I have a double-width garage. I presume that when they originally
built the property (about 8 years ago) they laid the concrete floor in
two halves.

There's a crack developed more or less centrally between the two bays,
running about 80% of the distance front to back. The crack is nothing
serious (yet anyway), but I'm wondering whether it's something I ought
to be concerned about? If so, what should I be considering as my
options?

Knowing how stingey builders are it wouldn't surprise me if they
short-changed the concrete in the garage floor and this crack is due
to settlement, bearing in mind that there's a car parked on one side
and not the other (we are a one car family).

Andrew

Do you need a handyman service? Check out our
web site at http://www.handymac.co.uk

I should only worry about it if and when the walls of the garage start to
crack. If it doesn't bother you aesthetically then leave it.

Rob Graham

In article ,
Andrew McKay wrote:

I have a double-width garage. I presume that when they originally
built the property (about 8 years ago) they laid the concrete floor in
two halves.

There's a crack developed more or less centrally between the two bays,
running about 80% of the distance front to back. The crack is nothing
serious (yet anyway), but I'm wondering whether it's something I ought
to be concerned about? If so, what should I be considering as my
options?

Knowing how stingey builders are it wouldn't surprise me if they
short-changed the concrete in the garage floor and this crack is due
to settlement, bearing in mind that there's a car parked on one side
and not the other (we are a one car family).

You have a double garage and the whole is not filled by a workshop? You
strange man. I would almost kill for that amount of space.

Peter

--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.

Any short change or settlement would have presented itself much sooner
than 8 years.

It may be a natural shrinkage or movement caused by seasonal changes
in the ground or air moisture. Alternatively by constantly loading one
part of the floor with a car, this can cause uneven loading of the
slab and ground below leading to differential movement.

Unless the crack carries on getting bigger, damp starts to rise
through it, or similar movement occurs in adjacent walls then it can
be left alone - after all it is just a floor slab.

A cementeous grout, resin or even a polysulphide mastic can be used to
fill the crack if required. Alternastively cut out a proper movement
joint and fill with a flexible seal.

BTW, I find it curious how someone who knows "how stingey builders
are" can promote a handyman service involving building work.

dg


Andrew McKay wrote in message . ..
I have a double-width garage. I presume that when they originally
built the property (about 8 years ago) they laid the concrete floor in
two halves.

There's a crack developed more or less centrally between the two bays,
running about 80% of the distance front to back. The crack is nothing
serious (yet anyway), but I'm wondering whether it's something I ought
to be concerned about? If so, what should I be considering as my
options?

Knowing how stingey builders are it wouldn't surprise me if they
short-changed the concrete in the garage floor and this crack is due
to settlement, bearing in mind that there's a car parked on one side
and not the other (we are a one car family).

Andrew

Do you need a handyman service? Check out our
web site at http://www.handymac.co.uk

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 13:07:24 +0100, Peter Ashby
wrote:

You have a double garage and the whole is not filled by a workshop? You
strange man. I would almost kill for that amount of space.

The car moves out during the day, and is immediately taken over by a
foldaway bench etc.

Now all I have to do is find a new home for the lawnmower and
childrens bikes (see other thread about garden shed purchase).

Andrew

http://www.handymac.co.uk

On 25 Aug 2003 06:32:55 -0700, (dg) wrote:

BTW, I find it curious how someone who knows "how stingey builders
are" can promote a handyman service involving building work.

Sorry if I offended you, it wasn't intentional. However I've worked on
enough houses to know that when an estate goes up it isn't unusual for
the workmanship to be poor, or for mixes (etc) to be maladjusted. It
is possible that one reason for the crack appearing is that I have a
slightly heavier than normal car (Freelander), so if the concrete
floor was in any way "thin" then I guess that would explain why the
slab has moved causing this crack - it wouldn't take much short
changing of concrete on the part of the original groundworker for that
to become a possibility.

Advice I've received from several different places suggests that when
workmen are hired for these estate homes they are paid a basic flat
rate for the job. Simple logic will tell you that they ain't going to
waste any more time than they have to.

As an example, a couple of weeks ago one of the dual 13A sockets in
our home was playing up so I decided to fix it. Took the socket off
the wall to be met by an obvious bodge job by the electrician who
wired the house - the socket hadn't been off the wall since we moved
in. The earth ring wasn't complete because one of the two earth wires
wasn't made to the socket.

And for what it is worth - concrete isn't one of my deliverables.

Andrew

http://www.handymac.co.uk

"Peter Ashby" wrote
| shed, ... too much lego in there too.

Can one have 'too much' Lego?

I still have all of mine and am looking forward to my second childhood when
I can play with it again.

