Pour slab this fall, or wait until next spring?

[Shoester]

Well I've got my footing and 4' stem wall poured and mostly backfilled for my ~44x64 shop, and all of my under-slab work done and interior fill completed. Next step is to put down vapor barrier, then do all the work for the radiant floor heating (insulation board, piping). I've been planning to get the slab poured this fall, then start on the actual building next spring...but now I'm second guessing myself. Would it be better to stop where I am at now, and wait until next spring to get all the radiant floor heating work done and then pour the slab?

My concern with leaving the slab exposed all winter is water getting down along the edge where the slab meets the stem-wall, then freezing and potentially cracking something.

Thoughts? Am I over-thinking it?

Thanks!

Pic of current progress:

 

[bb29510]

pour the slab, like tomorrow, after 14 days it be fine. get it done now or you have damage to the subsoil. i knew a contactor that tell me , he get excited everytime he heard a concrete truck rev up. he said once the concrete on the ground, its protected, not even a hurricane could hurt it

 

[juddspaintballs]

If you poured now and were worried about water getting in to freeze in the cracks, you could caulk it for the winter. I don't think it would hurt anything to wait until Spring to pour, however. It would certainly let your rock settle more, if it's going to at all.

 

[Rusted Nut]

If your floor has a slope, pour now and caulk the edges. Unless you have under slab drainage, I would not let it sit for 6 months.

 

[Sumboodie]

Wait until you can heat it. Frost is rough on floors.

 

[bb29510]

put a layer of hay or burlap on it

 

[ConCretin]

I wrestled with the same question when I built the Concrete Underground because my slabs would be exposed for an entire Maine winter. Typically you want to use air entrained concrete when a slab will be exposed to moisture in freeze/thaw conditions but you don't really want to use air entrained concrete for a steel trowel finished slab especially in warm weather due to the possibility of de-lamination.

I ended up placing the slabs using non air entrained concrete and had no problems and I think you'd be fine as well. I doubt you'd have any problems from water either. The rigid insulation under the slab and on the walls will keep the frost out.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I'd fill the tubing with antifreeze if I was pouring before winter. My concern would be with water collecting in the tubing and freezing.

 

[Shoester]

I'd fill the tubing with antifreeze if I was pouring before winter. My concern would be with water collecting in the tubing and freezing.

I will be sure to cap all the tubing to make sure I don’t get any water in there. Will likely keep the system pressurized all winter.

 

[TurnipTruck]

If your slab was monolithic, I would say pour it now. But because you will have a seam in essentially a giant funnel, pour it next year.

I had never heard of air entraining before, until my concrete guy casually mentioned that I oughta insulate it if I wasn’t building that Fall.

This is what 10 bales of straw, 3 30x50 tarps, and a pile of styrofoam looked like the next April.
This is the best slab I have ever owned.

 

[Old Moparz]

Unless you cannot get the concrete floor work scheduled I'd do it as soon as you can. Having it finished immediately will allow you an open calendar to work on it throughout the fall, all winter if it's mild, & into early spring.

 

[bb29510]

the commerical industral pour concrete all year long, even when it below 32. Its not a issue. winter is not a issue for you too, would you rather work in warm or cold. pour it now, just to get it done and off your list, the winter is no harm to your slab

 

[Ak Jim]

If you pour now be sure to protect any exposed PEX from UV.

 

[nadogail]

The best advice for your location will have to come from someone with "Local Knowledge", don't think for one moment that some dude in Southern California who once drove through Kansas in the 1960's has any idea of the reality you live in.

Good Luck and Best Wishes for success on your project.

 

[sjvicker]

Pour as soon as you can. In the spring your concrete contractors are all going to start getting busy again and what you're expecting for a spring pour might quickly turn into June/July.

 

[BombShelter]

I'd be more worried about that giant swimming pool filling with water and not draining, freeze/thaw and other temperature change water dynamics could be a huge issue in the spring. I'd zipper it up ASAP.

 

[loganb]

If you pour it now, can you get it roofed before snow falls?

Either way if finances and contractor schedule allows I'd be trying to pour the slab now. If I could I'd try and get it closed in so you can work interiors out of the weather this winter.

 

[CraigStu]

I am tending toward doing it now. My concern is comparing your current fill and it's moisture content now vs after it has sat through a winter w/ snow and into spring rains.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Are you building the structure or hiring it done ?

Is it compacted and ready to go for pouring ? Contractor scheduled ?

 

[Shoester]

Are you building the structure or hiring it done ?

Is it compacted and ready to go for pouring ? Contractor scheduled ?

Thanks. I am building it myself. It’s all compacted, I just need to lay down vapor barrier and insulation board + pex. Had a concrete contractor out here yesterday who said if I pulled the trigger on doing it this fall he could pour it 3rd week of October.

 

[Shoester]

If you pour it now, can you get it roofed before snow falls?

Either way if finances and contractor schedule allows I'd be trying to pour the slab now. If I could I'd try and get it closed in so you can work interiors out of the weather this winter.

I won’t be able to get it roofed until this upcoming Spring…it would sit all winter with no structure.

 

[bb29510]

I won’t be able to get it roofed until this upcoming Spring…it would sit all winter with no structure.

that not a bad thing, it be better that the soil exposed

 

[NUTTSGT]

Thanks. I am building it myself. It’s all compacted, I just need to lay down vapor barrier and insulation board + pex. Had a concrete contractor out here yesterday who said if I pulled the trigger on doing it this fall he could pour it 3rd week of October.

If he can "guarantee" that he can pour it, I'd say get it done. Cool weather, and probably not real chance of freezing for the first 30 days.

Got any trees close that will be dropping leaves during the pour ?

 

[jonesg]

price goes up the longer you wait.

 

[Shoester]

If he can "guarantee" that he can pour it, I'd say get it done. Cool weather, and probably not real chance of freezing for the first 30 days.

Got any trees close that will be dropping leaves during the pour ?

That’s a yes on the trees…hadn’t even thought of that!

 

[nadogail]

I don’t think anything will be less expensive next month or year.