Garage & Shed Slabs in Parma, OH

Garage and shed slabs matter on older Parma lots, where a garage built with the house has a floor that has been through the same decades of freeze-thaw as the driveway. Cracked, sunken or pitted garage floors, a floor that slopes toward the back wall, and a threshold that lets water run inside are all common.

Replacing a garage floor under a standing building

You can replace a detached garage floor without tearing down the garage. We empty the building, break out the old floor in pieces, haul it out by hand or with small equipment, and rebuild the base. The new slab is poured inside the walls with a slope toward the door so water drains out. We pay attention to where the floor meets the wall framing so the sill plate is not left sitting in a puddle.

Pads for new garages

If you are building a new garage, the slab and its edges have to suit the building. Many garage packages call for a thickened edge or a separate footing around the perimeter, and some cities have specific requirements for garage foundations. We work from your garage plans and check what your city requires before pricing. Slab thickness, steel, anchor bolt placement and the threshold height at the door are all set from the plans.

Shed bases

A shed on blocks or bare ground tends to rack and settle. A concrete pad gives it a square, level footprint and keeps the floor framing off wet soil. HomeGuide lists shed foundations at roughly $600 for a 10 by 10 foot pad up to $4,800 for 20 by 20. We size the pad a little larger than the shed so water drips off the roof onto concrete or stone rather than eroding the edge.

Signs a garage floor needs replacing

• Large cracks with one side higher than the other
• A floor that tips toward the back or holds puddles
• Water coming in under the garage door
• Sections broken into loose pieces
• Surface worn down to the stone from salt dripping off cars

Building it right

We excavate to firm soil, compact a crushed stone base, and use rebar or wire mesh based on slab size and load. Garage floors are typically 4 to 6 inches thick, with more at the edges and the door. Control joints divide large floors into panels so cracking stays in straight lines. Interior slabs that will be heated or finished can get a vapor barrier. After curing, a sealer helps resist oil and the salt that drips off cars all winter.

Care

Keep vehicles off until we give you the date, usually about a week. Rinse winter salt off the floor when you can, clean oil spots before they soak in, and reseal every few years.