Concrete Flatwork in Evergreen Park, Explained and Done Right

Flatwork is the broad name for concrete that lies on the ground: the pad under a shed, the square that holds an air conditioner, the apron where a garage meets the driveway, a slab for trash cans along the side of the house. It sounds straightforward, and it is, as long as three questions get good answers before anyone orders concrete. First, what is underneath? Topsoil and loose fill compress over time, so we dig them out until we reach firm ground, then rebuild with crushed stone, tamped in thin lifts. Second, where will water go? Even a small pad needs a gentle fall so rain runs off the edge instead of soaking in under it and freezing. We set the forms to that slope. Third, how will it crack? All concrete shrinks as it cures, so we decide in advance where the cracks should form and cut control joints at those lines. A slab that will carry weight, such as a garage apron, also gets reinforcement placed up inside the concrete. Once poured, the surface gets the texture its job calls for and is kept moist or covered during the cure. Once it hardens, the forms come out, soil is pulled back to the edges and any old concrete we removed leaves with us. The result is a plain slab that looks neat and stays that way.