Wheel Horse Garage Floor

[WheelHorse520H 708]

I am not sure where to put this thread because of what my question is. I have a fabric carport for my 520-H as well as my car and some tables. I was trying to come up with a floor that allows water to pass underneath so I don’t grow mold on my  . But I also want to work when / after it rains. Right now my driveway just soaks under the tent and I can’t work in there for days after it rains. I figured with all of the creativity on here I could find a budget friendly floor so I can work when it rains. Thank you all, any  is appreciated.

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

49 minutes ago, WheelHorse520H said:

budget friendly

 

How friendly is your budget?

 

What about HDPE pallets?  and maybe some plywood on top of them?

 

https://www.grainger.com/product/49K078

 

USED prices are more friendly and there's a listing in NH here

 

https://containerexchanger.com/pallets-for-sale/plastic-pallets-for-sale

Edited July 8, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

54 minutes ago, WheelHorse520H said:

fabric carport

 

By the way... down here in Joisey we call those things TENTS!  

 

(and I would be trimming those tree branches rubbing the top and sides, you'll eventually lose the waterproofing and the material will wear thin)

Edited July 8, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[WheelHorse520H 708]

9 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

By the way... down here in Joisey we call those things TENTS!  

I tried to sell it good. That is a great idea but, for the amount I need it would be around $450 which is a little pricey plus lumber prices are way up so plywood would be a lot too. I will see if I can make it work, I thought of regular pallets that I have but they aren’t consistent with size like the recycled ones you sent. I will consider it, thank you for the idea.

[Daron1965 644]

My son has a Hobo Freight one. He used old pallets as the floor.  He took apart pallets and filled in the empty slots. Works well so far. 

[stevasaurus 22,711]

I am going to be honest.  No matter what you do with that tent, you are, sooner or later, going to have issues with critters.  Racoons, mice, birds, groundhogs, etc ...are going to love the nice place you have for them to spend the winter.  Storing stuff is one thing, but trying to make that a work space...not going to happen.  My advise...build a shed that has a concrete floor and 3 foot footings.  No water problems and no critter problems.  It will last 70 years more then that tent.  

[WheelHorse520H 708]

49 minutes ago, Daron1965 said:

My son has a Hobo Freight one. He used old pallets as the floor.  He took apart pallets and filled in the empty slots. Works well so far. 

I will take a second look at the pallets I have but I am worried about nails popping a tire, I suppose I could check each pallet before I put it in.

 

2 minutes ago, stevasaurus said:

I am going to be honest.  No matter what you do with that tent, you are, sooner or later, going to have issues with critters.  Racoons, mice, birds, groundhogs, etc ...are going to love the nice place you have for them to spend the winter.  Storing stuff is one thing, but trying to make that a work space...not going to happen.  My advise...build a shed that has a concrete floor and 3 foot footings.  No water problems and no critter problems.  It will last 70 years more then that tent.  

I totally agree with you, but I don’t have the money to build such a nice place to work, I am working with what I have, but that is definitely an idea I hope to build in the near future.

[stevasaurus 22,711]

I understand issues with money and what you need to put it toward, I just hate to see you waste it.  You will end up throwing good money after bad.  When I can type better, I can tell you what I have going on with a pole building at my Dad's.  Critters are taking over, and they are just ruining the structure from the inside out.  No floor and no footing.  That size, you could do a cement block footing and then do a blacktop floor inside.  Put the tent on top and save to finish later.  Do not build in the low part of your land...that is where the water goes.

[stevasaurus 22,711]

One other thing, if you can build a footing, you might be able to use ground up blacktop for the floor.  it is cheap and you can compact it because it has enough tar in it to make a nice stable floor ( a lawn roller can compact it).  I was able to get the blacktop for a case of beer from a near by gravel yard.  I had my own trailer.

