Or, in extreme cases, cover it with a film so that moisture does not evaporate.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in the process of concreting the garage floor, and you can do it yourself. A certain inconvenience is only a large amount of physical work. But doing all the work yourself allows you to save money and not pay a team of concrete workers. So, gather your friends and go!

Finished pouring

The climate of the room and, accordingly, the storage conditions of the car depend on the quality of the floor in the garage. For this reason, the soil is covered with a reinforced concrete screed in compliance with a number of rules, which will be discussed.

When should the floor be concreted?

Flooring will have to be done if the garage is built of blocks, bricks or cast-in-place concrete. In such a wall, they are mounted on a foundation, soil remains inside the perimeter, on which it is inconvenient to store a car:

the humidity level constantly jumps in the room;
wheels get dirty;
in winter the soil will be cold.

Even if you fill the base with rubble, comfort will not increase: it is inconvenient to walk on such a floor and service the vehicle.

You don’t have to think about concreting if it was arranged during the construction of the garage slab foundation, which also serves as the floor. Mortar coating is also not useful for metal boxes.

Renewing the coating or the entire floor should also be done if the concrete is outdated, cracked and has lost its tightness.

Foundation preparation

To make concreting on the ground, the base should be prepared:

The top fertile layer must be removed if this was not done when preparing the base for the foundation of the garage.
When determining the depth of the pit, it is necessary to take into account the thickness of the embankment of sand and gravel - this is approximately 15-20 cm, add to them the thickness of the screed itself - 100-150 mm and insulation (minimum 50 mm). That is, from ground base to floor level about 30-35 cm.
After removing the fertile layer, the soil should be compacted with a vibrating plate or a hand roller.

The composition and laying of the floor

In order for the floor to be strong and durable, it is necessary to follow the technology of work. Next, we present step by step guide, following which everyone will be able to equip the floor in the garage with their own hands without the involvement of specialists.

The design of a good floor in the garage is a "pie" of the following layers:

Bulk cushion of sand and gravel.
Waterproofing.
Insulation.
Frame (welded mesh).
Concrete screed.

Stage 1: loose pillow

Under any screed on the ground, it is necessary to arrange a pillow:

First, 10-15 cm of crushed stone is poured, which acts as a drainage for incoming water,
Next, sand is laid in a layer of 5-10 cm and carefully compacted with a vibrating plate.

If possible, 1 layer of geotextile should be laid between the sand and gravel, which will prevent the fractions from mixing, which means they will better perform their functions: drainage and drainage of water, compensation for pressure coming from the ground.

For the convenience of subsequent installation and obtaining the most effective result, a thin layer is arranged on the sand concrete screed solution of low grades (M75, M100). The thickness of such a fill is about 2-3 cm.

Stage 2: waterproofing

Despite the presence of a drainage layer, a waterproofing device is necessary. As a material, you can use any rolled analogue of roofing felt: technoelast, rubemast, stekloizol, etc.

Lay the canvas should overlap, working through the joints gas burner to achieve absolute tightness. The optimal coating thickness is 2 layers. It is necessary to bend the rolls around the perimeter of the pit to the height of the screed to the floor level.

With a low location of groundwater under the garage, roofing materials can be replaced with a thick plastic film. It will protect the concrete from the leakage of cement laitance.

Stage 3: warming

The insulation layer will help to avoid freezing of the floor in winter and maintain a comfortable climate in the garage.

Rigid foam plastic is suitable for insulation - it does not dampen, withstand compressive loads, is resistant to chemicals, is not affected by insects, and lasts a long time.

Laying of plates is carried out on waterproofing in 1 layer. The thickness of the mats should be at least 50 mm, if possible more. It is especially important to work out the perimeter of the pit, where the impact of cold soil and air is most intense.

Floor insulation is not always done: if the garage walls are solid with a deepening below the freezing level and the foundation is insulated, then this step can be skipped. It is recommended for shallow foundations.

