Concrete Slabs in Athens, GA

Concrete slabs carry more than people think: cars and trucks, mowers and tractors, workbenches, HVAC units and, at the edges, the walls of a building. Around Athens, many 1960s to 1980s homes have a carport or attached garage on an original slab, and many back yards have added a shed, a workshop or a generator that needs a pad. Whatever goes on top, the slab needs firm ground under it, the right thickness and a slope that keeps water out.

Garage and carport floors

Old garage and carport floors fail in a few common ways. The middle sinks and holds a puddle. Cracks spread across the floor and step apart. The slab drops away from the house or the driveway, leaving a lip. Edges where posts or walls sit break up. In many cases the floor can be broken out and replaced while the garage or carport stays standing, working around posts and bracing where needed. HomeGuide's slab guide describes most two-car garage floors as reinforced concrete 4 to 6 inches thick, and we size yours to what parks on it.

What goes into a slab that lasts

• Firm subgrade: topsoil, roots and soft clay or fill dug out
• Compacted stone base: placed in layers so the slab is evenly supported and drains
• Thickness for the load: more where trucks, trailers or tractors park
• Reinforcement: rebar or welded wire mesh throughout
• Thickened edges or footings: under walls and posts, sized from the building plans
• Slope: garage floors fall toward the door so water runs out
• Control joints: laid out to manage shrinkage across a wide floor

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Shed and workshop pads

A shed pad is lighter work than a garage floor, but it still needs a level, compacted base or the shed racks and the doors bind. HomeGuide's slab guide says shed slabs are usually about 4 inches thick and typically do not need reinforcement; on larger buildings or soft clay we often add mesh anyway. On a sloped back yard, the high side may need to be cut in and the low side built up with compacted stone and formed deeper. We set the pad slightly above the surrounding grade so rain stays out and can add a ramp for a mower or wheelbarrow.

Clay, rain and slabs

Red clay under a slab is fine when it is compacted and kept at a steady moisture level. Problems start when roof water pours off a garage or shed and soaks the ground along one edge, or when one part of a slab sits on undisturbed clay and another on loose fill. That is how slabs crack in a straight line and one side drops. We look at where the gutters and downspouts empty, dig past fill to firm ground, and keep the base consistent across the whole footprint.

Building a new structure

New garages, workshops and larger sheds may need building approval, and setbacks decide where they can sit on the lot. Before pouring a slab for a new building, we check what Athens-Clarke County or your city requires and coordinate with whoever is framing, so the slab size, edges and anchor bolts match the plans.

Other pads we pour

• HVAC condenser and generator pads
• Trash and recycling pads beside the garage
• Side parking and boat or trailer pads
• Hot tub bases, sized and reinforced for a filled tub

Care for a garage floor

Keep gutters and downspouts working so water does not collect along the walls. Seal the floor or ask about a coating to resist oil stains. HomeGuide's slab guide notes a slab is walkable after about 1 to 2 days, drivable after about 1 to 2 weeks and fully cured after 28 to 48 days.