Concrete slab advice

b21playa · 27 Nov 2008

For those that have helped me or read my posts will know what im building.

Ive got the brickie coming Saturday to lay blocks from the foundations up to DPC Level, so what im doing is trying to plan in advance what I need.

What is the minimum thickness of hardcore and concrete I ca use for the slab, I dont want to overdo it as no heavy things like a car will ever be in it. It will only be used as storage for things like garden tools, DIY tools and bits and pieces left over from therefurbishment of the house.

I have loads of old bricks from when the chimney was removed, can these be used as hardcore? It would save getting a skip. Of course if they are laid down, the gaps between them will need to be filled to tighten them similar to block paving and compacted.

Any advice?

Thanks,
B21

noseall · 27 Nov 2008

100mm hard core layer and 100mm slab (min).

no prob's with using broken bricks, but i would be inclined to give them a good seeing to with a sledgehammer fist.

i would always finish the hard core off with a smattering of mot though.

b21playa · 27 Nov 2008

noseall said:
100mm hard core layer and 100mm slab (min).

no prob's with using broken bricks, but i would be inclined to give them a good seeing to with a sledgehammer fist.

i would always finish the hard core off with a smattering of mot though.

Ive got a cheap labourer to break the bricks up, was thinking of getting them broken up and scattered about and finish of with mot to the correct depth.

Deluks · 28 Nov 2008

b21playa said:
Ive got a cheap labourer to break the bricks up,

Does he eat watery potato soup for his lunch? Washed down with a few bottles of Tyskie?

b21playa · 28 Nov 2008

Deluks said:
b21playa said:

Ive got a cheap labourer to break the bricks up,

Click to expand...

Does he eat watery potato soup for his lunch? Washed down with a few bottles of Tyskie?

Not this one but a damn good worker for the money.

I had him for a week, he dug the trench 24m long x 700mm deep x 450mm wide, took out a few tree stubs out around the garden. Cleared the garden of weeds.

I'll be having him back to labour for the brickie

chappers · 28 Nov 2008

personally speaking for the sake of your outbuilding i would just smash up the old bricks as hardcore.
Many an extension or even whole house was built on a smashed brick hardcore, before even blinding was thought of let alone such posh stuff as MOT.
the only thng i would say is that blinding of any sort will save you on the amount of concrete you need.
I can just about remember the days when whole bricks were used as hardcore and the BCO would say could you make sure you smash them up a bit.

Norcon · 28 Nov 2008

b21playa wrote

I had him for a week, he dug the trench 24m long x 700mm deep x 450mm wide

A large excavator would have taken about half an hour to do that. A small mini digger about 3 hours.
A day rate for a mini digger is about £100.
Has to be cheaper than having your grafter for a whole week.

b21playa · 28 Nov 2008

Norcon said:
b21playa wrote

I had him for a week, he dug the trench 24m long x 700mm deep x 450mm wide

Click to expand...

A large excavator would have taken about half an hour to do that. A small mini digger about 3 hours.
A day rate for a mini digger is about £100.
Has to be cheaper than having your grafter for a whole week.

My grafter cost me £175 a week but I got him to do loads of other things, inc putting the concrete down and leveling it

Had him working in the garden of my other house as well fior a day

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

Concrete slab advice

Similar threads