Stage 4: laying the frame

Reinforcement is designed to compensate for the load coming from the car. As you know, concrete does not work well for bending, therefore, without a frame mesh, the floor will become covered with cracks and become unusable.

For reinforcement, you will need a welded wire mesh with a diameter of 7-8 mm with a cell side of 10-15 cm. This can be bought ready-made. Laying nets must be done with an overlap of 1 cell, for reliability, tying the products with wire or clamps.

In order for the frame to be located in the screed, and not under it, it is necessary to place stones or pre-made concrete cubes 2-3 cm high under it. They must securely fix the position of the grid during pouring before the concrete begins to harden.

Some craftsmen prefer to concrete the screed in 2 times: first, the first layer is laid, then the mesh is placed on it, after which the final screed is made. This is not the most convenient and correct method:

Firstly, it is inconvenient to lay the mesh until the underlying concrete has set;

Secondly, there is no full-fledged adhesion of the mesh to the concrete layer, respectively, its functional tasks are not implemented.

Therefore, the mesh should still be laid on a substrate (cubes) and poured into a monolithic floor.

Stage 5: preparation and installation of the screed

A team of 2-3 people should work with the screed.

First of all, it is necessary to set the beacons - slats with the thickness of the future screed layer, taking into account the height of the frame (for example, the projected total thickness of the concrete floor = 10 cm, subtract 3 cm on the substrate under reinforcing mesh and its diameter is 7 mm, multiplied by 2. We get a rail with a thickness of 5-60 mm). Guide beacons are laid in the direction from the far wall of the garage to the exit, stepping back from the side wall about 1 meter. The distance between the rails is approximately 1 meter. You will also need an additional flat rail or long rule to control the evenness of the surface.

Lighthouses can be omitted if the floor area is small. Then a projection of the level of the screed should be made on the wall for the convenience of its control.

Along the perimeter of the garage space along the walls, it is necessary to lay a compensation damper tape.

Components for the solution:

Portland cement M400 or M500;
River clean sand;
Crushed stone fraction 10-20 mm;
Water for mixing the solution.

For concreting the floor in the garage, concrete of at least grade M250 is required. To prepare it, you need to take the components in different proportions:

For cement M400, the ratio of cement, sand and gravel is 1:2:4;
For cement M500, the ratio is 1: 2.5: 4.5.

To improve performance (strength, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance), plasticizers for concrete can be added to the solution.

The amount of solution must be calculated in advance. For example, for a garage of 4 × 6 meters, we calculate the volume according to the standard formula (in meters): 4 × 6 × 0.1 \u003d 2.4 cubic meters. The value should be rounded up to integers with the expectation of creating a slope of 1-2% for water flow (recommended).

Concrete must be mixed in a concrete mixer. It is necessary to concrete the floor at a time (!) To obtain a homogeneous and strong base. Therefore, you should estimate whether one mixer will cope with the selected volume.

Laying the mortar starts from the far corner of the garage between the slats towards the exit, compacting it in parallel with vibrators and leveling it. Most the best way- supply of concrete by a pump, in its absence - by buckets, wheelbarrows and shovels.

Stage 7: protection and clearance

A garage is a place where destructive factors constantly affect the floor:

vehicle weight;
racks with tools and heavy equipment;
chemical and petroleum solutions.

In such conditions, concrete should be provided with additional protection. You can do this in several ways:

Ironing with dry cement can be done in parallel with pouring the screed - the binder is scattered through a sieve onto the laid surface and carefully rubbed;
Impregnation with polymers that fill the porous surface and prevent the absorption of moisture and chemicals;
Cladding with tiles or special rubber coating.

When choosing a cladding method, it should be borne in mind that the garage floor must be rough. This is necessary for the wheels to grip the base so that the car can stand in one place and not slide around the room. This is the safety for both the body and the owner / master when servicing the “iron horse”.

