Garage & Shed Slabs in Lakewood, CO

Garage and shed slabs work harder than a patio. A garage floor carries vehicles dripping snowmelt and brine, along with shelving, tools and a chest freezer. A shed slab carries the whole structure. Around Lakewood that means new pads for sheds and detached garages, and replacement floors in older houses where the original slab has cracked, settled or flaked away.

What wears out an old garage floor

Salt arrives every winter. Cars come home from streets treated with salt-sand, and the melt sits on the floor until it evaporates, slowly eating the surface. Water under the slab is the other problem: on Front Range clay, the Colorado Geological Survey counts cracked and heaved garage floors among the very common signs of swelling soil. With most of Lakewood's homes built from the 1950s through the 1980s, many garage floors here have been through 35 winters or more.

Signs a garage floor needs replacing

• Wide cracks with one edge higher than its neighbor
• A floor that slopes toward the house door or holds puddles
• Heavy flaking or crumbling under the parking spots
• A gap opening between the slab and the walls or door sill

Hairline cracks by themselves are normal. Movement, widening gaps and settling are what deserve a closer look.

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Building a new garage floor

The old floor is broken out without damaging the walls, soft soil is removed and gravel is compacted. According to HomeGuide's slab cost guide, a typical 2-car garage runs 20 by 20 to 24 by 24 feet with a reinforced slab 4 to 6 inches deep; where you land in that range depends on the vehicles parked there. The floor falls slightly toward the door so water runs out. Isolation joints separate the slab from walls and posts, control joints keep cracks in line, and a vapor barrier goes under any floor that will be finished or heated.

Shed and outbuilding pads

A shed pad has to be square, level and a little larger than the building. HomeGuide notes that most shed slabs are about 4 inches thick and usually need no reinforcement, but mesh or rebar goes in when clay soil or a heavy building calls for it. Thickened edges help carry the walls. For a detached garage, workshop or larger outbuilding, we find out whether Lakewood or the county wants a permit for that slab and work from the building plans.

After the pour

Keep vehicles off a new garage floor until it has cured. HomeGuide advises at least 7 days for cars and the full 30-day cure for heavy vehicles. A sealer, or an epoxy coating applied later, helps the floor shrug off salt and oil.