I'm working on enclosing a 4' x 16' patio to turn it into a mid room and pantry. The patio is part of the foundation but it sits about 1 3/4" to 2" lower than the rest of the house foundation. There's a slight slope for water drainage and two load-bearing posts at the lower end of the patio. I had a concrete contractor come out, and he mentioned that a 2" cap isn't thick enough, suggesting instead to use self-leveling concrete. I need advice on how to properly level the floor so it aligns with the house and raises the addition's perimeter to make it more practical. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
You might want to consider a few things, especially concerning the frost line if you're in an area with one. Enclosing a slab could cause it to shift differently than the house structure, possibly leading to settling problems. If your slab doesn’t have a thickened edge, it might not be sturdy enough for the addition either. However, if you do want to cap it with less than 2" of concrete, you can use special mixes that might not be available everywhere. Just something to keep in mind!
Thanks for the info! We’re in Austin, so frost isn't usually an issue, but I will definitely check on that. The slab edge is thickened and deemed load-bearing by an engineer, so that gives me some peace of mind. I'll look into level quick rs too!