OK to remove exterior concrete pad?
The front of my house has a concrete driveway that leads into the garage, and a slightly elevated level concrete pad in front of the entry door.
In between is another concrete pad that slopes slightly toward the driveway. I would like to remove that pad, and put something level in its place, so that I can put a chair on it that will sit level.
Entry pad -> sloped pad -> driveway
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Leading up to the entry pad, I have a curved paver pathway nestled in the rock area you see. It is an arc from the driveway to the entry pad. I could fill the sloped pad area with level pavers to match, or have concrete repoured if that is feasable given the sides may not be accessible. I think the pavers might look better.
Drainage is an issue. The sloped pad leads rainwater to the driveway. However the sloped pad is in front of the garage, just bordering the house interior. I could slope the pavers or new concrete slightly toward the yard directly away from the front of the house. Would that be OK? There is probably an 18-24" eave with deep gutter above.
What do you think is my best option for preserving drainage while making it a nice area?
I cannot plant anything closer than 6' away from the house. I could plant a shrub further out in the rock area. It is a small area but is nicely landscaped further away from the house.
Also we have snow. I would have to shovel either the paver walkway or the sloped concrete pad replacement. I have not shoveled pavers before. They have rounded tops - you can see a couple in the bottom right corner of the pic.
Comments (6)
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Comments (18)Gosh, I'm not an expert but 4 x 4 ought to be OK. When you think about it, old time strip hardwood went down over just a subfloor so I don't see a problem. Other than it may be a bit more difficult to stagger seams just because you'll have more of them. No doubt full sheets would be preferable but sometimes you just gotta' do with what you have. Another thought--maybe rip the sheets lengthwise and put down 2x8 sections? Easier to handle than a 4 x 4?? Yes, you can do without the glue. I followed instructions that I found from some experienced floor guy on the internet somewhere (it's been a few years ago) and did the glue because my subfloor is only 1/2" plywood with visible dips and sags between joists and because the old floor was a squeaking nightmare. Also, it is a large high traffic kitchen/ great room where we removed two partitions and where squeaking would annoy me all day, every day. You're dealing with a bedroom, maybe even a spare bedroom? I had to sift thru a lot of information to even find how to deal with my situation of having only 1/2" ply. Sure wasn't up to removing it and having to walk on joists to install a thicker subfloor. The glue was extra insurance. Oh--I know you said that you knew to stagger seams; I assume you also know that the second plywood layer goes on perpendicular to the first layer? Mentioning just in case... Not something we do everyday so it's easy to forget even stuff we already know!...See MoreConcrete slab ok use for shed?
Comments (12)Definitely not a pro. The pros are going to tell you how to do it right. Budget permitting, follow their advise. However, if ripping up this concrete slab busts the budget ... As for an expansion joint by the house, before I ripped out a concrete floor I'd at least consider an alternative. There are saws that can cut through concrete no thicker than that is to create a seam into which you can add an appropriate product -- something that seals but doesn't harden. A saw will probably not cut precisely where the concrete meets the house but close to it. If you don't want to add self leveling concrete or a layer of cement over it to make it smoother, you can create a somewhat more smooth surface by adding a masonry waterproofing product. Waterproofing is a good idea, especially if you're ever going to be storing wood items in the shed; otherwise, at the very least, consider paint the flooring with a paint intended for garage floors to seal it. If any wood is to touch the concrete such as for a floor plate, choose treated boards. You can even get treated plywood for walls and roofing if your building your shed rather than setting a metal one atop the slab. I've not used Flex Seal brand (rubbery) products myself, but something similar to what that is advertised to be could well work for your expansion crack and to put between the flooring and shed walls to seal any uneven spaces. Good luck with your project. ....See More
Jane
7 years agoJane
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
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