Because of inadequate subgrade compaction, the majority of concrete floors and cement slabs break. Most basement concrete flooring contractors invest the necessary time and energy in doing this. However, if you choose one of those other folks, it wouldn’t hurt to double-check. When looking for a cement contractor, one of your considerations should be compacting the subgrade. No more than six-inch lifts should be used while compacting your subgrade. The contractor should compress every six inches of soil that is added to a surface.

Investing Money In Preparation

If you are building a house in a damp or marshy environment, you need invest a bit more money in the preparation. Ask your cement contractor to insert some perforated tiles into the footings and run them beneath the cement floor. These will flow into drainage basins that are stocked with pea gravel. Then spread a four-inch layer of pea gravel over the foundation of your concrete floor.

As a result, the basement floor won’t be breached by the load of the water. Your floor will break if you mix cement with too much water. Pouring concrete should have a constant slump. The concrete at the chute’s end has this consistency. Concrete that is a touch firm yet workable is what you desire.

The last thing you need to see is concrete that looks like soup as it exits the chute. The concrete is going to shrink and fracture more as there is additional water in the mix. As the extra water in the poured slab evaporates, cement slabs may shrink by as much as half an inch over a hundred feet. Water in excess significantly weakens concrete’s strength.

How To Prevent Your Floor From Drying Up Quickly

Concrete that dries too quickly can also crack. To prevent your cement floor from drying out too quickly, spritz it with water while it dries. You can additionally cover the concrete slab with plastic or a thin sheet to slow down the drying process. It should dry without any issues if the floor of the basement is being laid with the floor already in place. Have your contractor cut in control joints while the concrete is still green or complete them while the floor is being finished. A floor has occasionally cracked, according to all concrete contractors. Control joints are essential because fractures can sometimes be unavoidably caused. The control joint relieves pressure on the cement, which stops the floor finish from breaking.