MikeR
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| posted on 15/7/11 at 07:31 PM |
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How much to lay a garage concrete foundation / how to do it?
In the very near future I'm going to be levelling the garden (once I've finished loading rubble into the skips).
Part of the plan is to have a large shed (14'x8' behind the single garage, my thinking is that instead of putting it on flags it would be
a better idea to put it on a concrete base. Long term I intend moving but if i don't then i've got the option of extending the garage or
if the g/f lets me I could build my own shed and have the option of bolting a lathe down.
Simplistically I need to dig a trench all around the sides & then take some soil out of the middle of the 'area'.
To one side I've got neighbours coniffers and I'll be removing a tree at the 16' mark if that affects things.
So is my approach right & how deep do i need to dig?
How much will it cost if i do the digging myself by hand?
What do i need? normal concrete? rebar? how do i fit rebar?
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liam.mccaffrey
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| posted on 15/7/11 at 07:53 PM |
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check out my pics, happy to answer any questions linky
Build Blog
Build Photo Album
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 16/7/11 at 06:49 AM |
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Not done it myself (well, not for possibly building a garage/brick shed anyway) but you need to have a think about the soil, I live on a chalk area,
12" of soil is all I get in some places, very handy.
I would be inclined to hire a digger for a weekend, trench the outside to whatever depth you need, and about 6-8" in the middle. Then use some/a
lot hardcore and concrete to make the base, putting a polythene DPM in there so you won't get rising damp if/when built on.
I was talking to my BiL t'other day about hardcore. Most of the (professional) builders won't use it as it is difficult to give a long
term warranty as you get some voids and so on. In reality it was used for donkeys years, so not an issue unless you are building massive structures.
For a garage I would have no hesitation. Will save on the skips too (use them for the soil) or cheaper hire a grab lorry.
I would also make it the same width as the garage, could make a very nice tandem garage if required then.
This is all from a " I reckon that will work" standpoint. Happy if other think I am talking rubbish.
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wilkingj
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| posted on 17/7/11 at 09:15 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by cliftyhanger
Not done it myself (well, not for possibly building a garage/brick shed anyway) but you need to have a think about the soil, I live on a chalk area,
12" of soil is all I get in some places, very handy.
I would be inclined to hire a digger for a weekend, trench the outside to whatever depth you need, and about 6-8" in the middle. Then use some/a
lot hardcore and concrete to make the base, putting a polythene DPM in there so you won't get rising damp if/when built on.
I was talking to my BiL t'other day about hardcore. Most of the (professional) builders won't use it as it is difficult to give a long
term warranty as you get some voids and so on. In reality it was used for donkeys years, so not an issue unless you are building massive structures.
For a garage I would have no hesitation. Will save on the skips too (use them for the soil) or cheaper hire a grab lorry.
I would also make it the same width as the garage, could make a very nice tandem garage if required then.
This is all from a " I reckon that will work" standpoint. Happy if other think I am talking rubbish.
Whatever you do, make it wide enough so you can get around your car to work on it. You would regret it later if you dont!
Oh and some space for storing spares, and somewhere to work at a bench without having to put the car outside.
Std stuff really..
1. The point of a journey is not to arrive.
2. Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Best Regards
Geoff
http://www.v8viento.co.uk
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AntonUK
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| posted on 31/7/11 at 11:27 AM |
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I had a 21x12x0.5 foot concrete slab laid earlier this year for my garage. cost me £950 including materials and labour.
I spec'ed it and the builder just came and dug, droped the 6inch of hardcore (MOT type 1) and poured the concrete. Other than him forgetting
the DPC its a job well done.
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JF
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| posted on 31/7/11 at 12:57 PM |
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And it's worth thinking about how you're going to use that shed. Is it just for storage, or are you going to spend some time there. And
especially, if you're going to work in there in the winter. If so then invest in some insulation from the base up. Pour the foundation in tempex
'moulds' and lay down a layer of tempex where you pour the floor. Think about what you will be putting where. You mention a lathe, where
would you want to put it? And how big would it be? You might want to get a thicker section in the floor for that.
Maybe you want to put in a 2 or 4 post lift over time... you could include some foundation for that as well. And what are you gonna build the walls
from? Masonry? Timber studs with metal sheeting? Flat roof? sloping roof?
And yes you'll need rebar. At least one layer wall to wall mats and preferably some rebar cages for the foundations. Always make sure that the
rebar is fully incased in the concrete, or it will rust away. You can get special little prefab concrete blocks for that. But some ordinary bricks
will work as spacers as well. You can get standard cages, or made to order, or make them yourself from mats.
But first of all find out what type of ground you're building on. What sort of foundation is under your house? and under the current garage? If
there is solid rock just under the surface... Then dig to it and built from there. But it might be a deep waterlogged muddy just as well. If you build
a standard foundation on that you might get a floating shed. Put to much weight on one side and it might slowly but surely tip over...
All in all it really depends on what you want to build, what you want to put in, and where you're building it. And personally I'd always
want to be on the safe side. If a 6" floor is the recommended minimum, I'd pour atleast 8". It might be a bit more work and a few
pounds dearer. But nothing like when it turns out it wasn't enough...
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