Garage & Shed Slabs in Aurora, IL

Garage and shed slabs hold up more than people realize: cars and pickups, riding mowers, snowblowers, workbenches and, at the edges, the walls of the building itself. Older lots in Aurora may have a detached garage at the back, and floors of that age are often cracked, dropped in the middle or broken where the walls sit. Newer lots add sheds and need pads to set them on. Either way the goal is the same: a flat, strong slab on firm, drained ground.

Replacing a detached garage floor

Old garage floors give out in familiar ways. The middle sinks and turns into a puddle. Cracks spread across the floor and open wider each spring. The edges under the walls crumble, and the sill plate begins to rot where water sits against it. In many cases the floor can be broken out and replaced with the garage still standing, which means working inside the building, bracing walls where needed and tying the new slab to the existing walls or curb. If the structure itself is near the end of its life, the slab can be poured fresh for a new garage.

What makes a garage slab work

• Compacted stone below, so the floor settles evenly, if at all
• Depth for the load: HomeGuide's slab guide says most two-car garage floors are reinforced concrete 4 to 6 inches thick
• Rebar or welded wire mesh throughout
• Thickened edges or footings under new walls, sized from the building plans
• A fall toward the overhead door, so snowmelt off the car runs out
• Control joints to manage shrinkage across a wide floor

Get a Free Estimate

Shed pads

A shed pad is lighter work than a garage floor, but it still needs a level, compacted base, or the shed racks and the doors bind. HomeGuide's slab guide says shed slabs are usually about 4 inches thick and do not typically need reinforcement; on larger sheds or soft ground we often add mesh anyway. We make the pad slightly larger than the shed footprint, raise it a little above the surrounding grade so water stays out, and can add a short ramp for a mower or wheelbarrow.

Permits for new buildings

New detached garages and larger sheds may need city or village approval, and where they sit on the lot matters. Before pouring a slab for a new building, we check what the City of Aurora or your village requires and work with whoever is framing the structure, so the slab dimensions, edges and anchor locations match the plans.

Other slabs we pour

• Air-conditioner and generator pads
• Trash and recycling pads next to a garage
• Parking pads off an alley
• Hot tub bases, sized and reinforced for the weight of a filled tub

Looking after a garage floor

In winter, hose salty slush off the floor when you can, because brine left standing on the slab feeds scaling. Seal the floor, or ask about a coating. Keep the garage's gutters and downspouts working so water does not collect along the walls.