Garage & Shed Slabs in Waterloo, IA

A garage or shed slab is the base for everything above it, and it is much harder to fix later than a patio or walk. We pour garage and shed slabs for homeowners in Waterloo and the Cedar Valley: floors for new detached garages, replacement floors in old garages, pads for sheds and pole buildings, and slabs for workshops where tools, tractors or a camper will sit.

Old garages, tired floors

Many Waterloo homes from the first half of the last century have detached garages off an alley or at the back of the lot. Census data summarized by Point2Homes shows about 30 percent of the city's homes were built before 1950. A lot of those garage floors were poured thin, with no vapor barrier and little base, and decades of salt dripping off cars have eaten the surface. Floors that have sunk in the middle, cracked into pieces or pulled away from the walls are common. In many cases the floor can be broken out and repoured inside the existing walls, as long as the walls and their footings are sound.

Start with what will sit on it

A garden shed and a shop holding a tractor do not need the same slab. HomeGuide notes that most slabs for sheds and garden buildings are about 4 inches thick, while two-car garage floors are typically 4 to 6 inches. Heavy equipment, a lift or a large camper calls for more depth and reinforcement. We ask what you will store and park before we price the job.

What goes under and into the slab

• Base: soft soil removed and a granular base compacted in layers, so the slab does not settle.
• Vapor barrier: a plastic sheet under the slab in garages and shops to cut moisture coming up from the ground.
• Reinforcement: rebar or wire mesh held up in the slab, plus extra steel where loads concentrate.
• Thickened edges: a deeper edge where walls will sit, sized to the building plans.
• Anchor bolts: set in the fresh concrete where the wall plates will attach.
• Slope and drains: a slight fall toward the door so meltwater from cars runs out, not to the back wall.

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Permits and building rules

A new garage, and in many towns a large shed, needs a building permit. The building department sets what the foundation must include, which can mean frost footings or a specific slab design depending on the structure and its size. Rules differ between Waterloo, Cedar Falls and the surrounding towns and rural areas. We check the requirements for your address and build the slab to the approved plans. If you are working with a garage builder, we can coordinate on layout, bolt spacing and timing.

Finishing a garage floor

Inside a garage we usually trowel the slab smooth, which is easy to sweep. A smooth trowel can be slick when wet, so some owners prefer a light broom finish near the door. Control joints divide the floor into panels so shrinkage cracks follow straight lines. Once the slab has cured, a penetrating sealer helps it resist the salt brine that drips off cars all winter. If you plan to coat the floor later, tell us so we can finish it to suit the coating.

Call (319) 481-5867 with the building size and what it will hold, and we will set up a time to measure.