The strength and durability of the floor covering in the garage building is influenced by many factors and they should certainly be taken into account when arranging the floor. You need to know the technology of work in order to understand how to fill the surface correctly, and the better to fill the floor in the garage.

Requirements for flooring in garages

First of all, a strong and reliable floor covering in the garage building, shown in the photo, must withstand the weight of a heavy vehicle, which will be in it, and not be deformed.

High-quality filler floor for the garage:

retains its original strength under mechanical stress - during installation, it is necessary to take into account the weight of the machine, which always spreads unevenly and this leads to deformation of the floor surface;
fireproof - this moment is extremely important, as flammable substances are usually stored in garages. The coating should not support combustion processes and respond to a significant increase in temperature in the room;
moisture resistant - tolerates high humidity without a problem;
durable - serves for more than a dozen years without the appearance of cracks and damage to the surface;
easy to keep clean;
impact resistant chemical substances and fuels and lubricants, which often fall on the floor.

Some owners of garage buildings, in addition to providing the required performance, seek to give the room an aesthetic appearance by installing decorative flooring using high-strength ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware.

But such floors are expensive and therefore most motorists opt for a well-made concrete screed. Even if in the future the owner decides to lay tiles in the garage, without a reliable concrete base he can't do it. Let's figure out how to concrete the floor in the garage correctly to take into account all the details of such work.

The choice of materials for pouring the floor

If pouring the floor in the garage involves placing a concrete screed directly on the ground, the following materials must be prepared:

For backfilling on the ground under the screed - fine-grained crushed stone or expanded clay pebbles.
For the arrangement of beacons and strengthening the base - galvanized steel profiles and reinforcing mesh.
To create a moisture-proof layer - a dense film of polyethylene, or roofing material in rolls, or filler waterproofing.
To knead a special solution for pouring the floor in the garage - gravel (crushed stone), sand, cement.
For finishing when it is planned - components for self-leveling floor.
To complete the design of the edge on the viewing hole - a metal corner.
For laying walls in the basement - bricks. See also: "".

From the tools you will need:

shovels;
spatulas;
level;
concrete mixer.

Arrangement of a viewing hole

To create conditions in the garage box for convenient maintenance and repair of vehicles, you will need to equip an inspection hole. This work needs to be done well.

Stage one. When building a foundation in a garage, in some cases they simultaneously dig a foundation pit under viewing hole, since the open space allows the use of earthmoving equipment. A pit dug by an excavator still has to be further improved, but this is easier to do than digging the earth by hand.

Stage two. The walls of the prepared pit are strengthened by lining with bricks or using formwork and a mixture containing cement. At the bottom of the pit, before pouring the floor in the garage, it is required to lay a concrete screed (more: ""). To do this, the base is leveled, and then rammed. Then a pillow of gravel 3-4 centimeters high is placed on the bottom and rammed again. In order to avoid an error regarding the height of this layer, columns with markings are mounted along the perimeter, observing a gap of 80–100 centimeters.

Stage three. A 10-centimeter sandy layer is poured and compacted well. Before you start lining the walls of the basement, waterproofing is done to reliably protect them from moisture. For this purpose, any material with moisture resistant qualities is suitable. It can be a thick film of polyethylene. It is laid on the surface of the walls and base, using construction tape to connect individual pieces.

Stage four. A reinforcing mesh is installed along the walls in two layers. The first row is mounted close to waterproofing material, the second - at a distance of about 10 centimeters. Then the grid is fixed on the base.

Stage six. When the floor has hardened, they begin to install the formwork necessary for pouring the walls. The structure is fixed along the perimeter at a height of 40-50 centimeters, after which it is filled with a liquid solution. For the stability of the formwork, spacer pieces of boards are used. When the space inside it is filled, the structure is raised to a similar height without removing lower part. So continue to do up to the highest point. The formwork should be raised above the surface of the floor that has not yet been poured to a height equal to the thickness of the backfill together with the screed.