[rmaynard 15,428]

I finally got rid of mine. It was up for 5 years. I put down plastic on the ground, pallets on top of the plastic, plywood on top of the pallets. I put an exhaust fan in that ran 24/7. When I finally cleared it out in 2020, 90% of anything paper or cardboard was ruined. Everything that has ever come in contact with human sweat became moldy. Anything that was unprotected steel or iron rusted. Mice made it their home shredding anything cloth to make nests. What I'm saying is, if you are anywhere that climate changes like here in Maryland, you will find that it actually rains inside due to humidity and temperature change. I wish I would have known that when I put it up. However, anything in bins with lids was okay. Some things were covered with tarps and they survived. Would I do it again? No. Would I use it temporarily until a more secure building was erected? No. I gave one I had  to my grandsons to store their go-karts over the winter and the mice loved it. I hate to be a Debby Downer, but it was not a pleasant experience dealing with the mice, the rotting paper and cardboard and the black mold 5 years later.

Edited July 8, 2021 by rmaynard

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

23 minutes ago, stevasaurus said:

ground up blacktop

 

Commonly called "Millings" and if MA is anything like NJ, they will have a LAW against it's use, believe it or not.

 

Here in NJ some politicians relative must own a paving company and got him to outlaw the millings claiming that there are carcinogens or some such in it.  Yeah, right... what about the millions of miles of blacktopped roads that are already there?  When will they be ripping them all up and going back to laying down logs?  Oh wait... the tree huggers would never allow that either.

 

[stevasaurus 22,711]

Jeff, you are cracking me up, but you are right.  I was able to get the "Millings" like 20 years ago.  They will not sell that to you in Illinois now either.  They use it to put back into roads.  The next best thing is white rock...like #14??.  Fine enough to compress with a roller, but also fine enough to track into the house on your wet shoes.  It comes down to...do it right the 1st time...it is cheaper then screwing around with bad ideas.  

[WheelHorse520H 708]

1 hour ago, stevasaurus said:

Do not build in the low part of your land...that is where the water goes.

On the edge of the top of a hill so water flows through it but not to it. All the water is passing.

 

1 hour ago, rmaynard said:

What I'm saying is, if you are anywhere that climate changes like here in Maryland, you will find that it actually rains inside due to humidity and temperature change.

I have not had that problem yet, here in MA it is humid in the summer and dry in the winter and you can count on it. Although I see why that could be a problem.

 

1 hour ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Commonly called "Millings" and if MA is anything like NJ, they will have a LAW against it's use, believe it or not.

Not sure but I believe in MA it IS legal to use Millings, we used it to re-do our dirt driveway a couple years ago, I don’t remember if it was millings though.

I think making a solid floor out of pallets would keep the rodents out because it is raised. Honestly I would have put the  in real garage but my brother keeps his Corvette there, so that is out of the question. I see what you all are saying and this wisdom is exactly why I asked you folks, sometimes it’s the people you barely know that help the most.

[Jeff-C175 7,199]

18 minutes ago, WheelHorse520H said:

my brother keeps his Corvette

 

OK, now THAT is sacrilege!  Imagine... a lowly Corvette displacing a Wheel Horse for 'stall space'!  SACRILEGE !  HERESY I SAY !             

Edited July 8, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[WheelHorse520H 708]

23 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

OK, now THAT is sacrilege!  Imagine... a lowly Corvette displacing a Wheel Horse for 'stall space'!  SACRILEGE !  HERESY I SAY !             

He got there first so snooze ya lose I guess. Coincidentally it was that same garage I went out of, grabbing tools on my way, that my 520 was about 20 feet from sitting non-running for 5 years. The COVID gave me time to work on it. That just about brings us to today.

[Zeek 2,286]

18 hours ago, WheelHorse520H said:

I am not sure where to put this thread because of what my question is. I have a fabric carport for my 520-H as well as my car and some tables. I was trying to come up with a floor that allows water to pass underneath so I don’t grow mold on my  . But I also want to work when / after it rains. Right now my driveway just soaks under the tent and I can’t work in there for days after it rains. I figured with all of the creativity on here I could find a budget friendly floor so I can work when it rains. Thank you all, any  is appreciated.

