Garage Floors & Slabs in St. Louis, MO

Garage floors and slabs carry cars, mowers, workbenches and often the walls of the building itself. In the City of St. Louis many homes have a detached garage at the alley, and floors in those garages are often decades old: sunk in the middle, cracked across, or crumbling under the walls. In the suburbs, attached garage floors take salt and slush from the car every winter. We replace garage floors, pour new ones for new buildings, and set shed pads and equipment slabs.

Replacing a detached garage floor

Old garage floors fail in a few familiar ways. The center sinks and holds a puddle. Cracks spread and widen every spring. The edges under the walls break down, and the wooden sill plate begins to rot where water sits. In many cases we can break out and replace the floor with the garage still standing, working inside the building and tying the new slab to the existing walls or curb. If the structure itself is near the end of its life, we tell you before starting.

What a good garage slab needs

• Compacted stone underneath so the floor settles evenly, if at all
• The right depth: HomeGuide's slab guide says most two-car garage floors are reinforced concrete 4 to 6 inches thick
• Rebar or wire mesh through the slab
• Thickened edges or footings under new walls, matched to the building plans
• A slope toward the overhead door so water runs out
• Control joints to manage shrinkage across a wide floor

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Shed pads

A shed pad is lighter work, but it still needs a level, compacted base or the shed racks and the doors stick. HomeGuide says shed slabs are usually about 4 inches thick without reinforcement; on larger sheds or soft ground we often add mesh anyway. We make the pad a little larger than the shed, set it slightly above the surrounding grade so water stays out, and can add a short ramp for a mower.

Permits for new buildings

A new garage or a larger shed may need a building permit, and setbacks depend on where it sits on the lot. Before pouring for a new structure, we confirm requirements with the City of St. Louis Permit Section, (314) 622-3313, or your suburb, and coordinate with whoever is framing so the slab size, edges and anchor bolts match the plans. In a City Historic District, the Cultural Resources Office reviews exterior work too.

Other slabs

• Air-conditioner and generator pads
• Trash and recycling pads beside an alley garage
• Alley parking pads next to a detached garage
• Hot tub bases, reinforced for the weight of a filled tub

Caring for a garage floor

Hose off salty slush in winter when you can, because brine standing on the slab drives scaling. Consider a sealer or a coating. Keep the garage gutters and downspouts working so water does not pool along the walls.