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Pouring Concrete Slab For Porch

723 views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Nealtw 
#1 ·
Hello, we are considering installing a concrete foundation for a new porch. We are thinking about going with 16' x 20' or something like that. We have an existing patio foundation that I figured we would need to jackhammer and remove. Can someone tell me if sometimes better to expand an existing patio or jackhammer it and build all new? Our existing patio is about 10' x 10'. It just seems like if try to expand existing patio, might have issues with not knowing how the patio is currently tied in with existing foundation, not knowing how thick the patio is and if would support adding on a room, etc.

Also, I would like to compare costs for building a patio foundation that would be suitable for adding onto the house, which is a one-story house, or suitable for some kind of porch covering with walls open, or just simply a concrete patio with no walls or roof.

Our city's building permit website says they go by the International Residential Code. Does anyone recommend some alternative, detailed specifications that are more in layman's terms and you don't need a lawyer or doctor's degree to understand? This information would include width and depth of concrete footings, soil preparation & vapor barriers (if applicable or necessary), method of installing steel rebar and method of tying in rebar to existing foundation if decide to go with home add-on foundation versus simple patio.

Another good thing to have would be good estimates of cost whether doing myself of hiring it out to someone else and maybe recommended contractors in the North Dallas Texas area if decide to hire it out.

Thanks,
Greg
 
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#2 ·
Please post a picture of what's there now.
All kinds of issues pop up with trying to use that's here now.
No slab patio should have been "tied into" the foundation!
Slabs move up and down, building an attached enclosed area and attaching it to the house is going to require a real footing.
Outside walls need to be at least 6" above grade to prevent rot of the sheathing.
 
#4 ·
Thank you for both of your responses. It will be a few days before I can get back to take some pictures and send them. I am starting to think that due to the difference in cost between pouring concrete for a patio versus all the extra work and cost involved in pouring a slab that is suitable to build an extension to the house on, and the very unlikely chance that we will decide to build on anyway, it might be best just to install the patio concrete and if decide to build onto the house later, tear it out and redo it. I'm not sure.
 
#5 ·
Yeah, that's a tough call. You would hate to rip stuff out and re do it, but you would have to decide on the building and do all the engineer work now without having a guarantee it will ever be used.
 
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