Renovating Garage - Questions - Part 2 help and suggestions

[Kmrumedy]

As per previous post. I bought an old victorian home built in 1870 with a garage that is almost as old. I move in at the end of this month. The garage foundation is solid but needs a lot of work (600 sq ft). Other owners have kept maintaining this structure for over a century so I am NOT going to tear it down......though I have felt like it a lot this week!!! So in your suggestions....be constructive....haha....get it?......get it??!!

The previous owners let the ground level get 1 ft higher than the cement foundation so it rotted all the wood at the base and water got in. I had all the earth moved from around the garage to start the repairs. See picture....yikes!

I am trying to get the garage "functional" for end of July when I must move in my cars. I am replacing all the rotten wood at the base and then putting a membrane and new siding on the outside so no more water will ever get in. New roof is happeneing next week. I am then putting in plastic and insulation on the inside of the walls and boarding them up. It should take car of any water infiltration.

Todays issue - the floor and moisture. Once the walls are done....I posted yesterday that I wanted to put down an epoxy floor but I did the moisture test (tapped a piece of plastic to the floor overnight) and the cement has moisture trapped inside. So the instructions say I can't epoxy the floor.

I don't have $2000 - $3000 for race deck products.

Questions -

1. Can I put down a plastic membrane on the floor and then put down large plywood planks. I would then get a couple of racing matts for extra security that no moisture would come up through the floors. OR should I just put down new cement instead? Is moisture ridden cement a lost cuase? The cement floor looks nice and dry and has no cracks at all.

Any other suggestions or options?

2. How do I get the humidity out of this garage???? It feels and smells like a basement that had a flood.

Long post but for anyone else that has been here......I REALLY need some help.

I know it doesn't look nice now but structure is full of huge old wood and beams and l think it will look amazing once I am done.

 

[ViperTony]

If it were me, I'd rip out the floor and re-pour with a protective membrane under the concrete to block moisture coming up through the ground. Moisture coming through concrete drives me nuts. Depending on the contractor, the finished concrete can come out looking fabulous. For a few dollars more you can seal your concrete to keep that new finish looking good, put down some epoxy or do nothing.

Tips: If you're thinking of getting a lift for your garage, contact the lift manufacturer and ask what kind of concrete (3k, 4K psi) and depth is needed in the floor before you pour the concrete. Are you the kind of owner that likes washing his/her car in the garage? If so, good time to install a drain and rough in plumbing as well as a slop sink to wash off that oil and grime after an afternoon of working on your loved one.

Since your goal is to address moisture I'd re-pour the floor first. It should be a reasonable expensive for a 600 s.f. floor. Down the road you can always choose to epoxy, tiles, etc.

 

[dave6666]

To add to what Tony said above, but with a twist, see if they can put a thin cap on (approx. 2" thick) of fresh concrete with a vapor barrier in-between. The difficult part to that is, there is nothing connecting the old slab to the new slab with the plastic between them. Maybe there's a coating that will bond and seal before the cap?

Point is, save the old slab that way. And the cost of demo and a lot more concrete to go back in. 2" on top is cheap.