What do I do before I pour the slab for the garage floor?
I plan on building a garage this summer and I am not quite sure what to do to before I pour the slab for the floor. Any help in steering me in the right direction would be appreciated.
Expert
Maestro
Garage floor slabs should be at least three inches thick. In some areas, local standards call for them to be four inches thick, and in some cases, they have to be reinforced. Equally important, the substrate should be roughly five inches of well compacted gravel or clear stone. This provides a stable bearing substrate with good drainage. Garages with footings often have settling problems as shown in the diagram below.
- You will need a building permit
- By Laws -- height restrictions, minimum distance from property lines, minimum distance from the house (if detached), etc.
- Attached or free standing? (Affects whether you need frost footings.)
- Exterior cladding? (Affects whether you need frost footings -- brick will need them.)
- Electrical -- Lights (interior and exterior), outlets, switches, etc.
- Roof covering?
- Garage door(s) -- type, openers?
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