Garage & Shed Slabs in Kenosha, WI

Garage and shed slabs carry the weight of a building, a car or a workshop, and they sit at the bottom of the yard's drainage. We pour new garage floors, slabs for detached garages and pads for sheds and outbuildings across Kenosha. Every one begins with packed stone, a depth chosen for the load, and a plan for the water.

Detached garages on older lots

Older Kenosha lots often put the garage out back, separate from the house. After decades of salt dripping off cars, many of those floors have cracked, sunk at the door or crumbled at the apron. Water runs in under the door and freezes. When the walls are still sound, we can break out and replace the floor inside the garage, pour a new apron, and set the slab so it drains out the door rather than pooling inside.

New garage slabs

For a new detached garage, the slab is the foundation, so it must match the building plans. Many garage slabs in cold climates use a thickened edge or a separate footing under the walls. We follow the plans and the local building department's requirements for the footing, thickness, reinforcement and anchor bolts. HomeGuide notes that garage floors are usually 4 to 6 inches thick. A garage that will hold a truck, a lift or heavy equipment should be on the thicker side.

Shed pads and outbuildings

A concrete pad keeps a shed level and dry, stops rot at the floor frame and gives you a solid surface for a mower or snowblower. HomeGuide lists shed slabs of 100 to 400 square feet at $600 to $4,800. The pad runs a bit wider than the shed, sits on compacted stone and stands slightly proud of the yard so rain runs off.

Get a Free Estimate

Signs a garage floor needs replacing

• The slab has sunk at the door and water runs in
• Wide cracks where one side has dropped below the other
• A surface that is pitted and flaking from years of salt drip
• A floor that has broken into loose pieces near the walls
• A floor that pitches toward the back wall instead of out the door

Details that matter

• Base: compacted stone under the whole slab, with soft soil removed first.
• Vapor barrier: a sheet under the slab where moisture from below would cause problems, such as under a heated or finished garage.
• Reinforcement: rebar or mesh, plus thicker sections where loads are concentrated.
• Pitch: a gentle slope toward the door or a drain.
• Joints: saw-cut joints that divide the floor into panels so cracks follow straight lines.

Care

Rinse salt and slush off the garage floor during the winter when you can. Salt left to sit wears the surface. Seal the floor or add a coating once it has cured if you want an easier-to-clean surface. Keep gutters clean and downspouts directed away from the slab edges.