Preparatory work

Professionals do not advise equipping the screed directly on the ground. The fact is that the floor of the garage will only meet the requirements described above, when the base for the flooring is well prepared.

The sequence of actions when performing this work will be as follows:

The soil for the floor of the garage building is removed approximately to a depth of 30 to 35 centimeters. Thus, space is freed up for the pillow - the basis of the future coverage. When deciding how thick to fill the floor in the garage, they are guided by the height of the curb, equipped around the basement.
The soil over the rest of the area of the garage is rammed and a sand-gravel mixture is laid on its surface with an 8-10 cm layer. It should be compacted as much as possible. A layer of gravel of similar thickness is placed on top. If it is necessary to equip thermal insulation, instead of gravel, expanded clay is taken and leveled.
Then it is necessary to proceed with the installation of waterproofing, using roofing material or a dense plastic film. Pieces of material must be connected tightly, for which they are overlapped by 20 centimeters. It is necessary that the waterproofing layer captures the walls of the building by about 15-20 centimeters.
A reinforcing mesh is mounted on top of the waterproofing, fixing it with brackets. It is set on it according to the level of the beacon, using galvanized profiles or fittings. These elements are fixed by welding or a quick-hardening cement mortar.

After completion of the preparation, the floor surface is left for the solution to harden on the beacons (in the case when this method of fixing them is chosen). One of the landmarks will also serve as the top of the viewing hole parapet.

All beacons are set according to the level, achieving maximum horizontality. You can make a slight slope of 1-2 degrees relative to the entrance to the garage and thereby simplify the cleaning procedure in the future.

Filling the floor surface

Before proceeding to this stage work, you need to know how to properly fill the floor in the garage, since this will directly depend final result. Typically, a rough mortar containing an increased amount of gravel is used to create a floor in a garage room, due to which the flooring will be more durable.

It is not always possible to fill the entire base of the garage floor at a time completely. If there is a large area of the room, this process should be divided into several stages, having outlined in advance the sequence of designing individual sections.

When it is not possible to order the delivery of ready-made concrete mortar, then the mixture will need to be made independently using a concrete mixer. To do this, you need to take 3 parts of sand and gravel and 1 part of cement. All three components are placed in a concrete mixer and mixed. Water is poured in gradually until a consistency similar to thick sour cream is obtained.

Before pouring the floor in the garage manually, experts advise dividing the surface area into squares by installing formwork and pouring them all separately. To deliver the prepared mixture to the right place, you need a special stretcher or a metal wheelbarrow. Self-preparation of the solution and its subsequent pouring takes much more time. A lot of physical effort is spent on such work. Upon completion of the pouring and solidification of the mortar, a concrete screed with a thickness of at least 60 millimeters and no more than 100 millimeters should be obtained.

When leveling the solution, it is necessary to pierce it from time to time with a bayonet shovel and thereby check for the presence of voids filled with air and eliminate them. Otherwise, the screed will begin to deform and eventually collapse.

The floor, after filling and leveling according to the mounted beacons, is left to dry. This process takes 7 to 10 days. When the concrete finally hardens and it becomes possible to move on its surface, the floor, if desired, is decorated with a top coat using liquid bulk polymer mixtures.

Alternatively, you can prepare a thin consistency solution of sand, cement and construction adhesive. When using such a leveling layer, after its application, the surface must be treated several times with a spiked roller, which allows you to remove air bubbles from the screed that are present in it, and at the same time pour the mixture more evenly over the entire coating area.

The floor surface of the garage building made of concrete will be completely ready in 30-35 days from the date of commencement of work.

