Milk House renovation

[riptides]

I am planning to turn my milk house into more usable space.

The first step was gutting the pipes and equipment out of it.

The inside walls are a concrete type plaster on top of some kind of wire mesh.

The floors are poured concrete. Circa 1920.

For the floors, I was thinking about a vapor barrier and a new sub-floor. That would mean raising the height of a door.

Another option would be a pour of a lot of self leveling concrete.

I think I am leaning towards a new sub-floor, due to the volume and ease of not working with concrete.

Thoughts?

 

[EddieWalker]

Pics would help, but just comparing what would be faster and easier to do, self leveling concrete is about as easy as it gets.

 

[riptides]

I am looking at a "drop" in the middle of the floor hitting close to four inches. This runs the length of the building.

What do you all think of the adherence quality of the concrete up against that old stuff?

I plan on installing plumbing too, so I am leaning towards a floor build up.

 

[EddieWalker]

4 inches changes everything. You wouldn't want to do that with self leveling for sure!!! I would hire it out if pouring concrete, but if you did that, you would want to raise the high side at least two inches, which doesn't have any advantages over building it up with wood. Seeing your picture, I think I'd frame it up level and put down plywood or Advantech subflooring.

 

[riptides]

4 inches changes everything. You wouldn't want to do that with self leveling for sure!!! I would hire it out if pouring concrete, but if you did that, you would want to raise the high side at least two inches, which doesn't have any advantages over building it up with wood. Seeing your picture, I think I'd frame it up level and put down plywood or Advantech subflooring.

Looks like I'll be pounding wood down!

Concrete on top of concrete, the self-leveling stuff....how does that hold up over time for flooring?

 

[EddieWalker]

After the original concrete is cleaned, a bonding agent has to be applied. Then some pins should be drilled into it to lock the new concrete in place and hold up the rebar. The existing concrete will make a great base. If done correctly, you would never know it wasn't original and it will be there for hundreds of years. But going with wood will be faster, cheaper and easier.

 

[tomplum]

I dunno, but that bulk tank might make a nice wine vat!

 

[newbury]

I am looking at a "drop" in the middle of the floor hitting close to four inches. This runs the length of the building.

What do you all think of the adherence quality of the concrete up against that old stuff?

I plan on installing plumbing too, so I am leaning towards a floor build up.

I'd go with the floor build up..
That pic looks exactly like my first job when my Dad hired me out to a local dairy farmer. The farmer gave me a broken hoe to scrape down the walls for repainting.

4 inches changes everything. You wouldn't want to do that with self leveling for sure!!! I would hire it out if pouring concrete, but if you did that, you would want to raise the high side at least two inches, which doesn't have any advantages over building it up with wood. Seeing your picture, I think I'd frame it up level and put down plywood or Advantech subflooring.

You've got plenty of ceiling height so I'd second that and go with Advantech. Then you can run plumbing under the floor.

 

[MossRoad]

In the garage on our first house, someone poured a 2" concrete floor over the existing concrete floor. We never knew it. The original service entrance door opened out. Every time we left it open, if we opened the overhead door, the service door would fly open and damage its hinges. One day, the wind whipped it so hard it snapped the door frame. We decided to replace it with one that opens in to resolve the wind issue, and it was more secure as well. That's when we found out we couldn't open a door inwards, because there was an inch of concrete sticking up blocking an inward swinging door. We'd never noticed it. The concrete was cracked in several places by the door, so I lifted one piece out and that's when I discovered the 2" pour on top of the original floor. I ended up getting a concrete blade for a circular saw and cutting a 3'x3' square out of the 2" floor to allow for the door swing inwards. There was just a little step there when you went in. It was OK for a garage, but I'd not do that for a high traffic area where changes in floor height can be a tripping hazard.

 

[riptides]

2X4's for flooring joists or 2X6? That is the question. Since they will be set on top of the concrete. Does size matter?

TIA