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Old 01-26-2015, 03:59 PM   #1
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What would you do different if you were placing your concrete your pad again?

I have just contracted for a concrete parking pad with EZ-Roll approaches across the yard. It will be against the house, so running 30 amp service and a water spigot in an un-finished basement will be a piece of cake. It will be 16' wide, so I can work around the AS and possibly have some Rubbermaid storage yard closets against the house wall.

If you had your pad to do over again, what would you change to make it better and more useable?
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Old 01-26-2015, 04:12 PM   #2
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Since I am not paying for it….

four led lights, one of them motion sensor

a roof, or canopy

foam underneath the concrete

pipes for radiant heat

stone campfire pit

grill

fridge or cooler ( optional )

entertainment center

raised bed vegetable garden

shed

grey water drain
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Old 01-26-2015, 04:19 PM   #3
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Okay.....

Lights - good idea
roof - can't...Village ordinances
Foam under concrete - ?????????
Radiant heat - naaahhh
Campfire pit - have an above ground "portable"
Grill - have one on the deck a few feet away
Fridge - one in the AS
entertainment center - the AS is the entertainment center
vegetable garden - store is around the corner
Shed - plans for small one
gray water drain - no exterior cleanout, however, if I feel the need , a macerator can go through the basement window well to the basement cleanout.
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Old 01-26-2015, 04:46 PM   #4
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Make it dead level, or must you slope it to drain away from the house?

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Old 01-26-2015, 05:20 PM   #5
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Yup, has to slope 1/8" per foot of run, IIRC. No biggie, I'll just run the curbside up on a 1" Lego or wood .
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Old 01-26-2015, 05:57 PM   #6
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I vote for an easy to access drain, even a 1.5" one if you have a macerator. But a full 3" line, hooked into the house drain system and brought out under the concrete to a location on the street side of the trailer is very very nice to have.

Too bad about the rules for a roof. I love mine.

I had my concrete poured dead flat and have never decided if that was the best idea or not. It is great when leveling or checking levels out, but the water that does blow in under the roof tends to stay longer than I like it to.
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Old 01-26-2015, 06:20 PM   #7
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Add a few RaceDeck FreeFlow XL squares under the tires .

FreeFlow Self Draining Garage Floor Tiles | RaceDeck

I did my whole garage floor but you could get away with just a few squares connected together for under the tires. This will separate the tires from the concrete and prevent tire damage from the concrete leaching.
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Old 01-26-2015, 07:42 PM   #8
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no need

The foam is needed if you were going to put in radiant heat
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Old 01-26-2015, 07:48 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dznf0g View Post
Yup, has to slope 1/8" per foot of run, IIRC. No biggie, I'll just run the curbside up on a 1" Lego or wood .
Full disclosure— I've never poured a pad for storing an Airstream. But I've designed concrete parking pads as part of my job.

With regard to sloping the pad for drainage… Who says it has to slope to one side? Slope it lengthwise. 1/8" per foot would only be about four inches over the length of even the longest Airstream trailer, and your stabilizers and tongue jack could account for that amount of slope with little problem. Or you could slope it lengthwise in BOTH directions, so that the high point is directly under the axles. Then the elevation difference from the middle to either end would be two inches or less.

I'd also embed a substantial ring bolt as a tie-down point near the hitch, so that I could lock the trailer down to the concrete as a theft deterrent. But that's just me.

No foam under the concrete. Compacted crushed aggregate under the concrete, at least the same thickness as the concrete you're pouring, for drainage. If the soil is kind of weak in load-bearing, then also a layer of porous geotextile cloth under the aggregate.
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Old 01-26-2015, 08:19 PM   #10
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Again it is up against, and rebar tied to the house foundation. It must slope away. Code.
The lock down ring is a good idea.
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Old 01-27-2015, 01:30 AM   #11
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Installed in slab conduit for wiring.... and have had several occasions to put to use!

Installed 'weld plates' at strategic locations so that if I get a code variance, I can weld my roof support structure to the concrete. (weld plates are steel plates with rebar or 'mushroom headed' spikes which are welded to underside of the 'plate'. Both will make pulling the plate out of the concrete very difficult. You can also weld a loop to this plate for Protag's recommendation.

