Holding Slab/poured Curb Together

IHI

looked at a garage rebuild yesterday that had a tree fall on it and homeowner tore it all down....he just wants a new shell erected and finished off-nothing to do with slab.

Slab is a typical 3" thick with integrated raised curb around perimeter wide enough for a 2x4 and about 3" higher than slab surface that the 1 day garage builder hacks use. And like all the typical poured curb slabs for garages in this area it's got cracks in it. Slab itself did not get any cuts (24x22) so it spiders across the 24' side and goes into both sidewall curbs where it's pulled apart about 1/2", then it cracked going the other direction so back wall also has a 1/2" crack where poured curb is splitting apart.

I told him if he wanted my warranty I would have to come in and remove all of the concrete and pour new since this was not going to last...typical customer of mine-he wants to leave it to save money. I just dont want to build this and have it start to sag over time...naturally I will type up a waiver for him to sign, but is there a quick cheap fix I could propose to this guy to help slow down the splitting of the slab/curb so new garage wont look like ass 6months after we leave?? I've seen and rebuild many garages with this type of concrete slab so I know exactly how bad this one will get but ya cant argue with a cheap homie and I'd rather make money than turn it away and have him sign a waiver acknowledging I tried to explain what would shappen so wwhen it does, he cant say it was me.

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PipeGuy

there's not much to hold together with a 3" thick slab. that's barely enough to properly cover the reinforcement (if there is any).
If the old slab is failing because the ground beneath it is weak then removing it and pouring new isn't really getting you anywhere. If it's just crappy concrete atop structurally sound earth then you might have OK results pouring a sufficiently thick and reinforced slab over the old and doweling the old slab into the new. I realize that doesn't qualify as "a quick cheap fix" but it does eliminate the demolition and disposal process.

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IHI

Sadly there is no "right way" to fix this since it's a typical "area customer" that does'nt have the funds to do the entire thing correctly. I hate to build on this shoddy slab/curb BS even after I have him sign a waiver acknowledging the garage will sink/buckle...aka look like sheeot in a short time, and he knows that from our meeting Sunday and naturally is fine with that so just a typical customer here. but if I dont build it he'll pay somebody else too and I hate to lose out on quick cash.

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Tscarborough

The only solution I can see is to build a pole barn just outside the slab and work from there. That way, his crap slab is just a floor, and your structure will be supported on the poles. A little more expensive, but not so much as removing and repouring his slab.

IHI

That is a great suggestion and ultimately about the same price as a tear out/redo I've priced enough pole building skeletons with a finished exterior to match typical homes that the price for that alone is quite a bit more than a standard stick built or standard pole built. I will be adding this option to the estimate before mailing for plan c however just incase my preaching about this POS curb/slab sink in and he realizes painting a turd gold is not the correct long term solution, but one he/they will regret down the road.

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Tscarborough

I'll take your word on the cost, but I would should rather do that than have to remove/replace the slab. The savings in time alone should be worth somehting.

IHI

In the big picture, and I'm sure you've dealt with these type of shoddy half azz slabs (these are a dime a dozen around here with the 2 day garage builders, 1 day to set-up and pour and a week later they bring in a garage pre built and fit it all together) the slabs break up really easy since they use no mesh or no rebar-"fibermesh" is the sales scam LOL, but no need to even pick up sections and drop'em to break since they crumble literally upon sticking the forks/tooth bucket under them. One's we've done in the past maybe take an hour to have loaded on a truck and start re-prepping for new mud on a standard 24x24. overall here it's not a huge savings since all tear outs go for $1/sqft and that includes everything from breaking to disposing, or in simpler terms $4.25/sqft for tear out and repour for a slab on flat grade with 1 row of 5" block wet set or $3.25/sqft for a new slab of flat ground and wet set 1 row 5" block. The difference between a remove/replace slab and costs to build pole build framing but finish to regular specs is actually about cancelled out...but with the repour he's not going to have to deal with a floor that's all cracked/heaved and nasty.

Lotta dicken around getting a pole barn ready for a regular roof and regular siding which outweighs any time saved with a remove/repour..actually I think time savings is in favor of the repour since for garages under the 850sqft footing requirement dont take very long to set-up and pour, most are completely done in 5-6hours, we'd have that much time tallied up with all the little things in a pole barn trying to make it look like a neighborhood garage.

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Tscarborough

No mesh or bar <shakes head>... Again, I will take your word on it, since every pole barn I have worked on was simply sheathed in tin, and even the big 6 bay ones go up in a day or 2.