Advise on garage issue?

Soldato
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13 Jan 2004
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Leicestershire
Advice on garage issue?

Hi,
Recently had a new concrete base fitted, and a new concrete garage fitted on top.

Looks fantastic and i was blown away by it.

Noticed a couple of issues - technically they garage is square and works great so thinking its not a garage issue as all the panels fit well, it doesn't leak and there are 4 or 5 bolts holing each panel to the next.

IMAG0937.jpg


This is the bottom of the garage in one corner (about 1cm) next to door - it works fine etc but over time it will start to fail when the bolts stretch.. Guessing the base isn't 100% level to the garage but it is to the surrounding tarmac as it all looks fine it's just a cm here and there!

Got the builder coming back round to look but thinking if i did it myself - cement in a piping back for example and squeeze it under or push it under with a trowel?

Or is there something the equivilent to expanding foam which would be better?
 
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It's not rocket science laying a concrete base::eek:, over the last 30 years, I have lost count of the number of concrete bases, hard standings, floors, etc I've laid & every one as been spot on.

Don't builders use levels to day, it's not that difficult laying shuttering & getting your levels right.:(

As to your gap, I would use some plastic packers in places, then fill with cement, & maybe be a a sloped fillet along the length of outside wall as well.
 
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They used a piece of wood from one edge to the other over the wet concrete - the tarmac edges they were using must have been out!!

I saw them do it and it looked level to the edges...
 
Yep dry pack; sand/cement mix of 2 parts sand to 1 part cement, hydrated until it just about clumps when you take a bit and squeeze it in your fist, put a fillet on the other side so it does not fall out and ram it in with a blunt instrument. Leave for 48 hours to cure, remove fillet.
 
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Probably 15mm over a 3m straight edge so looks like an industry acceptable tolerance.

Everything has a tolerance let's not start crying shoddy work.
 
How thick is the wall ?, if its wide enough then pack it with slate (it cant compress beyond what it already has), then point it up.
 
Cheers guys. Builder is coming over tonight so i can explain to him although he'll see anyway.

Think the concrete panels are about 2" thick? Maybe a touch less. Weigh about 100-120kg a panel. Over time they would snap bolts through use so getting it done before i use it. Also want a quote on getting back wall fixed and a gate fitted. (back wall goes all around my garden and along the back of 2 neighbours houses forming an alleyway. Trying to find out who owns it is proving hard work as neither, Jelson, the council or my solicitors can answer...
 
£10-15s worth of a mastick pointing stuff he reckons will work fine. He understands what people mean by dry packing but he reckons it will last a couple of years tops before the weight of it will make it crumble if you packed it in well enough and bits will wash away in heavy rain he reckons.

Useful conversation as he will quote on a gate to be ftted and he quoted on a wall to be done although he reckons i should check with council because i shouldn't pay for it - it should be the council as they cut the grass next to it and my boundarys finish on the gsarden.
 
Well, that's bullpoo (sorry Mr builder!), dry pack is used to pack entire houses onto new underpinning (up to 75mm of it!), or load bearing walls onto new steelwork and is more than permanent once its gone off. So long as its hydrated properly and packed in tightly up to a secure fillet it will still be there when the garage falls down.

You dont wanna use anything with mastic in the name as that is malleable and is not load-bearing. Ok for sealing, not if you are worried about the panel slipping and shearing the bolts. If hes going to use mastic make sure he packs the underside of the panel with slate as mentioned above first.
 
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Well, that's bullpoo (sorry Mr builder!), dry pack is used to pack entire houses onto new underpinning (up to 75mm of it!), or load bearing walls onto new steelwork and is more than permanent once its gone off. So long as its hydrated properly and packed in tightly up to a secure fillet it will still be there when the garage falls down.

You dont wanna use anything with mastic in the name as that is malleable and is not load-bearing. Ok for sealing, not if you are worried about the panel slipping and shearing the bolts. If hes going to use mastic make sure he packs the underside of the panel with slate as mentioned above first.

+1


Mastic:(
 
Er, he screwed up the initial job and has quoted you a £15 to fix his mistake. And by all accounts given an ill advised solution to fix his mistake?

I'd keep the gate and wall jobs well away from him?
 
In all fairness to the guy he didn't really screw up as said - 10mm over a 16ft length isn't that bad i don't think. He reckons that the people who put it up should have put something down first to seal itsd the weight ot it would have levelled it out.

point noted about the mastic pointing though.

I'll raise the issue.

I'm going to paint the floor and have asked for external silicone sealant around the garage allthough he reckones the mastic stuff is waterproof so there will be no need.
 
We have the same on timber frame buildings, the groundworker casts the slab and we ask the timber frame contractor to allow >25mm packing which is usually slate or mortar.

The weight of of won't crumble that's rubbish and mastic is not suitable.
 
cheers for the help guys. I've asked the question and explained why.

It's the end panel next to the garage door so weight on one side and bolted to the next panel to support one side. If it was a middle panel i'd have no qualms about it but it's because its the end panel.
 
Slate pack it then, then point it. Slate is used to pack steel beams in masonry, its been compressed by tectonic forces for 1000's of years so 200kg of concrete wont do anything to it. Just tap it in under the wall along the perimeter to support it then point it up.
 
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