Make a bit of a 'higher' side of the concrete against the slab to 'encourage' runoff. Think of it as a 'curb'.

Make slab finish on lower end of taper ABOVE the level you will trim your lawn to. Adding shrubs/flowers along that edge will allow you to build a slightly raised bed without spilling onto your slab.

Install 'conduit' which is twice the size you plan to need. DAMHIK.. you know the reason.

Put a 'cleanout' in the slab, next to your AS dump valve outlet and route into your 'basement' drain.

Mount your electrical outlet on the side of the house and run the AS power cord to it. (you could bury a 'half' of a conduit, split lengthwise, so you can lay the AS power cord in there and have less of a 'tripping hazard'... Or, run power to a pedestal near where the AS power cable exits the AS.

Put an additional 120VAC weather proof outlet on the pedestal or side of home..where you can plug in a regular household appliance (there may be a day you need easy power access).

Have a 'broom' finish for good foot and AS traction...

If next to your home, couldn't you attach a 'sloped' roof (we called them 'lean-to' ) from side of home, over the AS? Yeah.. neighborhood 'rules'... probably not.

Can you 'fence' around the AS? Just curious... if so, put a 12' high wood fence and build your 'roof' just under the top..Not visible from the 'road'... and great place to put weld pads =)

Fire ring.. space for a BBQ pit, table, etc... toward rear.. away from 'prying eyes'

How about water source? If you build space for BBQ pit, add space and plumbing for water source.... you can 'plumb' it in at a later date if you like.... and run power out there.. another vote for a 'pedestal'.... you can power the AS and a radio... or other device..

If only the 'pad' is to be there, you could imbed some texture stone or bricks near the edge...perhaps matching your home... to give that 'finished' look.


Put outdoor carpeting on the cement. You can at least PRETEND to be camping!!!
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Old 01-27-2015, 08:08 AM   #12
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I'd put in a gradual slope to the center with a drain into a gravel pit. I would also put something for the tires to sit on other than concrete. A friend who owns a large tire store recommends plastic deck material, vinyl coated wood or something like this stuff if the vehicle is going to be stored for a long time. I am NOT a tire person but have taken his suggestions and put plastic decking under our tires where we store our trailer, unfortunately in our town we can only have it at our house for 48 hours unless it's in a garage.
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Old 01-27-2015, 08:09 AM   #13
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Thanks, Channing,

Some good things to think about.

Power and water will be run and mounted to the side of the house...good thought about the 20 amp outlet as well as the 30 amp.

Finish will be a broomed California finish (new driveway to match on the other side of the house later...I hate the asphalt!)

Will have to think about the conduit ideas.

All the BBQ, fire ring, etc are really already accounted for. My deck is just steps away from the pad location.

I am going to have to look into the cleanout issue. I am really doubtful the Village will allow it, and it would be difficult to accomplish. All the sanitary pipes are at the center of the house or at the complete opposite end of the house. The wall where the pad will be encloses the living and family rooms. For the very occasional need, I think a macerator and garden hose may have to do.

No roof structure is allowed.

Fence...maybe. Will do later, if I think I want it. I don't want to interfere with my ability to have "elbow room" for service and maintenance.

Here is a sketch of the plan.


Parking pad and approach.pdf
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Old 01-27-2015, 08:25 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dznf0g View Post
Here is a sketch of the plan.


Attachment 231199
If the folks pouring the slab will work from this sketch, be sure to add an arrow on the slab with "Slope to Drain 1/8" per Foot" so they'll know which way to slope the forms before pouring.

Also, if you can go a bit wider on your slab without violating code it might be advantageous. A clear 3 feet on all sides of the trailer (more on the service side of the trailer as you already show) will give you adequate work room for tire changes and such, and give you room to open the trailer door if you fence around the pad later.

