Garage Floor Slope............

[wiedemab]

I've talked about pouring a floor cap, but the added floor height just won't work.

Anyway, I talked to my contractor and he has basically said he would make it right. He's a good guy that I've known for a long time. I approached the situation from the perspective that I had as much responsibility in it as he and the concrete guys do. I told him that I must not have communicated as clearly as I thought I did and he agreed that he may have misunderstood.

We left the situation with him promising to make it right. His plan is to continue with the framing of the building (weather permitting!) an then we can talk about whether or not I still feel the floor needs to be re-done. If it does, he said he'll take care of it. I told him that we could sit down and talk about the actual cost of it and make a fair and reasonable deal to fix it. I know this could very easily overcome any money he would make on the project and I want to be fair to him.


Thanks for the input.

[ccracin]

Originally Posted by wiedemab

I've talked about pouring a floor cap, but the added floor height just won't work.

Anyway, I talked to my contractor and he has basically said he would make it right. He's a good guy that I've known for a long time. I approached the situation form the perspective that I had as much responsibility in it as he and the concrete guys do. I told him that I must not have communicated as clearly as I thought I did and he agreed that he may have misunderstood.

We left the situation with him promising to make it right. His plan is to continue with the framing of the building (weather permitting!) an then we can talk about whether or not I still feel the floor needs to be re-done. If it does, he said he'll take care of it. I told him that we could sit down and talk about the actual cost of it and make a fair and reasonable deal to fix it. I know this could very easily overcome any money he would make on the project and I want to be fair to him.


Thanks for the input.

Sounds like you handled it well. It sounds like from the description you gave that the error was a shared issue and if you are willing to share the fix, in the end it sounds like the best outcome.

A lesson to all those reading that are doing or going to do a project like this, if there is something that you specifically want and it is important enough to you to pay twice to have it, PUT IT IN WRITING! This is for garages, cars, birthday cake (LOL) etc.......

Glad it sounds like it will work out Brandon. Just to add, the shop we work in is 30x40. It has on floor drain in it. The floor is sloped to the drain. We just have to take that into consideration when we do anything that has to be level. We use screw adjusters or shims. It is second nature to us now. NO PROBLEM!

Good Luck!

[cheapta]

My 30x40 home shop has the slope on the "short" side (the 30' direction) and it's never been an issue. I had to shim up the frame table quite a bit but I had to level it anyway so it didn't matter. I can visibly see the difference at the sills but, again, never been an issue. The cars don't roll away on their own, the toolboxes stay where I put them, honestly it's not an issue at all.
I've heard that the slope is per building code so that any spilled fuel runs out the door-I have no idea how true that is.

Peter

[wiedemab]

Originally Posted by cheapta

My 30x40 home shop has the slope on the "short" side (the 30' direction) and it's never been an issue. I had to shim up the frame table quite a bit but I had to level it anyway so it didn't matter. I can visibly see the difference at the sills but, again, never been an issue. The cars don't roll away on their own, the toolboxes stay where I put them, honestly it's not an issue at all.
I've heard that the slope is per building code so that any spilled fuel runs out the door-I have no idea how true that is.

Peter

Thanks Peter - - - I'm going to see how much of an issue I think it will be after the building is completed. It will probably be OK. I may end up deciding that the money would be better spent on more tools!! I know my contractor will treat me right on the price though if I decide to have him redo it - - we would share in the cost.

[Perry Mitchell]

Originally Posted by cheapta

My 30x40 home shop has the slope on the "short" side (the 30' direction) and it's never been an issue. I had to shim up the frame table quite a bit but I had to level it anyway so it didn't matter. I can visibly see the difference at the sills but, again, never been an issue. The cars don't roll away on their own, the toolboxes stay where I put them, honestly it's not an issue at all.
I've heard that the slope is per building code so that any spilled fuel runs out the door-I have no idea how true that is.

Peter

I say, get over it. You will never notice it. You won't hang your shelves at that slope. The contractor performed his work per industry standards. 1/8'' per foot equals 1% which is minimal. Most contractors can't get it that flat when it is supposed to be level. My garage floor is sloped at 1% and it is not noticible. I have a 4 post lift and two roll away tool boxes and nothing has rolled out the door yet. When you walk down the sidewalks in your town, you don't tip over do you? They are most likely sloped at 2% or 1/4'' per foot. Really, it won't be an issue for you. Sorry you guys didn't communicate better.

[GregWeld]

^^^^^^ I agree.

[Ketzer]

Ok, maybe this isn't exactly relevent but....
When I had my shop built, it was a dream come true. I was very excited and sweated over every detail. It was a big concrete pour and it went well. The guys put a lot of effort into making it glass smooth for me. I wandered around on that fresh slab dreaming of where everything would go, how cool it was to have a little space for a change...

Then a seperate crew started on the metal building. Nine full days to get it put up. When I went out to inspect, 75% of the shop floor was solid black. They used a forklift with hard rubber tires designed for off-road to help assemble the high stuff. Nine days of riding around in circles, grinding rubber into green concrete. When I contacted the company, they were baffled!?! Baffled that it mattered to me!! "It's just a shop floor, sir. What do you expect?" I spent the next two weeks using a pressure washer and every known chemical trying to get ground-in rubber out of the concrete. No, it did not come up. Sven years ago, still have black tire tracks all over the inside of the shop.

I understand the OPs anxiety. It is NOT wrong to want what we want.
(GW is the poster child for this thought process...)

Jeff-

[GregWeld]

I agree with the "bugs you" part.... and it'll drive you mad if you let it.

This slope is so gradual - that you'll never notice it... and if you're doing something that is critical that measurements be taken off the floor - it's easy to allow or adjust.

In the 8 years I've had my shop - I've only done one project that I used the floor to pull a tape from. My floor is flat like my first girlfriend.

However... I FULLY understand the dilemma! I fired the "crew" that was hired to put up my "kit" building - because I couldn't stand their fitment work. Even tough this hack stuff was going to be covered I still couldn't stand it. I would have known it was there and it would have driven me crazy.

I still don't think the slope is one of those things that if you forget about - will come back to you and say "dang! I should have spent X to fix that".

Although -- I replaced my lift because I couldn't stand it -- but that is something I use CONSTANTLY.... and I won't buy cheap or offshore tools because again - I use them and it bugs me. But the floor? I grind on it - I drag stuff across it because it's too heavy to lift - I hammer on it... it's just a big azz anvil - it gets dirty and I vacuum up the mess and that's it. It's just there to be used.

[Sieg]

Originally Posted by Perry Mitchell

I say, get over it. You will never notice it. You won't hang your shelves at that slope. The contractor performed his work per industry standards. 1/8'' per foot equals 1% which is minimal. Most contractors can't get it that flat when it is supposed to be level. My garage floor is sloped at 1% and it is not noticeable. I have a 4 post lift and two roll away tool boxes and nothing has rolled out the door yet. When you walk down the sidewalks in your town, you don't tip over do you? They are most likely sloped at 2% or 1/4'' per foot. Really, it won't be an issue for you. Sorry you guys didn't communicate better.

Agree.........and some day that slope may work in your favor. If they poured it "flat" it wouldn't be and your lifts and tables would still require some degree of shimming to achieve a true level.