Ask your Houston concrete supplier about necessary site prep before concrete pouring.
Need a concrete slab, foundation, driveway, patio, or other concrete structure on the ground from your Houston concrete supplier? There are several components to getting a durable, long-lasting concrete slab. In addition to creating a custom formula based on your project, it’s also important to prepare the area for concrete pouring. Site prep is a seriously important part of any concrete project. Let’s talk about what site prep is and why it’s necessary.
Your Houston Concrete Supplier Recommends Preparing the Ground for Concrete Pouring
Site preparation for a concrete slab helps reduce the risk for quality issues like uneven curing, cracks, and more. That’s why your Houston ready mix contractor recommends taking time to completely prepare the area for concrete.
The key to preparing the ground for concrete pouring is making sure the surface is flat and packed down tight. Leveling the ground can help you get a nice flat, smooth surface once the concrete cures. Also, you want the base well compacted. This helps reduce the risk of the ground settling and shifting after the concrete cures and causing cracks.
Compacting the concrete slab base requires a lot of work and sometimes specialized equipment like mechanical tampers. While sometimes you can use the same soil as the base, typically you’ll need to bring in a different kind of base that allows for good compaction, usually a form of crushed stone. Your Houston concrete supplier can help you determine what type of base to use based on the specifics of your project.
With each layer, you want to dampen the area to help with the tamping process. Then, you can use either a mechanical tamper or a hand tamper to compress the base down to form a good bed for the concrete. After you finish leveling and compacting the base, then you create the forms for the concrete.
Because of all the work and equipment that goes into concrete site prep, you may need a permit before you begin. Also, for residential concrete projects, you may need to check your HOA bylaws for any applicable rules before beginning site prep and concrete pouring.
Ask Your Houston Ready Mix Contractor How Thick the Base Should Be
Now, you may have realized that we didn’t say how thick the base needs to be. This is because that all depends on the specifics of your project. In general, you’ll need anywhere between four and ten inches of compactable base for your project. Before you begin site prep, ask your concrete specialists about how much base you’ll need for your Houston ready mix concrete project. How thick the concrete base should be depends on the type of soil underneath, the climate, as well as what it will be used for. For instance, a warehouse foundation will likely need to stand up to much heavier loads than a small residential patio. Therefore, ask your concrete experts about their recommendations before beginning any site prep.
Your Trusted Supplier for Houston Ready Mix Concrete
Looking for residential or commercial concrete solutions? Call our experts at TEXAN Concrete Ready Mix today! We’re a leading Houston ready mix contractor and can help provide custom concrete formulations for all your needs. Contact us now at (713) 227-1122 for a free quote!