# Shop over asphalt basketball court



## FlagshipOne (Jan 9, 2012)

considering the purchase of a home that has a basketball court in the backyard. am going to build my new shop in the space but was wondering ….. would it be best to elevate the floor joists above the asphalt or can I set them down right on top of it? is there something that i can place between the wood and asphalt to keep it from rotting?


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## gargey (Apr 11, 2016)

Yes/No. Yes.


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## AZWoody (Jan 18, 2015)

I would think the asphalt could be surfaced to make it smooth to make the floor of the shop.
Many tennis courts are asphalt and just have a coating to make the court smooth.

Unless you want to run cabling and ducting under the floor, I would look into that.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Agree with gargey, yes, no, yes. There are some outstanding shed building tutorials on youtube, I watched one whole series and don't even have plans on building a shed but it was so well made. Anyway, those videos will answer all your questions and many you didn't know to ask. Only thing I can add is that for a workshop I'd put the floor joists 12" on center and go with the tallest ceilings you can.


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

Does the ground freeze by you in the winter? If so you might need footings.


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## Ocelot (Mar 6, 2011)

I doubt the basketball court is as flat and level as you will want your floor to be. Just a thought.


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

There are a few ways to do this, but I probably wouldn't bear directly on the asphalt. If you're in a frost zone, it may heave in areas that aren't under load from the structure and if you're in a hot climate, the weight of the structure may cause it to give way and sink. I'd excavate in strategic locations to pour concrete piers and then frame as usual.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

A home I recently remodeled had a den addition built on top of a concrete patio.
The floor joists were sitting directly on top of the concrete with some shims to level it up.
This construction had been in place since 1960 with the only known problem being some roof leaks caused, I think, by uneven expansion between the house and the "on top of patio" addition.

In the case of asphalt, all the already mentioned cautions would apply. Depends on your location and your local codes.
If you are lucky enough to live in an area that is still free from intrusive government regulation and have a mild climate you might be able to lay pressure treated joists on the asphalt and get away with it. Don't forget to consider rain water intrusion. Water would be my biggest concern.


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

> A home I recently remodeled had a den addition built on top of a concrete patio.
> The floor joists were sitting directly on top of the concrete with some shims to level it up.
> This construction had been in place since 1960 with the only known problem being some roof leaks caused, I think, by uneven expansion between the house and the "on top of patio" addition.
> 
> ...


If you did that and no footings supporting the patio slap, and connected it to the house thats what happens.


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## bruc101 (Sep 13, 2008)

> I doubt the basketball court is as flat and level as you will want your floor to be. Just a thought.
> 
> - Ocelot


We've got an asphalt half basket ball court and a full tennis court all on the same surface.The surface is not dead flat so water can run off of it and when ice and snow melt it helps to let it run off.

Personally, I don't think I would set floor joist on it because it does move with temperature change. Because of that we have to get it resealed about every two years. If we didn't it would get cracks in it.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

> A home I recently remodeled had a den addition built on top of a concrete patio.
> The floor joists were sitting directly on top of the concrete with some shims to level it up.
> 
> - crank49
> ...


To start with I'll assume you meant "patio slab" instead of "patio slap".

More to the point, I DID NOT say I built anything on the slab. I specifically said it was done in 1960. Hell, I was not even in high school till 1963. I simply observed it had been done and differing expansion of different foundation systems could create problems.

In fact, I demolished the patio topper, excavated a proper footing, pumped in concrete, and built a new master bedroom suite with a marble spa bathroom in its place.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

As a 30 year contractor ,I would say it has to do with what size shop you're going to make,a small shop say storage shed size(say 10'x12') on blocks Might work out and might not,if the soil is expansive and or if the asphalt is thin which it is much of the time. If you have the funds I'd say you'll be better of with a traditional footing and stem wall foundation or even pole barn construction if your codes allow them.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

I think asphalt is too soft to build on. I'd plan on real footings and a real floor, either a concrete slab or joists. And, I wouldn't rely on the asphalt to support the floor.

Building a shop is real work and a serious investment. Do it right so it lasts and adds value to the property. Do it poorly and have it sag and fail and lower your property value.


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## ClammyBallz (Apr 16, 2015)

What clin said!

There's a good reason why highways are made of concrete instead of asphalt. Eventually the asphalt will sink where your heavy tools are located.


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## splatman (Jul 27, 2014)

Build the footing and stem wall around the court, and pour the concrete floor on top of the court. The only problem that might arise is the soil under the court might compress under the weight of the slab, causing settling.
If building a wood floor, the court can be the crawlspace floor.


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