Barn / Shop Floor - Gravel?

[edro]

We have a dirt floor barn. The floor is slightly crowned, so I will be digging it out and leveling it.

We want to use the barn as a antiques/furniture shop. Nothing super fancy though. Just Craigslist type of stuff for now.

I am thinking about digging it out and putting down crushed limestone gravel, so it packs well. I don't want to do concrete because of the expense and it is overkill.

Any of you have a crushed limestone floor in a building? Is it super dusty? How deep? Plastic liner under it?

I have heard you can pack it down with a roller or vibrating machine, then water it and it locks it down almost like concrete.

Pea gravel or sifted gravel would move too much.

I probably need to ask this on a barn forum.

Thanks!

 

[skyking]

Probably so.
Controlling moisture will be your issue. I think the vapor barrier is a good idea. You can also top treat the leveled and packed gravel with a few bags of portland cement, and water that in.
9 bucks a bag is pretty cheap.

 

[highland145]

Crowned to ensure it sheds water if needed? Might leave it that way.

 

[Stone Rain]

I've used straight road gravel for floors, it works well if you have a spillway. For a cheap alternative to concrete, look into crushed asphalt. If you pour that and crush it with a steamroller, it makes a decent asphalt-like surface. And it costs less than gravel.

 

[Markbnj]

Crowned to ensure it sheds water if needed? Might leave it that way.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. I'd be really careful how I leveled it. I don't think there's anything wrong with gravel, per se, but would bear in the mind the moisture issues mentioned above. Also, in terms of dust, make sure you get washed stone and it shouldn't be an issue. If you just get crushed limestone it's going to be super dusty.

The resulting floor is going to be a bear to clean, something to keep in mind if you intend to have the public using it and dropping their little bits of trash all over.

Personally, I'd probably put down a rough wood floor. It will look rustic, and can be kept clean with a broom.

 

[Fritzo]

Those floors are a mess. What about using sand/patio blocks?

 

[highland145]

Those floors are a mess. What about using sand/patio blocks?

Bet that would be expensive. I know it's labor intensive.

 

[edro]

That's interesting about the crown being beneficial... I will keep that in mind.

I have heard that unwashed gravel (and crushed limestone in particular) packs very nicely due to the fines. If you water it after packing, the fines sink to the bottom and lock everything together, so it's no longer dusty.

I need to check some of these out in person, but it's not something you can go shop for.

Maybe some local gravel pits would know of people who have done similar things.

 

[edro]

The more I think about it, moisture is going to be a problem. The barn walls are wood, with no insulation or covering inside.
The humidity inside is going to match outside... so furniture and things will swell and contract with the seasons, more so than inside a house.

There is no way we could seal up the barn and sliding doors, etc.

 

[Fritzo]

Bet that would be expensive. I know it's labor intensive.

It's actually not that hard to do if you have solid ground to work with. Just need 2" of sand and lay the blocks down. If you get those 3x3 blocks it will cover a large area quickly.

 

[IronWing]

By shop do you mean "place where people will buy stuff" or "place where we will work on furniture"? Either way, leveling displays or equipment will be a constant problem. If you are using it as a work shop then you'll want a solid, level floor. Dust and grime will accumulate. I think you'd be better served by a concrete or asphalt floor. If run off is a concern then add drain channels.

 

[wirednuts]

I've used straight road gravel for floors, it works well if you have a spillway. For a cheap alternative to concrete, look into crushed asphalt. If you pour that and crush it with a steamroller, it makes a decent asphalt-like surface. And it costs less than gravel.

i would think about doing this too, op. you dont need a steamroller either, i think you can just rent a tamping machine. itll take a little time but im sure it could be done in a day.

 

[WHAMPOM]

We have a dirt floor barn. The floor is slightly crowned, so I will be digging it out and leveling it.

We want to use the barn as a antiques/furniture shop. Nothing super fancy though. Just Craigslist type of stuff for now.

I am thinking about digging it out and putting down crushed limestone gravel, so it packs well. I don't want to do concrete because of the expense and it is overkill.

Any of you have a crushed limestone floor in a building? Is it super dusty? How deep? Plastic liner under it?

I have heard you can pack it down with a roller or vibrating machine, then water it and it locks it down almost like concrete.

Pea gravel or sifted gravel would move too much.

I probably need to ask this on a barn forum.

Thanks!

I have visited a few homes nearby with crushed lime driveways and garden walkways, where the car tires pack it down it is as hard as concrete. Watering in a dusting of portland cement does help it set up and keep dust free.

 

[highland145]

I have visited a few homes nearby with crushed lime driveways and garden walkways, where the car tires pack it down it is as hard as concrete. Watering in a dusting of portland cement does help it set up and keep dust free.

Any problem with tire ruts?

 

[edro]

We need to re-gravel our driveway as well. It has a crown of grass down the middle and the gravel is gone in a lot of areas.
I might go with 2 different gravels. (1 for barn floor, other for driveway)

I bet one of those truck bed conveyor belts would come in handy for that.
http://www.unloadapickup.com/unload/

Probably not worth it for 1-2 uses though.

 

[highland145]

Any solutions for the humidity? Could just sell stuff that came from old barns to start with.

 

[Possessed Freak]

Any solutions for the humidity?

Crapload of rice?

Crapload of silica?

 

[highland145]

Crapload of rice?

Crapload of silica?

Crap load of mice.

 

[edro]

I talked to a guy at work who owns a farm with multiple barns.
He said the easiest way to remove humidity is to have exhaust fans in the front and back.
He said humidity is a problem with concrete floors too.

The floor in my barn is very dry. I have never seen it damp. It is on top of a hill and the hill gets great airflow. The barn isn't air tight, so the humidity and dampness isn't much of an issue.

I might be overly concerned... as is the case with almost everything.