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Levelling cracked concrete garage floor

5K views 83 replies 7 participants last post by  rcpaulsen 
#1 ·
Been working on remoddeling the garage. Previous owner pretty much abandoned it. Figure I need to level out this cement floor before framing up the final walls and flooring.

Would a self levelling compound be the trick to get this done and just pour all over the garage , or any other ideas / recommendations ?
 

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#58 ·
1 cut and remove some of the post
2 Fit a new section of post with a post saddle and 2 flat straps

Flat straps on the face and one side
HDG hanger nails



Build a form for concrete as close as you can to the size of the lump concrete below. Smaller is better because don;t want frost to lift a corner that is sticking out.

I will post some links to products.
 

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#77 ·
To do what Neal suggests, if I understand correctly, you're gonna need to:

1) Support each post somewhere nearby, on the existing slab (probably a 4x4 or 6x6 column, maybe a house jack).
2) Jackhammer the existing slab around the post, enough to dig deep enough for your spread footing.
3) Cut off the bottom of your post.
4) Dig the hole for your footing and prep the subgrade.
5) Pour your footing. Attach the saddle for your post, then pour the stem for your pier under the saddle.
6) Backfill and tamp (not sure how you'd plan to compact the part of the hole under the walls; maybe you don't care too much about compaction there).
7) Repeat for each post (at least 3 more times).
8) Figure out how you're gonna grade outside the carport to keep water out.
9) Finish demo'ing any slab remaining.
10) Prep the subgrade for the new slab, and pour the new slab.

Is that about the size of it?
 
#79 ·
Not sure but Neal has been the really helpful one. Everyone else just putting unnecessary negativity and 2 cents in. Either way I will be reinforcing the posts with new footers the way Neal suggested. From there will ask for next steps taken to break rest of concrete and grade properly to pour even floor.

Taking it one step / day at a time. I appreciate all the helpful insight / ideas and also all the negativity. Gotta take both hand in hand.
 
#82 ·
I know it may not seem much to the odd Joe but that $5k difference I’d save in doing it myself means a lot to me right now. And I may not know much but am willing to learn and do the work that I can and am able to do. My house is a 2 bed 1 bath , I figured if I set this garage up I can use it as a home office / chill spot as well that is my end goal. Step by step.
 
#5 ·
Depends on where you are and what are you using it for. You said you are building walls? So it's for people use inside? If it is for a car, I would not suggest a self leveler. Freeze/thaw?

I think I saw a stem wall which means deeper foundation, but even with one, my guess is all the movement is from water over the years (not water entering the door and pooling which might be what you are trying to seal with the foam?). Talking about outside with the gutters or the yard drainage wasn't properly addressed. Also, the "apron," if longer than a couple feet and then continues into the garage, will move separately than the garage slab (especially if there is a foundation wall, but even if its slab on grade).
 
#6 ·
I live in southern Ontario right across from Detroit, we get cold winters but not that cold as northern Canada. And summers are pretty warm.

Everytime it rains I get some water on the floor in the garage on all sides despite the fact I spray sealed the foundation. Could this be from the slabs cracked on the outside of the garage door ? I’ve attached more pics

Basically I am trying to turn garage into a office / chill spot , no car will be in there. But I figure if the floor is uneven then there’s no way dry walling and flooring is going to be easy. I want to lay vinyl on top.
 

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#10 ·
I knew there was something off. In your opinions , what is my most affordable option to levelling the floor and preventing water from seeping in beneath ? Also Neal pls elaborate on the concrete on the side for rotting walls , is there anything I can do to prevent ?

First time homeowner here and just learning by the day. Really Appreciate the help
 
#13 ·
Few more pics maybe someone can have better idea of what’s going on and how to find solution ... still have to replace the weather stripping on bottom of the door too but that slab slopes down towards the inside of the garage.


Thanks for all insight
 

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#14 ·
See the square holes in the deck, those were the original post footing for the post hat held up the roof. What ever was done after that was all wrong. So with out going after fixing this up properly, anything you do will be just throw more money after bad.

It should be investigated more but the concrete should be removed set it back on posts with a new slab and the wall should be built with a slip joint so the slap can move.
 

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#16 ·
The concrete for the posts should have come above the slab so the original posts may have been set in the ground and rotted off.



But it was likely built with beams for the roof to sit in so something could be done to save the roof and most of the walls.

Do you know what the frost depth is in you area. If it is not to deep, It might be worth putting a footing in.

So what are the beams at the top of the walls? Size and length of each section?
 
#17 ·
The frost depth in our area is 25-30 inches but they recommend 4 feet deep for frost guidelines here.

The entire garage is 19 feet long by 10 feet wide. Most of the beams supporting the roof structure are 8 ft long. The beams supporting the roof from foundation are 10 ft. Entire framing was done oddly as well that’s why I gutted the 2nd wall and decided to start from scratch before framing the actual wall structure.
 
#18 ·
You are mixing up posts and beams. the horizontal beams under the roof structure a ?" wide by ?" high and they are ?' ft long:biggrin2:
They would have had 4x4 or 6x6 posts going down into those holes in the slab, are they still there?
 
#19 ·
Lol ! Thanks Neal I guess my inexperience and lack of knowledge is really showing that’s why I joined the forum I truly appreciate the help and shared knowledge from you and others. I took a picture of the posts and beams that I see on the inside maybe this helps I hope !

When I measured the ones laying on the roof are about 8 ft. And the ones going up vertical about 10 ft
 

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#22 ·
OK, we start over.
I see the beam that i was after and one posts by the folding chair.

The post goes down further, but the rest of the bottom of the wall is strange.
Is there a gap under the rest of the wall
 

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#23 ·
The sheet which acts as the wall I guess that only runs to the bottom of the floor where the concrete meets it. Most of it met straight with the concrete floor but some pieces of sheet looked like they were rotting at the bottom as I could see light from the outside getting in . the bottom brace of the wall frame didn’t go to the Directly to the bottom of the floor as you can see so I added those Wood pieces as fillers to act as a bottom brace to support it better ... not sure if that was even right to do either lol.
 
#25 ·
They left the bottom like that so when the concrete moved the struture wouldn't get moved, it would just break the sheeting and the siding but the building would be fine.

So adding the bottom piece was a mistake.

How many of those post do you have right to the floor.
We would like to have one at each end and one or two in the wall.
 
#24 ·
That silver radiant barrier was installed here prior as well. Same with the half done attic lol. I am just starting the patch ups now but figured I’d see how to solve the concrete foundation structurally first then rip down the barriers and re insulate and vapour barrier it and re frame properly on the other wall.
 
#26 · (Edited)
From what I can see the only posts that are dug in are the two that you pointed out already on the left wall. The right wall is connected to my house and the bottom is the concrete foundation of my house. I attached picture of the right wall.

There are no posts dug at any of the corners that go in to the ground .
Is that a major flaw ?

Also should I remove those bottom fillers or will they just be null and void once I fix the structural and concrete issues ? Thanks for all the help Neal
 
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