In the process of preparing, pouring, finishing and operating a garage space, the following recommendations from specialists will be useful:

With regular use of the garage building, the concrete flooring is subject to abrasive wear and, as a result of abrasion, cement dust will certainly begin to appear on its surface. To eliminate this drawback, ceramic tiles can be laid on top of the screed, for example, or painted with paint. Such measures will not only give flooring additional strength, but also greatly simplify the cleaning of the room.
Before painting, it is advisable to prime the floor surface in the garage building using special remedy. After it is completely dry, start applying the paint.
There is another way to finish the screed, which consists in treating it with a sealer, which is a silicate hardening composition. This agent penetrates into the pores of the surface of the concrete layer, after which chemical reactions begin in it, which neutralize the active substances and create new crystalline bonds. Sealer treatment, in addition to removing dust from the floor surface, raises the strength qualities of concrete by one and a half to two times and gives the surface good waterproof characteristics.
To ensure a convenient exit from the garage at the same time as pouring the floor, it is advisable to equip a concrete platform with reinforcement near the gate of the building.

The garage should in any weather, as well as at any time of the year, perform its main function - to ensure the safety and protection of the car. The second paragraph involves everything that the garage consists of - the roof, walls, and most importantly - the floor, which must meet many parameters, including:

strength (not uncommon for such floors are physical activity);
chemical inertness to various types chemicals;
moisture resistance (if the roof leaks or fluid leaks from the machine itself);
wear resistance (the floor in such buildings is often exploited).

by the most good choice in this matter is a concrete floor that meets all these parameters and has many advantages - resistance to physical and chemical influences. However, this choice has its drawbacks: due to the long solidification of concrete, namely, gaining the main percentage of its strength in a week, and subsequent hardening in a month, the process of bringing the floor to mind is delayed, which is not always good for people building a garage.

SP 31-105-2002. 5. Foundations, basement walls, floors on the ground

The accepted standard floor thickness in the garage is 130-150 mm. What is included in this coverage? From the bottom to the top are the required layers that make up the garage floor:

soil/gravel (layer thickness up to 0.8 mm);
sand (layer thickness is approximately 10 mm);
polyethylene film or a special polyethylene membrane (the thickness is insignificant, for this reason it is not taken into account in the calculations);
reinforced layer of concrete (the thickness of this layer taken as the norm is 20-30 mm);
waterproofing + insulation + films (in particular, thermal insulation usually has a thickness of 10 mm);
finishing reinforced screed (not taken into account due to insignificant thickness).

Concrete floor pouring process

How to make a floor in the garage. Layer thickness

Initial stage - gravel and sand

The bottom of the future area of filling the floor must be compressed and leveled as much as possible, for which a number of columns are driven into the ground with a distance of one meter to identify the desired level of gravel, and then, as it falls asleep, the stones are carefully pressed and removed, which contribute to subsequent unevenness. After a layer of gravel, an even layer of sand follows, with a pre-calculated width.

Waterproofing - a necessary layer

Before laying the concrete base, you need to take care of the waterproofing of the floor - its important function, especially for the garage. the best way to provide protection from moisture are special membranes or their analogues, polyethylene films overlapped and glued together with a PVC tape. In order to avoid subsequent irregularities, as in the previous stage, the layer, namely the film, is carefully leveled and smoothed.

roll waterproofing

The main and most important part of the construction of the floor is the pouring of concrete mortar.

Before pouring, it is necessary to make reinforcement - the process of strengthening the metal mesh in order to improve the strength and resistance to external loads of the floor. The process of applying a concrete layer directly is carried out by installing rails and subsequent pouring. It is also necessary to pre-select the desired brand and the desired subspecies. The composition of the mortar for pouring the concrete layer includes the following materials:

sand
cement;
water.

It is important to remember that after pouring the floor must dry for at least a month; it also needs ventilation and moisture.

The process of creating floor insulation

It is necessary to insulate the floor before carrying out the final screed - the best and most accepted material for this work is expanded polystyrene (Penoplex) and the subsequent layer of film for reliability.

