Help - Slab does not meetup with poured frost foundation.

[seedtime]

My slab is being poured tomorrow and the prep work was done today. After the contractors left I noticed that there was 4-5” of sand on the door thresholds. My first picture shows a cutout in the frost wall for a 36” man door, a 16’ garage door, and a 8’ roll up door. All were framed for cement in this exact way. Basically a sand sandwich. I’m no expert, but this looks like a coverup for someone’s mistake.

My concerns are sand washing out creating a void and small animals digging in under the slab. I wasn’t planning on pouring any aprons until my side driveway was installed.


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[raco232]

Do you have any pictures?

 

[seedtime]

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[ConCretin]

It would be more typical to thicken the slab so it bears on the wall below at door openings to help ensure good support at the edge. I’d have them remove the excess soil before they place,

 

[mm08822]

I sure hope those pics are from a few days ago.
I would expect the soil properly graded, compacted, vapor barrier laid and mesh placed before the concrete truck rolls.

 

[seedtime]

I agree with what everybody is saying. I’ve been given The runaround on the vapor barrier that I just gave up. I will be out there on the job site at 6:30 am tomorrow to plead my case. Like I said, I am not a builder, so I spent 2 years finding someone who seemed trustworthy. I never wanted to be that guy to keep bringing up issues.


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[like2wheel]

I agree with what everybody is saying. I’ve been given The runaround on the vapor barrier that I just gave up. I will be out there on the job site at 6:30 am tomorrow to plead my case. Like I said, I am not a builder, so I spent 2 years finding someone who seemed trustworthy. I never wanted to be that guy to keep bringing up issues.


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Don't plead your case, demand it be done correctly! There's no going back. Hell, I'd consider getting there at 5:00, & digging it out myself. I'd put down my own plastic too.

Good luck, hope you get something you're satisfied with.

 

[mm08822]

I would insist on vapor barrier especially if there wasn't gravel placed. Both of these items act as a capillary break to reduce moisture drawn into the slab.

 

[RPH]

Have you paid for the job yet? The contractor works for you and if he isn’t willing to follow your plan then it’s time to tell him it starts coming off the top. Compacting an$ laying the plastic I’d the bare minimums. Don’t allow this to happen as you will regret this for the rest of time.

 

[ConCretin]

Ideally all the details of your slab placement would have been addressed in the bidding and contract phase but even at this late date, I wouldn't allow the contractor to proceed until you are satisfied. You only get one chance at this.

The lack of a vapor barrier is one issue you've mentioned. The purpose of a vapor barrier is to block water vapor from the soil below from migrating through your concrete. While it's always desirable to prevent moisture intrusion, it's primary function is to prevent moisture sensitive floor coverings from failing. If you sure you'll never install epoxy or some other floor covering, it's not vital.

There are a couple other issues I'd be concerned about as well. Give my Guide to Floor Slabs a read if you have a few minutes. Good luck.

 

[like2wheel]

Any update?
Hoping things worked out

 

[High5]

I hope this worked out as well.

Worthy of consideration. If you are paying for this out of pocket and don't feel comfortable confronting your contractor, then you might want to consider hiring a independent inspector to review each phase of this project. It will take the pressure off of you to address issues such as this and your plans will be followed exactly as drawn.

 

[seedtime]

I thought I would update every one on how the pour turned out. Basically I am very pleased with the quality, especially the finish. The cement truck arrived 8:00 am and they started pouring shortly after that. The finishers were working until 3:00 pm. Took longer to set up due to the cooler weather we have been having.

I took the advice from contributors on this thread, and headed out at 6:00 am to dig out the doorways. Fortunately one of the cement guys was already parked out on the street waiting. I explained my concerns and he dug out the sand and re-laid the mesh. The attached pictures show that the pad does contact the footing in all three doorways. It’s hard to see, since there is sand imbedded in the cement. I decided to forgo the vapor barrier, so I will probably just do a Ghost Shield application in the spring.oyte

I am very pleased with the over quality so far. Eating for doors to arrive, pad needs to be sawcut, and some additional fill needs to brought in.

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[The Cobbler]

Great for the update.
when was the pour? usually they like to cut the next day as the concrete is still softer .

 

[seedtime]

I thought I would update everyone on how the pour turned out. Basically I am very pleased with the quality, especially the finish. The cement truck arrived 8:00 am and they started pouring shortly after that. The finishers were working until 3:00 pm. Took longer to set up due to the cooler weather we have been having.

I took the advice from contributors on this thread, and headed out at 6:00 am to dig out the doorways. Fortunately one of the cement guys was already parked out on the street waiting. I explained my concerns and he dug out the sand and re-laid the mesh. The attached pictures show that the pad does contact the footing in all three doorways. It’s hard to see, since there is sand imbedded in the cement. I decided to forgo the vapor barrier, so I will probably just do a Ghost Shield application in the spring.oyte

I am very pleased with the overall quality of the build so far. Waiting for doors to arrive, pad needs to be sawcut, and some additional fill needs to brought in.

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[kaymccampbell]

I would grab the angle grinder and a diamond wheel and lop those lumps hanging off the slab and overlapping the foundation. I watched similar blobs allow frost heave to lift and crack a slab.