New Concrete Garage Floor Pour

[vision8]

Getting ready to pour my 3/4" pex heated concrete floor in a 30' x 50' x 16 ' all steel prefab shed , no windows but have two 10' x 10' OHDs , a 8' x8' OHD and a 4' x 7' man door with a poured 10" x 4' foundation . Work shop area will be 35' x 30' area with a 9,000 lb Rotary 2 post hoist; a OLD Lathe 14' ways and 20" chuck ; a Small Bridgeport Mill; maybe a 2 ton free standing jib to service these in the future ?
Retirement Useage: I do Vintage motorcycle and Vintage Car restoration.
Had a contractor quote to pour a 6" floating slab inside the 2" insulated interior foundation walls ( 2" x 48" outside insulation , down to the weeping tile, no water has penetrated the foundation so far ). No concrete over the doorway entrances to allow for settling of the 2 year old interior fill which is covered by 6" of clear 3/4" gravel.
This contractor does not use rebar only wire mesh because of the thermal expansion of rebar promotes cracking in my Southern Ontario, Canada weather zone and bubble wrap for vapour barrier and no insulation then does 8' x8' cuts !
I was looking to put 6" of clear 3/4" gravel then 2' x 4' x 1.5" blue sytrofoam used sheets and a 50 Mil vapour barrier ; 1/8" wire mesh for pex spacing , two loops per zone , six zones in total around the exterior of the floor to provide a 50 - 55 degree temperature from a 60,000 BTU natural gas boiler system and then the 1/2" rebar at 2' x 2' spacing for strength.
If I do all the prep , I have a quote of $7,000 to pour the slab only; the contractor wants double this to do the wire mesh pour !

What would you do if this was your clean sheet to proceed ?
What thickness for the slab ?

Al in Southern Ontario

 

[vision8]

Thanks for your reply.
1.) Difference in Cdn English and American slang !
2.) Same as above and wire mesh is in a roll ; not sold in sheets here. No guage of wire stated.
3.) Seen this advertised as a radiant floor alternative - Not Impressed.
4.) Not specified.
5.) Not specified.

Overall impression that this contractor does things his way until the workmanship is questioned then the ' Never happened to him before' and Must have been 'An act of God' for liability issues.
Definately was not impressed by the approach.
Regards,
Al

 

[kd3pc]

Overall impression that this contractor does things his way until the workmanship is questioned then the ' Never happened to him before' and Must have been 'An act of God' for liability issues.
Definately was not impressed by the approach.
Regards,
Al

IF this is the case on the front side, then find another contractor post haste. These relationships seldom get better, when something gets the spidey senses up.

There are several posts here where the "contractor" KNOWS something, and the client ends up in court.

I am all but sure we used rebar in poured floors when I was a deck ape and rod man's apprentice, that was in Toronto, down near the lake on apartment buildings, so the "weather" comment is bogus.

 

[hh76]

I think this part requires further study.

1. Concrete is placed not "poured".
2. WWM - wire mesh is for fencing. WWF welded wire fabric is for concrete. What size WWF did the contractor claim he would use? How much overlap sheet-to-sheet?
3. Bubble wrap? I that a joke?
4. The timing of the cuts is what is crucial. When did he say he would saw it? If the slab is ready for sawing at 5am will he be there ready to go or will he wait to 1pm or whenever he gets to it after cracks are already forming and then say something genius like, "Hey, I've been doing this for 25 years...ALL concrete cracks." Which by the way translates to, "Hey I've been half-assing concrete work for 25 years and all concrete cracks because I never saw it on time."
5. You didn't mention how the contractor plans to cure the slab. Curing is crucial.

6. Why can't the contractor conform the work to your specifications? If you want insulation, use insulation and not bubble wrap.

I'm not a mason, but I've been around construction all my life. My father was a general, my uncle did flatwork for about ten years, and a good friend of mine runs a concrete company. Rarely do I hear anyone call it anything other than a concrete pour.

To the OP, get references and visit some of the older jobs they've done. Talk to others in the area and find out about what is normal for your locality. Frost, ground conditions, weather all play a big role in planning, procedures.

 

[pauls340]

OP, you have a product made right in Smithville, Ontario by Specialty Products Group called Vapor Lock . Do yourself a huge favor and waterproof and vapor proof that slab. VL makes your slab impermeable and you WILL NOT have ANY moisture vapor emmission

 

[36truck]

Sounds like you need a new concrete guy. Use mesh & pull it up into the slab a couple of inches. I would not cut concrete that has in floor heat. My floor in my 54X90 shop was poured in 3 30X54 pours no cracks after 20 years.