After reading and looking at numerous posts about garage construction, I have a question. Which is the best way to install the floor in a garage? For my 30 x 40 pole garage/shop I had the foundation with grade beams and finished floor poured first as one operation. Included in that pour was the placement of four inch pipes to support the walls and roof. To me that was the logical thing to do. I do, however, see many garage/shops completed with the final step being the placement of the floor. Why is this not a more difficult way to build?
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Floor First or Last
- Thread starter Wes Tex
- Start date
Hot Rod Grampa
Well-known member
Finishing concrete is an art that is very weather dependent. My friends who do concrete prefer to do it last, in the shade of the building irrelevant of what the weather is. Work time is extended because the sun doesn't bake the water out of the top layer, the workers would rather work under cover and since the structure can be secured, less chance of animals or kids messing up fresh concrete. It may be easier to lay out under slab utilities into the soil after the building is up and not worry about another trade crushing conduit, sewer liner or water pipe. Then compact, grade and pour. Just my thoughts.
wssix99
Well-known member
Please add your location to your profile.
Are the thickened beams poured continuous with the slab? If so, your monolithic pour is a totally different type of construction as you are seeing with the two step process where people are installing a "floating slab".
I assume from your name you are in Texas. Your climate opens options up to you that we don't have in other parts of the country. Monolithic slabs are going to be less common in ares where there is freezing and the whole structure might heave. (So the wall foundations go deep, below the frost line, and the floor floats on the ground and moves with the soil/heaving.)
I had the foundation with grade beams and finished floor poured first as one operation.
Are the thickened beams poured continuous with the slab? If so, your monolithic pour is a totally different type of construction as you are seeing with the two step process where people are installing a "floating slab".
I assume from your name you are in Texas. Your climate opens options up to you that we don't have in other parts of the country. Monolithic slabs are going to be less common in ares where there is freezing and the whole structure might heave. (So the wall foundations go deep, below the frost line, and the floor floats on the ground and moves with the soil/heaving.)
wssix99
Well-known member
Yes, the beams were poured continuous with the slab. In West Texas we have no frost line condition. Most houses are now constructed the way my garage/shop was constructed. I have no heating coils in the floor.
Then that's it. You are just seeing deep foundation - floating slab construction! It's a package deal with snow!