brick pavers for shop floor?

[dirt clod]

I have a 32x36 pole barn. I would like to have a floor other than dirt that would not be damaged by oil or welding. I don't want rocks. I have noticed a lot of commercial parking lots done where pavers are installed instead of concrete due to run off impact fees. These seem to hold up to traffic fine. If my math is right, my shop would need 432 pavers. I can get pavers for 50 cent each ( Shop Oldcastle 8"L x 4"W Red/Charcoal Holland Paver at Lowes.com)

This seems like a cheap option I can do by myself and with out a permit for concrete. The pavers are rated at 3500 pounds. If that is per paver that would be 109 pounds per sq inch. I would think anything that exerted more pressure than that would sink in the dirt before it got to shop. I have built up the ground with mix of red clay, sand and lime. This stuff packs very hard. On top of this I would put a few inches of sand to bed the pavers. The sand would only cost me hauling about a mile from site, the pavers would be around $250. Concrete would be about 6 times this in materials! I have not heard of anyone doing this. Please school me on this subject. This good idea or bad?

 

[robs660]

That is a great idea. You have my mind spinning right now. I have been looking for something I can do to my destroyed garage floor and never thought about something like this.
I could see it working for you, my only suggestion would be to use a steel edging so that nothing moves on you

Good luck!

 

[dirt clod]

Going to frame outside just like I was pouring concrete. The outside framing will end up being pressure treated 2x4 outside of poles. This frame will be the bottom board that the metal siding will screw to.

 

[CurlyDave]

I have used 12" x 12" stepping stones for a shed floor with great success.

The only problem I see is that the floor may become uneven over time so that it will be difficult to roll anything over it, or difficult to scoot under a vehicle. Using jackstands may be a problem also -- in most cases some plywood will solve the issue.

 

[hr3]

Not sure about the math,, or maybe it's my math,,

32by 36 =1152 sf times 144 si. = 165,888 sq. in. of floor divided by your brick of 32 sq. in to me equals 5,184 bricks ??

 

[GE222]

The pavers should make a nice shop floor. I would not use sand under the pavers, instead use something like crushed limestone that can be firmly compacted. Once the pavers are in, then used silica sand around them.:thumbsup:

 

[ace10]

Not sure about the math,, or maybe it's my math,,

32by 36 =1152 sf times 144 si. = 165,888 sq. in. of floor divided by your brick of 32 sq. in to me equals 5,184 bricks ??

This.

And don't think setting 5K pavers is any fun at all.

 

[Diamondpilot]

The OP needs to go back and check his math. You would need 5,200 pavers give or take. Or $2,600 in pavers plus sand, ect, you are well over $3,000

On the other hand concrete would be about $1,500 in my area for 15 yards of 3000 psi with mesh.

Even if it were cheaper it would never work for rolling around jacks, tool boxes, ect.

Chris

 

[crazyal]

I read 432 pavers and I thought something didn't sound right. At 4x8 that equals the area of something like 3 sheets of plywood. It's still not a bad idea if you can get them or maybe get some of the larger precast ones. I don't think Lowes would be your best bet. Around here the cement companies make pavers and other forms of cement products like blocks. The best thing is if one or some get damaged you just swap them for new ones.

 

[dirt clod]

Well I thought I was needing schooled on construction. Turns out I needed schooling in math. The pavers wouldn't be a cost saving over concrete. Looks like I'm back to concrete as only viable option. Thanks for the help.