Garage & Shed Slabs in Arlington Heights, IL

Garage and shed slabs carry weight that patios never see: cars, snowblowers, mowers and shelving loaded with decades of storage. Many Arlington Heights garages date from the 1950s through the 1970s, when most local homes were built, and their floors show it. The edge at the overhead door crumbles from salt and slush dripping off cars all winter. The slab cracks and sinks toward the drain or the back wall. Oil soaks in. When a garage floor gets bad enough, we break it out and pour a new one. We also pour level pads for sheds, workshops and other outbuildings.

Garage floor replacement

The Village of Arlington Heights has specific requirements for garage floor replacements, and they target exactly where old garage floors fail:

• Thickened edge at the door: the slab is thickened to 14 inches deep and 20 inches wide along the overhead door opening.
• Rebar in that edge: two #5 bars (5/8 inch) set about 3 inches from the bottom of the thickened edge.
• Vapor barrier: required under attached garage slabs.
• Base: at least 4 inches of compacted crushed CA-6 or better, with no pea gravel or sand.

The door edge takes the most abuse: tire loads, the weight of the door closing on it, and salty water draining out every winter. A thick, reinforced edge holds up far better than the thin edge many original garages had.

How a garage floor replacement goes

You clear out the garage. We break up and remove the old slab, dig out soft soil, and build and compact the stone base. We set the vapor barrier, the thickened edge and its rebar, and the forms, then call for the base inspection. The floor is poured with a slight slope toward the door or drain so water runs out instead of pooling, troweled smooth or given a light broom finish, and cut with control joints. We tell you when you can walk on it, move things back in, and park.

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Signs your garage floor needs replacing

• The edge at the door has crumbled or broken off
• The slab has sunk, leaving a gap at the walls or a lip at the door
• Water pools inside instead of draining out
• Large cracks with one side higher than the other
• Deep oil saturation or flaking across much of the floor

If the slab is sound but stained and worn, a coating may be all it needs. If it is sinking or broken, a coating will not fix that.

Shed and outbuilding pads

A shed on blocks or bare ground tends to rack and settle, which jams doors and lets water in. A concrete pad gives it a level, dry floor. We size the pad slightly larger than the shed footprint, set it on compacted stone, pour at least 4 inches thick, and thicken the edges or add rebar for heavier buildings or a workshop with equipment. We grade around it so water drains away. Before we pour, we check setbacks from lot lines and any easement, since the Village notes that concrete on an easement needs permission from every utility involved.

Caring for a garage floor

Knock snow and salty slush off the car before it melts on the floor, and squeegee standing water out the door in winter. Wipe up oil drips. Seal the new slab after it cures, and reseal every few years, or have a coating installed for a fully sealed surface.