Settled garage floor, ideas?

[lendaddy]

My two stall garage floor has been uneven and unchanged for 12 years. In other words the settling appears to be done.

The worst corner is a several inches down and gradual (I am going to get real measurements tonight via a string level.

So, what can I do here shy of jack-hammering out the whole slab and re-pouring(this would not only be expensive but complicated? Are there any self leveling epoxies or polymers that I can just pour on the prepared slab? It seems to me that there would be an industrial solution but who knows. I'm guessing the thinnest area would be 1/4" and the thickest area 3-5 inches thick. The products I've seen look more like 1/8" skim-coat type products.

Can I just pour high quality concrete on top to resurface?

Thoughts?

[mudman]

Are there cracks in the slab? If so have you thought about a concrete leveling contractor? They pump in a slurry under the pieces to hydraulically raise the pieces then let cure. I'm pretty sure this can be done with a structure like your garage on top, unless attached to the house.

[HardDrive]

I am dealing with this in my basement right now.

Unless you are planning on putting a ceramic type over it, you can probably just pour some self leveling concrete in the affected areas, get it resonably level, the finish it off with an Epoxy top coat of some kind.

I can't do this because we are getting our basement floor prepped for tile. The floor is poured concrete over dirt. Its barely an inch thick in some areas. There is a huge section that I need to hammer out and repour. It has to be totally stable, or the tile will crack right along with the cement below. Good times.

[89911]

I've got the same thing going on in my garage. The cement workers must of been off the day they poured it and the summer help did it. Terrible job and it drains in some areas against the foundation and not into the center floor drain. The best solution would be to jack hammer it and repour it of course, but again, not cheap. The do have product out there that can be poured with minimal thickness for leveling, but I have not heard any feedback. I would think the most cost effective would be to do some leveling with mortar and then go over with porcelain or ceramic (not as good) tile to the right pitch.

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by mudman

Are there cracks in the slab? If so have you thought about a concrete leveling contractor? They pump in a slurry under the pieces to hydraulically raise the pieces then let cure. I'm pretty sure this can be done with a structure like your garage on top, unless attached to the house.

I did have one come out but they can't help me. It's sorta complicated but they can't raise the slab without screwing up other things.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

There are products that can be used to float it with minimum thicknesses around 1/2".

[azasadny]

I believe a product that is a self-leveling concrete is called "Artex" or something close to that. My friend leveled his concrete basement floor with it and it's been good for 5 years so far...

[lendaddy]

Got a laser level (very cool btw) and I was pretty close. There is a 5" difference high to low.

[azasadny]

Lendaddy,
A 5" difference is very large, too large to be compensated for by using a self-leveling type product, according to my next-door neighbor (he builds houses). He said that the foundation issues need to be fixed while the old concrete is out, then pour a new slab. No inexpensive, easy shortcuts here, I'm afraid...

[cgarr]

I think your floor settled when that tree fell on your garage. Didn't it?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Start with this one (good product for this application):

http://www.ardex.com/cms%5CAssets%5CProducts%5CDocumentation%5Card-cp-tech-us-e.pdf

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by azasadny

Lendaddy,
A 5" difference is very large, too large to be compensated for by using a self-leveling type product, according to my next-door neighbor (he builds houses). He said that the foundation issues need to be fixed while the old concrete is out, then pour a new slab. No inexpensive, easy shortcuts here, I'm afraid...

I agree,5" is too much for the synthetic solutions out there (including ardex). Not only are they not recommended for that thickness, I'd go broke paying for 3 yds of it

Craig, the floor has been at the same settled spot for the 12 years I've lived here but when the tree fell it did break off a step that was suspended from the settling (did that make sense?)

Anyway, I know what the textbook solution is, but what do I have to lose in trying to pour a very high tensile strength cap? The cement itself appears to be cheap(a few hundred for the delivered load). The rest is elbow grease.

Busting out the old will, as I stated, be very complicated as it goes under another portion of the house.

The thinnest area would be 1" thick and that makes the thickest at 6". This would raise the floor 1" as well which would help keep the rain out. I would have to do a small 1" lip ramp though I guess.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

5" is too thick for Ardex - for a variation that large I'd recommed either (1) doweling in a new plug of concrete from the top or (2) jackhammering out a section of the slab (where the deviation is worst) and doweling in that to what remains, then float the top level.

Settling of "several inches" is not normal. Either the original contractor did not compact the soil or you've got a sinkhole forming under your house or something...

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Settling of "several inches" is not normal. Either the original contractor did not compact the soil or you've got a sinkhole forming under your house or something...

I can feel the sink-hole tugging at my soul

The home was built in the 60's and is on a mixture of sand and clay. I'm sure they screwed some stuff up no doubt.

[89911]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Start with this one (good product for this application):

http://www.ardex.com/cms%5CAssets%5CProducts%5CDocumentation%5Card-cp-tech-us-e.pdf

Funny, they make this stuff about 15 miles from where I live.