Styrofoam	polyurethane foam	Min. plate
open cell structure	There is both open and closed cell structure	Fibers randomly arranged in vertical and horizontal directions
Poor moisture permeability	Almost impervious to moisture	Almost does not absorb moisture
Lightweight material	Lightweight material	Medium-light material
Medium strength	Low strength	Low/medium strength
Average compressive strength	Low compressive strength	Low to medium compressive strength
Non toxic	Non-toxic, emits carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide at a temperature of 500 degrees	Non toxic
	Not suitable for high load use	Not all slabs are suitable for high load applications
prone to decay	Durable enough	Durable enough
exposed to ultraviolet light	Virtually unaffected by ultraviolet light	Sufficient UV resistance

Name	Dimension	Penoplex 31C	Penoplex 31	Penoplex 35	Penoplex 45C	Penoplex 45
Density	kg/m³	28,0-30,5	25,0-30,5	28,0-37,0	35,0-40,0	38,1-45,0
Compressive strength at 10% linear deformation, not less than	MPa (kgf/cm²; t/m²)	0,20 (2; 20)	0,20 (2; 20)	0,25 (2,5; 25)	0,41 (4,1; 41)	0,50 (5; 50)
Ultimate strength in static bending, not less than	MPa	0,25	0,25	0,4	0,4	0,4-0,7
Elastic modulus	MPa	15	15	15	18	18
Water absorption in 24 hours, no more	% by volume	0,4	0,4	0,4	0,4	0,2
Water absorption in 30 days	% by volume	0,5	0,5	0,5	0,5	0,4
fire resistance category	Group	G4	G1	G1	G4	G4
Thermal conductivity coefficient at (25±5)°С	W/(m °K)	0,030	0,030	0,030	0,030	0,030
Vapor permeability coefficient	mg/(m h Pa)	0,008	0,008	0,007	0,007	0,007
Specific heat capacity, s	kJ/(kg °K)	1,45	1,45	1,45	1,4	1,4
Operating temperature range	°C	-50…+75	-50…+75	-50…+75	-50…+75	-50…+75
Width	mm	600	600	600	600	600
Length	mm	1200	1200	1200	2400	2400
Thickness	mm	30*; 40; 50; 60; 80; 100	30; 40; 50; 60; 80; 100 - for boards PENOPLEX type 31 (type 31 C) with a thickness of 30 mm, compressive strength is not less than - 0.15 MPa	20; 30; 40; 50; 60; 80; 100 * - for PENOPLEX type 35 boards with a thickness of 20 mm, compressive strength is not less than - 0.18 MPa *** - for PENOPLEX type 35 boards with a thickness of 30 mm, the compressive strength is not less than - 0.20 MPa	40; 50; 60; 80; 100	40; 50; 60; 80; 100

Leveling poured concrete

Different combination - does it change the concept?

IN various instructions you can see different versions of laying this type of floor - in most cases, the only difference between these theories is the sequence of stages of laying the floor. Some people's eyes widen, and the same, very adequate question is in their heads - is there a fundamental difference between the numerous options for the sequence of laying layers and is there the most successful option?

The answer is simple - consistency does not play a huge role. It is much more important to adhere to the norms of the layer thickness of one level or another.

Changing the thickness of the floor due to the concrete layer and the consequences of this manipulation

With a decrease in the thickness of the concrete layer in general design floor, the following calculations are ultimately obtained: the thickness of the concrete layer in terms of the ratio of each layer and the total thickness is less than the sum of all other layers, which, in fact, are the protection and strengthening of the concrete floor. An increase in the concrete layer will not harm the overall concept - on the contrary, it will increase the level of reliability of such a floor. But at the same time, the following parameter is also important - between the ground located before the garage and the garage floor there should be either a uniform descent or a slight gap. Otherwise, entering and exiting the garage will harm both the wheels, the body and the entire car as a whole, as well as the floor - this design cannot endure such experiments for a long time and, sooner or later, it will begin to crack and collapse.

Thus, following the technology, you can get an excellent result that will delight its owner for many years.