Thread: Levelling the Shed Floor

Just out of curiosity, does your door open in or out.
Out; no problems. In; then if you add any height to the floor it will impact on the door.

Your solution might be a combination of grind down high spots and fill low spots. And then perhaps construct new floor.

Other than my original a suggestion as a preferred solution, the best is to get a concretor to top the slab, 1 day operation and if you use 32mpa concrete, you can use it next day

Originally Posted by Handyjack

Just out of curiosity, does your door open in or out.
Out; no problems. In; then if you add any height to the floor it will impact on the door.

Your solution might be a combination of grind down high spots and fill low spots. And then perhaps construct new floor.

Hi Handyjack

There are two entrances to shed:

• END - Roller door 2.7 m wide.
• FRONT - Double doors 2.1 m high and total openning 1.65 m - open outwards, so not a problem.

Part of the problem is that I don't really know how uneven the floor is. Did I inadvertently test from an isolated high spot to an ultra low spot? There is too much stuff to really assess it. And I do not have any concrete grinding gear.


Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by rwbuild

Other than my original a suggestion as a preferred solution, the best is to get a concretor to top the slab, 1 day operation and if you use 32mpa concrete, you can use it next day

Thanks, rw

I am hovering between those two options. Still gathering and absorbing information.


Cheers

Graeme
T

Originally Posted by ian

hi Graeme
I strongly suspect that if you were to buy 50 bags of self leveler -- approximately 1 tonne -- the price would be something less than $45 per bag. but still your $$$$ would be >$2000. Plus the worry that the material you used would prove to be unsuitable for your usage.

I don't think that grinding would be much less expensive -- the Festool concrete grinder https://www.festool.com.au/products/...grinder_768991 is ~$1600 plus either excellent PPE or a dedicated vacuum (which of itself is not cheap). However, grinding might be the easiest DIY option in terms of time and required skiil. The key will be knowing when to stop. A straight edge and spray paint will help -- just treat it as though you are flattening a slab.

Perhaps the cheapest option is to top the slab with a high quality high strength grout. Such beasts exist -- but your concrete supplier needs to be on the ball, as does your mini-mix driver and placement crew.

Hi Ian

I now think self leveller is a no go on account of cost, suitability as regards depth of deepest coverage and surface hardness.

You frightened the bejusus out of me with the grinder. My knees are pre-buggered, plus all that noise, all that dust, all that risk of making the hollows even deeper, and all those $1,625 in a grinder that I hope never to have to use again !

Getting a pro in to do some concreting remains a viable option.

Cheers

Graeme

You can hire a concrete finder or scabbler from any of the hire shops and they are walk behind not on your hands and knees if you are thinking of going down that path

Thanks everyone.

This is a summary of my current thinking. The refurbishment of the floor is a key element in making my shed more usable. I also plan on a major storage rack and have started a companion thread - I want to convert the floor from a storage area to a work area !

Viable options at this point in time are:

1. Employ concreter to lay very flat and level floor on to of existing one - 32 mpa concrete?
2. Mate says this should then be polished?
3. Yellow tongue flooring on top of galvanised top hats or treated pine joists?
4. Thicker particle board floor to allow for futere machinery?
5. Yellow tongue on top of sealed concrete?

One attraction of concrete is that it would provide a reference surface for the wall racking. But board is so much nicer to walk on.


Fair Winds

Graeme

Use anti fatigue mats in the most frequently used positions

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

This is a summary of my current thinking. The refurbishment of the floor is a key element in making my shed more usable. I also plan on a major storage rack and have started a companion thread - I want to convert the floor from a storage area to a work area !

Viable options at this point in time are:

1. Employ concreter to lay very flat and level floor on to of existing one - 32 mpa concrete?
2. Mate says this should then be polished?
3. Yellow tongue flooring on top of galvanised top hats or treated pine joists?
4. Thicker particle board floor to allow for futere machinery?
5. Yellow tongue on top of sealed concrete?

