Wood floor in a pole barn idea

Josh Schwenger

Josh Schwenger

Active member
So I am looking at putting up a pole barn. It's mostly for all things hunting but I also would like to have the ability to put boats inside for maintenance and other tasks. I would like a wood floor in the part of the shop. My thought was to have the concrete step down 4 1/4 inches and frame a 16" on center floor from 2x4s or 4x4s bolted to the concrete below. Then on top of that use 3/4 exterior rated plywood A/B with the good side up. I know will have to use treated because of the concrete contact. I will use a vapor barrier under the concrete but still concerned about mold and rot issues. My brothers suggestion was to use 5/4 decking instead of plywood to allow airflow. I would just have to drop that a 1/4 further to allow for them decking thickness. If anyone could weigh in on possible pitfalls I'm missing here.
 
Josh Schwenger said:
So I am looking at putting up a pole barn. It's mostly for all things hunting but I also would like to have the ability to put boats inside for maintenance and other tasks. I would like a wood floor in the part of the shop. My thought was to have the concrete step down 4 1/4 inches and frame a 16" on center floor from 2x4s or 4x4s bolted to the concrete below. Then on top of that use 3/4 exterior rated plywood A/B with the good side up. I know will have to use treated because of the concrete contact. I will use a vapor barrier under the concrete but still concerned about mold and rot issues. My brothers suggestion was to use 5/4 decking instead of plywood to allow airflow. I would just have to drop that a 1/4 further to allow for them decking thickness. If anyone could weigh in on possible pitfalls I'm missing here.
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Good morning, Josh~

Do you need a concrete floor? In one shed (attached to my shop) and my woodshed, I used treated 2x12s screwed to sleepers (24" O. C.). The sleepers sit on dry gravel. The woodshed has been there for ~25 years - the other shed got its floor at least 10 years ago.

My main shop (20 x 40) has a concrete "Alaskan slab." On top of that, I put vapor barrier, then 2x4 sleepers, then closed-cell foam boards between the sleepers for insulation - then screwed down 2x12 pine shiplap. I did not need to fasten the sleepers to the concrete because the floor could not get out of the doorways - and the cabinets and machinery have prevented any warping.

I used shiplap because I can remove individual boards in case of bad spills or small fires. I used screws instead of nails for the same reason.

BTW: My neighbor (BIG shop) shiplapped my pine lumber for me - but it can be done with a router, too.

Best of luck !

SJS
 
Josh

Steve's method is what I've typically seen when wanting a wood floor over a concrete slab. The link below covers that method, and a few more, recommended today. It appears to me you are trying to keep your floor all one level. If you can live with the wood portion being raised you'll save some money not needing the multi-level slab.

Looking back to when I constructed my shop (my building is divided into two large rooms) I wish I made the wood shop side over a crawlspace and the garage side a simple slab. That crawl space would have been ideal for running power to machines and dust collection ducting, keeping the shop free of all that clutter. More cost but I think it would have been better in the long run.

Installing a Hardwood Floor Over a Concrete Slab
 
Josh,

You are in Southern NJ, Salem county if I recall. My first concern would be NJ building code for the wood floor and second would be insurance. If you want a wood floor to save your joints from standing on concrete I use horse stall mats from Tractor Supply in front of my machines. If you want boards check with John Lockman at Lockman Hardwoods in Elmer. He gets reclaimed factory floors and mills them for flooring.

Rick
 
Richard Lathrop said:
Josh,

You are in Southern NJ, Salem county if I recall. My first concern would be NJ building code for the wood floor and second would be insurance. If you want a wood floor to save your joints from standing on concrete I use horse stall mats from Tractor Supply in front of my machines. If you want boards check with John Lockman at Lockman Hardwoods in Elmer. He gets reclaimed factory floors and mills them for flooring.

Rick
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I only have need of the concrete floor in the section I would use for welding and fabrication and working on my truck. I'm in southern NJ in Atlantic county. I will check with the code enforcement but this project will be done is stages. I like the wood floor for running electrical and dust collection to machine's and being able to cut things on the floor like large plywood sheets. I also like that it's replaceable if I drip epoxy all over it. I appreciate the responses this is in the planning stages. In my head I have the shop I want and then there is the shop I can afford. Thanks for the replies.
 
Josh,

As I dream about the possibilities of one day having a pole barn for storage I’d also had similar thoughts. My idea that I think I’m sticking with is actually to omit entirely an area of the barn from having any concrete at all. Then after the concrete is poured build footers and frame out a deck in that area with traditional methods but it would just be flush with the concrete pad surrounding it. Then a vapor barrier and closed cell foam and then wood or composite decking
 
William Mills said:
Josh,

As I dream about the possibilities of one day having a pole barn for storage I’d also had similar thoughts. My idea that I think I’m sticking with is actually to omit entirely an area of the barn from having any concrete at all. Then after the concrete is poured build footers and frame out a deck in that area with traditional methods but it would just be flush with the concrete pad surrounding it. Then a vapor barrier and closed cell foam and then wood or composite decking
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Will,

That's sounds ideal. I have been exploring hydronic in floor heat but as with most things I tend to go over board.
 
Josh,

There are a few bandsaw mills in Atlantic County listing on Facebook Marketplace. I would check with them for some flooring options.

Rick
 
William Mills said:
Josh,

As I dream about the possibilities of one day having a pole barn for storage I’d also had similar thoughts. My idea that I think I’m sticking with is actually to omit entirely an area of the barn from having any concrete at all. Then after the concrete is poured build footers and frame out a deck in that area with traditional methods but it would just be flush with the concrete pad surrounding it. Then a vapor barrier and closed cell foam and then wood or composite decking
Click to expand...
William that sounds like a good idea. I'm now thinking sonotubes below the frost line with framing on top. Maybe DGA around the sonotubes compacted in to prevent critters.
 
Josh Schwenger said:
William that sounds like a good idea. I'm now thinking sonotubes below the frost line with framing on top. Maybe DGA around the sonotubes compacted in to prevent critters.
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I was going to dig down sono tubes with traditional framing on top of that. I was going to use some sort of vapor barrier under the framing then fill between the framing with closed cell foam. This would give me a spot to frame out a room to temperature control later on if I wanted to
 
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