Patching up a garage floor

[keiron99]

We have an internal garage, albeit a stubby one that a car won't fit in. It's used a bit like a utility room and to that end I want to create a smart looking floor. It's currently just concrete, but the surface is in a sorry state, cracked and lumpy.

First, what is the best way for me to "smooth" it over - what kind of product should I be using? Some kind of screed? (I've never done this before, I'm sure you can tell!)

Second, I was thinking the cheapest and easiest finish to apply would be lino, perhaps I can get an offcut somewhere. Not having lived with lino for more than 30 years, how is it actually stuck down to the floor?

[Grunff]

How much height can you spare? The problem with a very thin screed is that it is very prone to cracking. Ideally you need about 30mm for it to be strong and resilient.

I'd be tempted to lay 1/2" ply onto your existing concrete, bedded down on adhesive, then lino onto that. You stick the lino down with spray adhesive, available from lino shops everywhere.

[Cod Roe]

My parents garage, which was built some years ago whilst I was still in primary school, has a very impressive floor which resulted from power floating a couple of times a few hours apart using something like this:

results are a highly polished marble like finish. You can see the enormous difference between it and a hand float at the tight corners and the very edges. Unfortunately due to my tender years at the time I can't give you any more details of the construction.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Remove major cracked lumps

slosh a gallon of diluted PVA all over it.

Leve while you punder teh next move. Which might be

1`/. bugger it, thats good enough, I'll paint it. In which case the PVA was a bit of a waste. 2/. Mm. Thats nice to slosh some levelling compund over, or tiles.. 3/. I think i'll just sling down some vinyl on some hardboard.

[Merryterry]

There are loads of thin screed materials on the market. Some will go down to 1-2mm and obtain high newton strengths. Try Watco

There are others. p.s. I do not workfor this company or have any connection although I did work in the industrial flooring industry for many years.