 

 

I am thinking you may be looking for something like this. There are several different places to get this kind of mat besides the other link like here and here. I agree at some point I would pour a slab. It will be SO much easier to keep clean and dryer if you keep the canopy over it.

[WheelHorse520H 708]

16 minutes ago, Zeek said:

 

I am thinking you may be looking for something like this. There are several different places to get this kind of mat besides the other link like here and here. I agree at some point I would pour a slab. It will be SO much easier to keep clean and dryer if you keep the canopy over it.

I saw things that were similar but this looks better, the stuff I saw was a foam and rubber pad with little channels, but this stuff looks more like Racedeck but at a lower price. I will calculate the price and see how much I need. Thank you all for your help in solving this unusual dilemma.

[JoeM 7,871]

50 years ago my Dad put salvaged rubber conveyor belting over his dirt floor garage. It was and still is great. My brother lives there and keep a classic car in the that garage. No issues.

Don't know if that is something available in your area??

[WheelHorse520H 708]

4 hours ago, JoeM said:

50 years ago my Dad put salvaged rubber conveyor belting over his dirt floor garage. It was and still is great. My brother lives there and keep a classic car in the that garage. No issues.

Don't know if that is something available in your area??

That’s not a bad idea. My Dad brought home some rubber floor from a job site and I have a few strips of it, it works well but it bubbles up when oil leaks on it. I will look into it though.

 

I did the math and @Zeek your idea was great, but those tiles would be about $700 for the space I am working with.

Edited July 10, 2021 by WheelHorse520H

[WheelHorse520H 708]

Okay, so everything I found for rubber flooring was around $400 or more for what I need. I am not sure that I can get anything for 200 sq. ft. under $400 that will last in a garage setting. Thank you all for the ideas, I guess I will have to save up for a floor. I will double check the pallets that I have but I am worried about nails or staples popping a tire.

[ronhatch 406]

The solutions are obvious to me and they won't cost a penny. Put your brothers Corvette in the tent and your stuff back in the garage. Or better yet, tell your bro if he can afford a Corvette, he can afford to rent a space for his car somewhere else and you take back your garage. Finally and best of all, you could give your bro the tent and tell him to store the car at his place by using your tent. And an extra bonus to option #3 is by removing that tent, your neighbors will be happier too.  It's a WIN-WIN for everyone!

Edited July 11, 2021 by ronhatch

[RandyLittrell 3,877]

Is your driveway asphalt? It looks it from the picture. If water is running under it, put the door on the downside and put 4x4's on the other three sides with adhesive to seal it with a few spikes to keep in place. You need ventilation up high to reduce moisture. You could even run a dehumidifier with a hose running out the downside. 

 

 

Randy

[WheelHorse520H 708]

Just now, RandyLittrell said:

Is your driveway asphalt? It looks it from the picture. If water is running under it, put the door on the downside and put 4x4's on the other three sides with adhesive to seal it with a few spikes to keep in place. You need ventilation up high to reduce moisture. You could even run a dehumidifier with a hose running out the downside. 

 

 

Randy

Yes it is asphalt, but three of the four sides have doors although the dehumidifier is not a bad move after hearing what @rmaynard went through.

[RandyLittrell 3,877]

Just now, WheelHorse520H said:

Yes it is asphalt, but three of the four sides have doors although the dehumidifier is not a bad move after hearing what @rmaynard went through.

If you can keep water from coming under the sides you will greatly reduce the moisture inside. 

 

 

 

Randy

[WheelHorse520H 708]

32 minutes ago, RandyLittrell said:

If you can keep water from coming under the sides you will greatly reduce the moisture inside. 

 

 

 

Randy

I am looking at how much a concrete slab would be, at first glance it would be about as much as the plastic pallets idea but would hold more weight and not need plywood on top.