Submitted by AdAltruistic3928 t3_zyohxg in DIY
My garage has an asphalt floor. We do not park cars in this garage. I want to convert it to a workout space but want to cover the asphalt. I’m wondering if I can use floor leveler. I am open to other suggestion though. I want to try to avoid tearing up the floor and pouring concrete. Is floor leveler even an option? What other methods or materials might I use to improve the floor for a living space? Thanks
I would definitely go this route or a garage interlocking floor over self leveler. Self leveler is a compound that's not meant to be a finished floor, and is definitely not meant to go over a material that can shift like asphalt.
Pouring a new slab would be the best solution, of course. That said, do you have the height to frame a wood floor platform on top of the asphalt? Asphalt is pretty soft and doesn't like to stay put, so trying a levelling compound would be disappointing, I think. A wooden platform would offer something rigid while also allowing a space for insulation so you don't have to have a cold floor.
Right! Plus the mats would be great for working out and could easily be removed for resale.
Floor leveler is going to crack a lot as the asphalt shifts over time. It may work, depends on how particular you are.
Fill low spots with sand then cover with stall mats or interlocking foam mats.
That's exactly what I used in my basement gym room. You have to let them off gas outside for a while so your house doesn't smell like a tire shop. They handle dropped weights very well.
Bro just buy gym-grade puzzle mats. That's what I used for my garage. Cost me $200 to cover the entire thing. As a bonus I stopped it 8 feet from the doors, added one square's worth of length (2 feet) instead of the end pieces that just fill the jigsaw to make it smooth, cut that final bit in half (1 foot) and then pulled it upward 90 degrees. Acts as a barrier at the end of the floor, interlocked with the rest; prevents shit from the lawnmower and snowblower from getting on the gym floor if the doors are open on a windy day.
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I inherited 80 stall mats from a closed preschool. Shop floor, garage floor, under the above ground pool, workbench tops, playhouse floors for the neighbour kids and I roofed a treehouse in giant “shingles” of the stuff. Those things are so useful.
I can smell this post
Another reason self leveller may not work, garage floors are often graded down towards the garage door.
Level it out with the leveler then cover with rubber tile.
And be super careful about the dust and "fumes" from leveler products.
It works on bathroom tile, might be ok in a garage /s
I agree that using the mats would be the cheapest/easiest option. That said if you want a more permanent solution you could get a poured epoxy floor installed. It can be used over asphalt as long as it has a good base, ie does not have issues with settling/shifting, and it provides a durable long-term flooring solution. Of course, it is expensive and I would highly recommend you pay a company to do it rather than DIY.
Have you checked recently? At least where I am, the interlocking gym mats are significantly cheaper.
It's definitely not common in the us. Asphalt driveways, maybe, but not garage floors.
iksnizal t1_j271mxu wrote
I don’t know what your budget is but if you want it to be a workout space check out stall mats. They are just rubber mats like you’d have in a gym, usually in 4x6 foot pieces. They could just be laid over the asphalt floor and could be cut to size pretty easily. Local farm supply stores would likely have them if you are in the US.