The block work walls are finished on the solar shed, so now it’s time to start pouring the concrete floor. There are three options here:
Option 1. We pour the concrete directly onto the ground surface. This is very strong, as it’s fully supported by the ground, but it will wick moisture out of the dirt, and the floor will always be damp.
Option 2. A plastic damp-proof course is laid, and the concrete is poured onto that. This is strong, and it will be protected from the damp earth. The one issue here is that we may end up opening the far end and putting a duck pond in there so that the ducks have a pond that doesn’t freeze during winter. Any water that is spilled (a lot) will then sit in the bucket of the plastic membrane. Now, once again, the floor will be always wet.
Our Preferred Option.
Option 3. The option we are going to use. Put down a layer of slate to act as a damp proof course. We have a huge amount of old slate from roof areas that we have re-built. We are breaking up this slate, and creating a layer over the ground surface. Slate is essentially water proof, and will not wick moisture through it, and into the concrete. However, conversely, any water spilled on the top surface can soak through and out into the ground
This slate layer method has been used for centuries within walls, and it’s the basis of the damp proof course in our house foundations. So it should work while for pouring the concrete floor.
The disadvantage here is that the concrete is not supported as sturdily, and will be less strong. This should not be an issue in this building as the floor loading will be quite light.
Pouring the Concrete Floor
We prefer to mix the concrete ourselves. This way we can pour the floor at our own pace. We are not waiting for a truck to come, and when we start, it’s easy to stop and fix a problem. There’s nothing worse than having a full truck of concrete sitting waiting, whilst you fix various supports that you thought were fine.
Of course, as soon as we start pouring, the heavens open and it pours with rain. Even though not a single forecast was predicting rain…. 🙄
Thankfully we have ample materials to quickly erect a shelter for the poured section, and once the shower passes, the covers are peeled back, and we can continue pouring the concrete floor.
After The Rain….
The rest of the pour goes without a hitch, and thankfully without rain. We’re using a fairly thick layer of concrete on this pour, considering it’s really just a shed. However, that will help with the slightly reduced strength of the slate sub floor.
I didn’t get a finished photograph of the concrete pour, however, it finished nice and level. The surface was floated off, and now we just need to wait a few days for it to set enough to start building on it.