Garden Studio - Options for floor...

I'm having an artists studio built in the garden. It's for my wife - she paints.

I can't make up my mind about the flooring. The building is 6M x 4M, is on a concrete base and will be 4x2 construction with builders paper & shiplap on the outside.

The options for the floor (on top of the concrete base) I have been considering are...

  1. To lay 22mm T&G Chipboard on 50mm of Celotex. Then a covering of Lino. My only concern with this is that my wife wants some storage/work areas that are moveable - on wheels. I'm a bit worried they re going to be a bit heavy for this type of floor.

  1. To have 75mm screed on 50mm of Celotex. Then paint with two coats of two part Epoxy paint.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks, RzB

Reply to
RzB
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concrete base and will be 4x2 construction with builders paper & shiplap on the outside.

only concern with this is that my wife wants some storage/work areas that are moveable - on wheels. I'm a bit worried they re going to be a bit heavy for this type of floor.

part Epoxy paint.

With paint flying about I would go for one of the rubber type floor paint with high chemical resistance. Easy to clean, tough and soft to walk on.

Reply to
Ericp

Thanks for your response. That's interesting. I'll take. Closer look at that. RzB

Reply to
RzB

areas that are moveable - on wheels. I'm a bit worried they re going to

How heavy are these storage units going to be? The loading on 22 mm fooring grade chip on normal joist centers is pretty high. Your 22 mm chip will be fully supported by the celotex. This will also be a much warmer and "softer" floor to stand about on than concrete over celotex.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Dave,

Thanks for your response.

Yes - after much discussion with builders etc I have decided to go with the 22mm T&G on celotex, for exactly the reasons you mentioned.

Thanks, RzB

Reply to
RzB

OK - I'm now about to do the floor and I need some advice on how to fit this! Here is my plan..

Put DPM on the concrete floor. Then put the 50mm Celotex on top of this. I will stagger the boards so that the joins don't line up. I will seal the joins with aluminium tape.

Then lay the 22mm T&G Chipboard flooring. Again staggering the joints and making sure the joints don't line up with the joints in the Celotex.

I have some questions...

Someone has suggested a second DPM between the Celotex and Chipboard flooring. Is this a good idea?

Should the T&G be glued?

Do I need to leave an expansion gap at the edges (for Celotex and Chipboard) and if so how much? The room is 4M x 6M.

I was intending to lay all the Celotex before starting the Chipboard layer - it will mean walking on the Celotex - is this OK?

Roy

Reply to
RzB

DPM should always be on the warm side of insulation. Cold side increases the risk of condensation bewteen it and the insulation.

TBH I'm not sure you need a DPM with Celotex (or similar) it's foil faced just lay it tightly together and tape the joins.

Donno. Both are fairly stable materials unlike real timber say. A small gap, say 1/2" all round packed out with a soft foam material to provide some insulation, stop draughts and be compressable wouldn't be a bad idea.

Take your stilletoes off. The surafce of Celotex etc is quite soft, it will take limited walking on with soft soled shoes but TBH I think I'd use some walk boards.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Make sure you use waterproof chipboard, such as Weyroc, if there's any chance that the floor might get wet.

Reply to
Frank Erskine

Many thanks for your response. Very helpful. Hmm... DPM underneath the Celotex is wrong then - that's the cold side. If anything it should be between the Celotex and the Chipboard. The concrete already has a DPM underneath it so perhaps I'll go without the DPM.

Had a brainwave about the gap - I'll phone the manufacturer of the floorboard.

Thanks, Roy

Reply to
RzB

Frank - thanks for your response. It is indeed the waterproof variety.

Reply to
RzB

I phoned Egger the suppliers of the T&G flooring and they were very helpful. They recommended a 10mm gap all round and also that I glue the T&G using this...

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They didn't think the DPM was necessary.

They are also going to email me a guide to laying their floors - I think it's probably this one...

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I also spoke to Celotex - again very helpful. There is no need for a gap with the Celotex. He said that taping was not necessary on a floor. However he did think the DPM layer between the Celotex and board was needed.

So - I think I have answered all my own questions!

Roy

Reply to
RzB

mmm featuring joists and nails (& glue) - I suspect you've already got the info you really need ;>)

Jim K

Reply to
Jim K

If you tape you get the DPM... I'd go for tape. Big sheet of DPM is not the easiest thing to handle or get flat, then not to have move whilst laying the boards...

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Alternatively, there are modestly priced underlays for engineered wood flooring which can double as dpm. The one used here is about 3mm thick and has an overlap of thin plastic.

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Reply to
Tim Lamb

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