BUILDING GARAGE BY MYSELF NEED HELP?

[rockshaft]

My father built his garage himself. I was young at the time so I don't remember much but he used a cement mixer to pour the slab and then he made a row of cement blocks with cap blocks on top of them as the foundation to build on. The mistake he made was he put the blocks down after the slab dried but wished he only waited long enough for the cement to set up hard enough to support the weight and instead of using mortar he would have filled the blocks with cement (since there's only one row). It's a floating slab so it's about 6" think and moves with the frost. It's a 20x20 garage.

Mixing cement is hard work. 80lb bags get heavy and there's not a lot in a bag. I would see it as a chance to buy a 3pt cement mixer though. I like the idea of being able to back up next to the trailer with the bags of cement, slide them over and pour them in, mix the cement up and drive to where you want it and dump it. The least amount of moving the cement by hand the better.

I helped mix up a pallet and 1/2 of concrete in 80# sacks one time- it was cheaper than getting a truck in that particular situation. A heck of a lot of work for the size of what I was doing though. A truck and a well laid out form, so as not to need more than the truck's chute, makes the whole process much better.

 

[Deere Dude]

Moisture control is a big plus for a concreted floor. Pole barns are nice, but nicer with a concrete floor. I had one and a car I stored in it almost rusted into the ground. I concreted the floor after that and the rust stopped for the most part.

If you wanted a stick built garage with footings, etc, why not rent a mixer for the day and try your luck with 8"x16" footing and see how things go with the hauling of gravel and bags of concrete up the hill. Make sure you put in blocks around the perimeter to keep the sill plate off the floor along with anchor bolt into the floor.

If it works out well, get a good sized mixer and try 1/4 or 1/2 the floor at a time so you can stay ahead of it for finishing. Three people ought to be able to do that.

 

[Flutie Fanatic]

I am sure glad I posted this thread, great discussion and different points of view are great.

Yes cement truck is out, interlocking stone floor was something that crossed my mind. Have seen lots of driveways with interlocking stone, why not a garage floor.

poll barns look interesting also.

Thanks to all, keep it coming if you got more

 

[flusher]

I am sure glad I posted this thread, great discussion and different points of view are great.

Yes cement truck is out, interlocking stone floor was something that crossed my mind. Have seen lots of driveways with interlocking stone, why not a garage floor.

poll barns look interesting also.

Thanks to all, keep it coming if you got more

I built this 20 x 28 ft equipment shed--pole style working alone a few years ago (at age 67). Roof is 10 ft in front sloping to 9 ft in rear. Concrete footings are 18"x18"x18" using a cheap mixer from Harbor Freight. Posts are 4x6 ft pressure treated. Beams are doubled 2x12 (nailed and glued) in front, doubled 2x10s middle and rear.
Metal siding is 29 ga R-panel 3ft wide x 11 ft long.



You can adapt this style of construction to your garage.

Good luck.

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

Boy concrete is a lot of work. I was in the pole barn business years ago. It is the only way to go in this instance. Around here they will sell you a pole barn kit and the instructions. It is cheaper than normal stick built also. Don't for get a vapor barrier or lite insulation in the roof to prevent condesation drips. Put a vapor barrier under your gravel based floor and then if you want to use the patio blocks ok. I don't know anything about them. I would put down gravel then drive on it for awhile and get it good and settled and packed before I did anything else. If you get a good gravel base and you decide to put down concrete you can use a much thnner slab. When you build a pole barn you can use the skirt board on the bottom for a form. I forgot to mention. The poles do not need to be in concrete, a good crushed rock with the fines still in will pack better than concrete.

 

[s219]

So what would people here recommend for a vapor barrier under a gravel (or crusher run) floor inside a pole barn? Would a few sheets of heavy plastic hold up?

 

[magicheater]

So what would people here recommend for a vapor barrier under a gravel (or crusher run) floor inside a pole barn? Would a few sheets of heavy plastic hold up?

Probably, it won't rot. Foam works too, cuts down on the condensation.

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

I'm not an expert here but I know plastic will work. It will not rot or deteriorate badly because it is not in the light. Depending on the rock you use you might want to put a little sand over it to keep it from being punctured by the rock. If you have a good pole barn dealer they can probably tell you what will work best in your area.

 

[Rford]

You said the site is "almost" impossible for a ready mix truck to get to...I'd find out for sure. Some companies have smaller trucks for such situations and I'd ask the plant to check out the site and see if its accessible. A concrete floor is superior in so many respects to anything else that it would be worth it to find out for sure. Pouring a truckload or two of concrete is best left to the experienced and a crew would money well-spent.

 

[timswi]

You said the site is "almost" impossible for a ready mix truck to get to...I'd find out for sure. Some companies have smaller trucks for such situations and I'd ask the plant to check out the site and see if its accessible. A concrete floor is superior in so many respects to anything else that it would be worth it to find out for sure. Pouring a truckload or two of concrete is best left to the experienced and a crew would money well-spent.

Pumper trucks are a good solution too.