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Garage floor flatness and slope

G

Greg1122

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Joined
Apr 9, 2020
Messages
6
Location
Greenwood IN
Can anyone tell me if there are requirements for how flat a floor in a garage should be and allowable slope? Reason for asking is I just had a small pole barn built for a wood working shop/ garage and the floor is EXTREMELY wavy (had a friend asked me who poured my ocean) and it’s crowned in such a way that any water would run towards the walls (3/4” or more in 10 ft). When I asked the builder about it he said he would do nothing and it was within spec. There is absolutely no way I can set up my tools without using a lot of shims to keep them from rocking. I live in Greenwood IN if it makes a difference? Thanks
 
Greg1122 said:
Can anyone tell me if there are requirements for how flat a floor in a garage should be and allowable slope? Reason for asking is I just had a small pole barn built for a wood working shop/ garage and the floor is EXTREMELY wavy (had a friend asked me who poured my ocean) and it’s crowned in such a way that any water would run towards the walls (3/4” or more in 10 ft). When I asked the builder about it he said he would do nothing and it was within spec. There is absolutely no way I can set up my tools without using a lot of shims to keep them from rocking. I live in Greenwood IN if it makes a difference? Thanks
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Any contract????

If so does it say it has to meet design


Flat surface or any slope

Or code??
 
Last edited:
This should be close to what the residential code says

Section R309 Garages and Carports

R309.1 Floor Surface

Garage floor surfaces shall be of approved noncombustible material.

The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway.


Check wording against city code,,,,

BUT not sure if it applies to your shop?
 
cda said:
Any contract????

If so does it say it has to meet design

Or code??
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All the contract states is “20x30x4” 4000psi concrete floor finished with fiber- mesh for main building with gradework included for interior of building and apron, using compacted crushed limestone”
 
Greg1122 said:
All the contract states is “20x30x4” 4000psi concrete floor finished with fiber- mesh for main building with gradework included for interior of building and apron, using compacted crushed limestone”
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No mention of floor will be flat or sloped?

Any drawing showing elevations along the floor?


Or were any plans submitted to the city
Permit required??

Inspections required
 
I’m not sure what had to be submitted to get the permit, and yes inspections are required. Other than writing checks and going before the board of zoning and appeals would th the builder for a variance.... he handled everything
 
Greg1122 said:
I’m not sure what had to be submitted to get the permit, and yes inspections are required. Other than writing checks and going before the board of zoning and appeals would th the builder for a variance.... he handled everything
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Not sure whether to ask builder for plans or

Go to city to see what or if plans were submitted.
Or what they show

Since you had to do zba, more than likely plans of some type were involved.
 
I hate to say if contract did not say anything about slope or flat or other floor finish,,

You might be stuck, just ask Judge Judy

It is pretty bad when you think you are dealing with a professional,,, And he turns out to be a loser
 
Should be


Go to city to see what or if plans were submitted.
Or what they show

Plus request a copy of any inspections


Open record request
 
Guess it’s a trip to the county building to see what’s there... if I can get in with this virus thing!! Wow... sounds like assuming the floor would be reasonably flat and that water would drain away from walls may have bit me in the butt!! Thanks for the replies!
 
Review the plans, review the contract including verbiage about workmanship, also look to ACI - American Concrete Institute. There is no reason a new concrete floor should be done so poorly.

Pose the question to the building Inspector before they come out for finals, will they review the workmanship and slope of the concrete floor, what is reasonable and not?

If you feel comfortable and haven’t released final payment then hold and advise in writing with date/signature however, I caution laws vary by state so be aware the contractor may file a lien against the property or some similar action.
 
Are contractors licenses required in your state, if so they are usually bound by a standard of care.
Worse case may be refloating the slab. to achieve a 2% max slope to exterior opening.
 
If not actually a garage the floor can be flat. Depends on state laws for contractors and your contract as to whether you can file a lawsuit. As previously stated there are standards in the industry. Usually +/- 1/4" or +/- 1/2" for tolerances of floors.

The option of grinding or milling to flatten would be last ditch. A new slab should not need to be fixed, in my opinion it should be redone.
 
my250r11 said:
If not actually a garage the floor can be flat.
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Don’t confuse flat with level. The glass screen on your tablet is flat, but when you hold it in your hand it’s probably not level. Garage floors should be flat and sloped to drain.
 
e hilton said:
Don’t confuse flat with level. The glass screen on your tablet is flat, but when you hold it in your hand it’s probably not level. Garage floors should be flat and sloped to drain.
Click to expand...


I see the requirement for residential

What is the requirement for say a commercial repair garage or similar ???
 
This is a workmanship issue, not a code issue. The only workmanship issues covered by "code" are de-burring of pipes. (G2414.7 and P2608.1). The ACI Standards are not applicable unless referenced in the construction documents.

NAHB publishes a very liberal, IMO, guideline which is intended to be part of the contract.
Residential Construction Performance Guidelines
https://campbellhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Performance-Guidelines.pdf
States:
2–2–3 Observation: The concrete floor or slab is uneven.
Performance Guideline: Except where the floor or portion of the floor
has been designed for specific drainage purposes, concrete floors in
living areas will not have pits, depressions, or areas of unevenness
exceeding 3/8 inch in 32 inches. (See “Taking Measurements” in the
Introduction for information on 32-inch levels.)

Corrective Measure: The contractor will correct or repair the floor to
meet the performance guideline.

Discussion: A repair can be accomplished by leveling the surface with a
material designed to repair uneven concrete.

You might want to pursue claim of Implied Warranty of Fitness.
 
cda said:
Not sure whether to ask builder for plans or

Go to city to see what or if plans were submitted.
Or what they show

Since you had to do zba, more than likely plans of some type were involved.
Click to expand...
You paid for the plans, no? You should have seen a copy/are owed a copy for approval prior to approving contract, "Duh".

What is your states contractor's agency say about his duties?
 
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