Many modern homes contain concrete. However, if you haven't been carrying out regular assessments and inspections of the material, you have no idea if it has been compromised by corrosion or other types of damage. This blog is here to provide you with lots of useful info which will help you to check on the condition of the concrete around your home and to develop a good understanding of the different ways it can be repaired. I'm not a professional contractor but I have been learning all I can about concrete and I would like to share my new-found knowledge with the rest of the world.
You may need contractors to lay a concrete slab on your property for several reasons. For example, it may form the basis for a shed or carport, or you could be building a patio. Concrete slabs typically create the foundations of houses as well. The cost of laying a slab will depend on various factors, which are explained below.
Slab Size and Depth
The slab size and depth are central to its cost. The depth of a concrete slab will depend on what it will carry. A house slab will be thicker than the concrete laid for garden pathways. A driveway will need to be sturdy enough to bear the weight of vehicles, whether those be cars or transport trucks. To make the slab stronger, wire mesh may be used as reinforcement. Bigger and thicker slabs will require more cement than slabs of a smaller mass, and extra reinforcement will bring additional expenses.
Ease of Access
The quote for laying a concrete slab will usually include a price per square metre, which will also depend on the slab depth. But size and mass are not the only crucial factors. Ease of access is vital as well. You may need a small slab for a tiny backyard shed. But if it's at the back of your garden on a slope, access could be difficult. This will add to the construction costs as laying the slab will take longer overall. On a hill, concreters may need to excavate and level the ground or pour a slab that is deeper on one side.
On the other hand, you might need a large concrete driveway for a flat front yard that is easily accessible. Depending on different aspects of the job, the price per metre will likely be lower than for the shed. Set-up costs play a role, too. Regardless of the size of the job, it can take a similar amount of time to get started.
Decorative Options
If you want coloured, stamped or exposed-aggregate concrete, you'll pay extra as well. Contractors will need to cover the cost of dyes, stains and pigments. Plus, additional expertise and labour will be required. You may want a patio to mimic natural stone pavers, for example. To create this, the contractors will need to combine colouring techniques and press moulding stamps onto the cement before it hardens.
Exposed aggregate will require the topmost layer of cement to be washed away to reveal the aggregates. If the concrete slab is for a home office in your yard, you might opt to have it polished. Then, you'll have to pay for the contractors to hone the surface with polishing pads full of diamond grits.
Contact a local concrete contractor to learn more about concrete slabs.