Alongside the slab on the down-slope side, add a gravel-filled "French Drain" to help carry runoff away from the slab, so you don't create a mud pit alongside the slab every time it rains heavily. Either that or shallowly bury a perforated pipe leading to a sewer line to carry away the runoff.
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Old 01-27-2015, 08:42 AM   #15
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Thanks, Protag,

The slope is written into the actual bid proposal. Yup, I have some water management things to deal with. (I'm doing that myself, as well as sod removal and re-installation for the EZ Roll grass "paver" approach. The contractor is doing the excavation and base work for it though). I have two downspouts to bury and re-route and am thinking of how I want to manage the down slope side of the pad. That part of the yard has always drained well and has grade work to manage my yard and the neighbor's to "trough" on the line and toward the street. After they remove the forms, I may bury a perforated drain tube and run it to the area of the lot line.
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Old 01-27-2015, 09:21 AM   #16
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Speaking with my general contractor hat on:
  • After the sod has been removed, before placing any stone, and after the earth graded to the proper depth, re-compact the soil.
  • Thicken (8"min) and reinforce the slab edge with steel bars at the perimeter , so that the vehicles driving onto the slab will be less likely to break it.
  • If it were my slab I would use reinforcing, a 6" x 6" x 9ga x 9ga wire mesh reinforcing as primary, and glass fiber as secondary.
  • Use 4,000 psi concrete.
  • Make sure that you get "air entrained concrete". This will be less likely to be affected by freezing surface water in the years to come.
  • Do not let the contractor add excessive water to the concrete after it arrives. Changing water/cement ratio will reduce the strength of the concrete. (contractors like to add water to make the material more fluid) Ask the supplier to provide and the contactor to pour the material at a 4" to 6" slump (a measure of fluidity).
  • As soon as possible after the surface has been finished, install a temporary vapor barrier over the surface to keep the concrete hydrated. This can be a liquid plastic membrane, a sheet of polyethylene, or a cloth covering that is kept damp. If concrete cures (dries) to fast it looses its strength. Wind drying the surface is your enemy until the concrete cures.
  • Don't be tempted to park on the slab until it cures to a high percentage of it's designed strength. I would wait a minimum of 2 weeks, or longer.
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Old 01-27-2015, 09:29 AM   #17
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If no roof is allowed, is an AWNING allowed on the side of the house?
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Old 01-27-2015, 09:39 AM   #18
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Paula,

I have see "sunsetters" in the neighborhood, so yes, but a 16' one? Not sure that could be done...but maybe, with vertical posts at the ends.
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Old 01-27-2015, 09:50 AM   #19
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Pad

Budget....?

I think the idea of water and sewer is great if affordable. As to the pad itself, having a drain down the middle means washing water goes under the trailer so one does not stand in a puddle while washing. Or, instead of a pad, two, three foot wide concrete lanes for the wheels, gravel all around. Drains nicely if done properly and far less expensive.

If no cover is permissible, would try to figure out an awning or a suspended cover over the trailer, not touching the surface so as to allow air flow, but keep the sun off. Also, keeping wind out from under the trailer may be an advantage in winter so as to maintain a warmer underside.

Good luck..... and a comment on previous contributions... all good, but my, how we do love to spend other's money...LOL
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Old 01-27-2015, 09:52 AM   #20
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Thanks, Alan, most helpful,

I have spec'ed (for both the pad and the approach) compacted soil, compacted CA6 (4" is all every bidder spec'ed for my soil type), and for the approaches EZ-Roll an additional 2" of compacted soil prior to permeable paver lay down, then wet sod rolled through the "honeycomb". (see "light load pdf" here: EZ Roll Grass Pavers

Wire mesh has been spec'd. I'll ask about your gauge and configuration, as well as the thicker edges. All the bidders didn't recommend fiber mixed in the concrete for my climate???? Is that what you are talking about?

4000psi has be specified.

I'll ask about air entrainment. Although I do recall conversation that since this pad won't see salt, that it isn't as necessary as a driveway.

I'll ask about 4 - 6" slump.

We talked about "sealer" application after working the finish. Is that what you are talking about with "liquid plastic?

A 2 week wait, at minimum, will be observed. In addition to concrete cure time, I need to let the sod root back in for several weeks before driving on it.

Oh, and I specified 5" pad thickness...contractor thought that would be a good plan as well. more$$$$ for him ....actually not much, I guess the concrete supplier get most of the extra money.

I am going to email the contractor right now....thanks again.
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