Construction & Contractors Blog
A concrete slab gives your property form and better function to reduce dirt and mud and provide a place to complete many activities. Here are some important considerations to help you as you plan for and prepare the site for your new concrete slab.
Plan For the Surface
One of the first things you need to plan for when you are installing a new concrete surface on your property is what you plan to place or drive upon the surface. If your concrete slab is for a patio, a driveway, or a parking pad for your RV or motorhome, you want to know what use it will be for so you can plan for the appropriate thickness in addition to its dimensions and size.
The reason the concrete slab's use is so important is that it will need to be installed thickly enough that it holds up properly under the weight of traffic and its use. However, if your slab is only for a patio where you will place an outdoor dining set and cooker, you will only need a slab three to four inches in thickness. Anything thicker than that would be a waste of money and eat into your budget.
Prepare the Area
For the next step in your concrete planning, you need to evaluate the site where your concrete slab will be installed to find out what type of foundation preparation you will need. For example, you need to consider what type of soil is present, if there is a slope to the area you need to reinforce with a retaining wall or walls, and how much drainage layer will you need to install below the actual concrete slab.
Your concrete professional can help advise you on this preparation work to make sure soil that is loamy or poor in drainage is replaced with a good drainage layer. When you add in a durable layer of at least four inches of angular gravel and excavate out the previously-existing clay soil, you promote the lifetime and lasting-ability of your concrete slab.
The condition of the foundation and drainage layer is a key element in how well your concrete slab holds up over time. The concrete sits atop the drainage gravel and compacted sub-base soil to allow moisture to drain from the area; otherwise, this moisture can cause erosion to the foundation or expansion when the moisture freezes, leaving the concrete slab unsupported where it will collapse downward or pushed upward and cracked, respectively.
Share18 November 2020
My name is Debbie Greenberg. I’m a single woman who owns her home, and like most homeowners I dread home repairs. I’m not very handy with do-it-yourself projects around the house. I can do a few minor repairs when necessary, but for the most part I have to call in a professional. Last year I had a leak in my roof. When it rained, water would leak into my kitchen. What appeared to be a simple fix turned out to be anything but simple. It took over four months to finally identify the problem, and double the money I was initially quoted to fix it. The problem ended up being that the flat part of my roof didn't have shingles, but a sheeting material. I learned a bit about home roofs along the way, and that is what I want to share with you.
