How Much Do Precast Concrete Slabs Cost?
How Much Do Precast Concrete Slabs Cost?
While it may appear to be a basic construction, concrete slabs average $5,400, or between $3,600 and $7,200. This covers supplies and labor for a normal 30-by-30-foot, 6-inch-deep slab.
A concrete slab is precisely what it sounds like: a flat horizontal structure composed of cast concrete that lends structure to modern structures. It’s a combination of wet cement and crushed stones that solidify into concrete as they cure. Almost every new construction, whether indoors or outside, will require one.
Concrete slabs are typically priced between $4 and $8 per square foot. When calculating what you’ll need for your project, multiply the length by the breadth to account for spills and other losses to get the square footage, then add 10%.
What Should I Put Between Concrete Slabs?
An expansion joint is a substance that is put in the fissures (or joints) between concrete slabs to prevent cracking as the slabs contract and expand due to temperature variations.
This material functions as a shock absorber, absorbing the tension caused by the movement of the slab. The expansion joint might dry up and no longer absorb tension as efficiently as it previously did.
Cracks appear in the concrete slabs at this time. When this happens, the expansion joints must be replaced. You can complete the task yourself if you follow these directions.
- Remove any dirt and debris from the area using a broom.
- Using a putty knife, dig out and remove all of the old material from the joints. Remove any leftover debris with a hose.
- Use a wet-dry vacuum to thoroughly clean the seams between the slabs.
- Using a brush, apply a bonding adhesive, often epoxy, into the joints. This will aid in the bonding of the new material to the old concrete.
Allow the glue to cure for 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t keep the glue on for much longer than that since it should still be tacky to the touch and not totally dry.
Insert the foam backer rod. This is going to be your new shock absorber. Calculate how much backer rod you’ll need and cut a piece that’s the proper size. With a putty knife, insert the strip into the joint, making sure to press it all the way in.
- Seal and cover the joint. Apply a generous layer of self-leveling urethane sealer. When applying urethane sealant, it is suggested that you use safety goggles and gloves.
- Block off the area so that no one walks on the freshly installed joints while the sealant dries.
Should You Put A Vapor Barrier Under Concrete Slabs?
Yes, this is perhaps the most common misperception about vapor barriers: their impermeability to moisture does not allow a newly placed slab to dry equally from the bottom as it does from the top. This disproportionate drying may cause mild, short-term curling in the slab’s early life, which will usually disappear when moisture gradients in the slab diminish over time.
Long-term curling during the lifespan of the concrete foundation, on the other hand, is perhaps a more severe concern for a slab, which a high-performance vapor barrier helps prevent.
Moisture would constantly soak the bottom of the slab if there was no vapor barrier since vapor will constantly travel from the high humidity below the slab to the comparatively low humidity above the slab.
Without a vapor barrier, a slab that dries from the top surface will be subjected to disproportionate moisture levels throughout its lifetime. Long-term, this can pose a significantly bigger curling
