Garage Floors & Slabs in Sheboygan, WI

Garage floors and slabs carry more than they get credit for: cars and pickups, snowblowers, riding mowers, workbenches, storage shelves and, around the edges, the weight of the walls. In a Sheboygan winter they also catch every chunk of salty snow that falls off a car. Point2Homes' Census summary shows about 20 percent of the city's homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s, and many of those original garage floors are now cracked, sunken in the middle or crumbling where the walls sit.

Replacing a garage floor

Old garage floors fail in familiar ways. The center sinks and becomes a puddle. Cracks spread across the floor and widen each spring. The edges under the walls break down, and the wood sill starts to rot where water sits against it. In many cases the floor can be broken out and replaced with the garage still standing. That means working inside the building, supporting walls where needed and tying the new slab to the existing foundation or curb. If the garage itself is near the end of its life, we can pour the floor for a new one.

What makes a garage slab last

• Compacted stone below, so the floor stays flat
• Enough thickness: HomeGuide's slab guide says two-car garage floors are typically reinforced concrete 4 to 6 inches thick
• Rebar or welded wire mesh across the whole floor
• Thickened edges or footings under new walls, sized from the building plans
• A pitch toward the overhead door, so meltwater runs out
• Control joints to manage shrinkage across a wide slab

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Shed pads

A shed pad is lighter work, but it still needs a level, compacted base or the shed racks and the doors stick. HomeGuide's slab guide says shed slabs are usually about 4 inches thick and typically do not need reinforcement; on larger sheds or soft ground we often add mesh anyway. We make the pad a little larger than the shed, set it slightly above the surrounding grade so water stays out, and can add a short ramp for a mower or wheelbarrow.

Permits for slabs and buildings

In the City of Sheboygan, the Building Inspection FAQ says all concrete work requires a permit, so a garage floor or shed pad needs one even when the building above it is not changing. A new garage also goes through the city's full permit process, which the city's permit requirements say includes plans and a list of contractors, all of whom must be licensed with the city. We coordinate with whoever is framing the building so the slab size, edges and anchor bolts match the plans. Villages and towns nearby have their own rules, which we confirm.

Other slabs we pour

• Air-conditioner and generator pads
• Trash and recycling pads beside the garage
• Side parking pads for a boat or camper
• Hot tub bases, reinforced for the weight of a filled tub

Looking after a garage floor

In winter, rinse salty slush off the floor when you can, because brine left sitting on the slab feeds scaling. Seal the floor or ask about a coating. Keep gutters and downspouts working so water does not pool along the walls.