One attraction of concrete is that it would provide a reference surface for the wall racking. But board is so much nicer to walk on.

a work colleague bought an office file compactus to store the stuff that was over-filling his garage. He still raves about how much stuff he stuffed into it.

in terms of your project, and the amount of stuff currently in your shed, I think you should sort out the storage before you attack the floor.
nothing you store, or rack you build, will care if the floor under the storage rack(s) is out of level. Fletty's shed retrospective has a very good (at least in my opinion) DIY storage rack system -- it would be worth checking it out.

then the floor only needs to be leveled where you are using it as a floor or walkway.


Topping the slab with concrete will likely lose 75 to 125 mm of height, creating a similar high step both ends. A timber floor will have similar step up / step down issues.

If you ultimately go with a topping layer, my recommendation is to use a high strength grout -- essentially a mix of graded sand, cement and fly ash that can be laid as thin as 5 or 10 mm and has a high compressive strength.

Hi Graeme,

Just a suggestion, probably one you have thought of anyway, why not empty your shed and store contents, under cover, on your deck area so that you, and any pro you may wish to get in to assess the situation can properly gauge the magnitude of the degree of unevenness of your shed floor. Nothing better than a clean sheet to start with IMO.

regards

Colin

Originally Posted by Ari2

Hi Graeme,

Just a suggestion, probably one you have thought of anyway, why not empty your shed and store contents, under cover, on your deck area so that you, and any pro you may wish to get in to assess the situation can properly gauge the magnitude of the degree of unevenness of your shed floor. Nothing better than a clean sheet to start with IMO.

regards

Colin

Good Morning Colin

Agreed; that is essentially my plan. But I want to be in a position to move very quickly one I start emptying the shed.

Current thinking is to erect a market stall type tent on the deck - possibly 2 as I will require easy access to tools while working on the floor and racking/shelving.

Cheers

Graeme

Just make sure the market style tent is water proof. Have seen some when camping that don’t copy with too much rain.

Originally Posted by ian

a work colleague bought an office file compactus to store the stuff that was over-filling his garage. He still raves about how much stuff he stuffed into it.....

But I cannot fit timber in a compactus, [I am not a pen maker.]

...in terms of your project, and the amount of stuff currently in your shed, I think you should sort out the storage before you attack the floor.
nothing you store, or rack you build, will care if the floor under the storage rack(s) is out of level. Fletty's shed retrospective has a very good (at least in my opinion) DIY storage rack system -- it would be worth checking it out.

Delayed response as I had to re-read The Saga of Fletty's Shed Retrospective - 66 pages and 976 posts - impressive so many useful ideas. Fully agree that I should sort out storage. For example, if I go yellow tongue on joists, then that will probably not be strong enough to support storage racks, so would probably have in think about piers under the racks. Unsure if the brick wall is strong enough to hang racks, and as its a parapet wall Council probably have a rule....

As some of my timber is 4 m long, access may be an issue which is why I am thinking about cantilever racks even thoug those with front posts are easier and probably cheaper.

...then the floor only needs to be leveled where you are using it as a floor or walkway. ...

No, no, no! As Tonzoeyd said "Do it properly". I want the entire floor accessible - not a storage area! - and usable as a work area, and the floor under the storage racks needs to be a reference surface, or those racks won't be level and straight.

...Topping the slab with concrete will likely lose 75 to 125 mm of height, creating a similar high step both ends. A timber floor will have similar step up / step down issues. ...

I have not yet consulted a concreter, but I was thinking of 25 mm over the peaks - and therefore 85 mm in the troughs. At the side door, the existing floor is about 65 mm below the door cill, so a raise in floor height is not a major issue.

.....If you ultimately go with a topping layer, my recommendation is to use a high strength grout -- essentially a mix of graded sand, cement and fly ash that can be laid as thin as 5 or 10 mm and has a high compressive strength.

I was unaware of this product. Dr Google says Bunnings have several products ranging from the same price as self levelling concrete to about half that cost. I know nothing about the ease of application or its benefits over concrete.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/compare?...960343,0960344,

Thanks for your ongoing comments - its really helping to round out my thinking.


Cheers

Graeme