| Pouring a concrete garage floor takes a lot of work. If you aren’t particularly handy, either get an experienced person to help you or hire a professional. A garage floor should be solid and stable because it’s the foundation of your garage. Make sure your garage floor pouring thickness meets the load it has to hold — more depth is needed for bigger vehicles or equipment. |
If you’re faced with the prospect of pouring a concrete garage floor, is it really going to be as hard as it sounds? It depends on your skill
You aren’t alone in feeling apprehensive. Here are some reasons you might be nervous, things you don’t know:
- what preparation the ground needs
- what tools you need
- what materials you need to use
- about forming or pouring
- about the finish work
And these are all valid concerns when you’re committed to doing a good job with pouring a concrete garage floor.
In terms of tools, you’re going to need quite a few items. If you already have experience with home construction or repair, then you may be in luck because you’ll likely already have many of the tools you’ll need. Start with some basic carpentry tools (hammer, saw and nails, for starters) and a level to construct the forms correctly. You will also need tools, like a wheel barrow and shovel to process and pour the concrete. If you don’t own these, you can rent them in most areas. You will also need concrete finishing tools, like trowels and a finishing broom to make sure that your surface is clean, level and the texture you want.
Of course you’ll need concrete. The amount you will need depend son the thickness and square footage you require. The average garage floor pouring thickness is between four and six inches. You also will need either rebar or mesh for reinforcing the concrete.
Before you get started forming your garage floor, make sure you have a solid ground surface. If the ground is untouched, has never been dug in, you are good to go. If you are pouring the floor on ground that’s previously been dug in, you want to compact the soil and top that with fines for a stable surface. If you are pouring your garage floor on Bentonite-like soils, you may want to make footers into the ground before pouring the slab.
A garage floor consists of first a footer that runs the permitter of the garage. Next you pour a stem-wall onto the cured footer; make sure you have rebar spaced along the top of the stem wall so you can attach your garage frame to it. Once those pieces are cured you can start pouring your garage floor.
Forming for concrete involves creating a mold, or shape, that you will pour the concrete into. By using wooden boards (footers and stem wall forms are typically are 2″x12″, while floor forms will be 2″x4″ or 2″x6″), a hammer, and nails, you can build your form, or mold, that will hold the concrete until it’s nearly dry. Make sure your corners are square. Measure and measure to ensure you have the correct size and shape for the garage floor.
Pouring is an altogether different matter. Most laborers try to not to pour concrete on hot, dry days because the concrete sets too fast, making for a less sturdy floor. Pouring concrete on cold days takes special attention and preparation as well. You also want to overfill the forms slightly to ensure that any excess water in the forms rises to the top. The concrete should be mixed thoroughly enough that it pours easily and evenly.
You then want to “float” the surface with a magnesium or wooden float. This is the tool used to level and smooth the top of the concrete. This is simple when you have a small area, but it can be done in larger areas with careful planning. You need to have a way to get to the middle of the newly filled area. You may want to consult a concrete professional about other special tools that are available for this project.
You’ll also want to score the garage floor so that you have expansion and movement space. This helps to keep the concrete from cracking as it expands and contracts with the climate conditions.
In the end, pouring a concrete garage floor is all about rounding the edges of the drying concrete and removing the wooden forms from around the area. Of course, these garage floors aren’t ready to be used until the floor is completely dried.
Pouring a concrete garage floors will take a lot of time and a lot of equipment to do, but if you’re interested in doing the job yourself, it’s possible even for a beginner. So no more worries.
what is the formula for figuring out concrete footers
Hi Chris,
The article is designed to give basic info. This is a flooring site, not a construction site – you might have better luck at a construction type site. This article gives a good basic overview of what you will be doing.
My garage floor is all broken up with dirt and stones coming out from everywhere. Thanks to the previous owner and the salt from the winter weather. It’s uneven eveywhere and had pot holes that I filled with concrete couple years ago for a temp fix. In a case like this where the floor is broken up and is not leveled anywhere, can we still pour concrete on top or would we need to do further demolishen first to level it and than pour concrete ? Thanks
Hello Adil,
It’s my experience that you need to demolish the old floor before pouring new concrete. You just don’t get good adherence of the old and new surfaces. The best results are to start fresh.
i am buying a new construction house . I noticed the garage floor (cement) has hair line cracks like the shape of a + almost end to end and almost side to side of the floor.
did they mess up? I dont like the though of having hair line cracks that get bigger and bigger every year. would love your thoughts on this. the floor was poured in September cool summer in alaska.
Hi Jean,
Concrete can crack for many reasons, not just because it was messed up. You may want to have a concrete mason in your area inspect the cracks and offer their suggestions.
Also, if it’s not too late, maybe you could get something in your purchase contract to make sure this is taken care of, if it is a problem.