Owain

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 15:57:20 +0100, Andrew McKay
wrote:

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 13:07:24 +0100, Peter Ashby
wrote:

You have a double garage and the whole is not filled by a workshop? You
strange man. I would almost kill for that amount of space.

The car moves out during the day, and is immediately taken over by a
foldaway bench etc.

Now all I have to do is find a new home for the lawnmower and
childrens bikes (see other thread about garden shed purchase).

Andrew

http://www.handymac.co.uk


We strung the bicycles from the roof using pulleys purchased from a
chandlery. They can be a right pain to stow but this way they are
well out of the way. (The structure of the garage/workshop is gable
walls built up with multibeam purlins spanning between them. This give
an open roof space. Very useful)

Paul Mc Cann

I'm not offended, but it just came across that you were knocking
people in the area of work you were involved in - and therefore
yourself.

I am involved in quality assurance of construction works, and it is
very easy to criticise work that one was not involved in. In this
instance was it the groundworker, his foreman, the site agent, the
concrete supplier, the designer, or the quantity surveyor that was
responsible for the thin concrete - or just normal wear and tear?

I have found that our clients and customers have more respect for the
operative that does not make specific comments of others work, but
rather give a balanced opinion based on the facts at hand.

I look for this too in those that work for us.

dg


Andrew McKay wrote in message . ..
On 25 Aug 2003 06:32:55 -0700, (dg) wrote:

BTW, I find it curious how someone who knows "how stingey builders
are" can promote a handyman service involving building work.

Sorry if I offended you, it wasn't intentional. However I've worked on
enough houses to know that when an estate goes up it isn't unusual for
the workmanship to be poor, or for mixes (etc) to be maladjusted. It
is possible that one reason for the crack appearing is that I have a
slightly heavier than normal car (Freelander), so if the concrete
floor was in any way "thin" then I guess that would explain why the
slab has moved causing this crack - it wouldn't take much short
changing of concrete on the part of the original groundworker for that
to become a possibility.

Advice I've received from several different places suggests that when
workmen are hired for these estate homes they are paid a basic flat
rate for the job. Simple logic will tell you that they ain't going to
waste any more time than they have to.

As an example, a couple of weeks ago one of the dual 13A sockets in
our home was playing up so I decided to fix it. Took the socket off
the wall to be met by an obvious bodge job by the electrician who
wired the house - the socket hadn't been off the wall since we moved
in. The earth ring wasn't complete because one of the two earth wires
wasn't made to the socket.

And for what it is worth - concrete isn't one of my deliverables.

Andrew

http://www.handymac.co.uk

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 13:07:24 +0100, Peter Ashby
wrote:

You have a double garage and the whole is not filled by a workshop? You
strange man. I would almost kill for that amount of space.

I have a triple 8-)
It is, however, slightly filled by a hibernating Alfasud.

I'd expect most domestic double garage floors to crack. That's a wide
piece of concrete, and if it isn't unusually deep, then it's going to
shift. If you're lucky, then they'll have put a groove down it to make
a neat crack. If you're unlucky, then it's ragged and will start to
break up along the edge.

Personally I'd stick some bitumen down it and ignore it.

In article ,
(Steve Firth) wrote:

Owain wrote:

Can one have 'too much' Lego?

Well, I'd say that the Brick Testament was a Lego too far.

http://www.thereverend.com/brick_testament/

I loved the front page, an N and a V in every section. Wonderful.

Peter

--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.

In article ,
"Owain" wrote:

"Peter Ashby" wrote
| shed, ... too much lego in there too.

Can one have 'too much' Lego?

You can when there isn't enough space left to store the mower in the
shed. Besides, being teeanagers they don't touch it any more.

I still have all of mine and am looking forward to my second childhood when
I can play with it again.

I think ours should be carefully boxed up for the grandchildren and
shoved in the attic. Problem is that I know as soon as I go there people
will want to play with it again....

Peter

--
Peter Ashby
School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Scotland
To assume that I speak for the University of Dundee is to be deluded.
Reverse the Spam and remove to email me.

Andy Dingley wrote:

I have a triple 8-)
It is, however, slightly filled by a hibernating Alfasud.

Since we're comparing sizes...

How big is it? We spent the weekend putting the roof on mine
(box profile), which is 8mx6m. Superb size, especially compared
to the single I had at our last house.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to insulate it for
reasonable money.

--
Grunff

"Andrew McKay" wrote in message
...
I have a double-width garage. I presume that when they originally
built the property (about 8 years ago) they laid the concrete floor in
two halves.

There's a crack developed more or less centrally between the two bays,
running about 80% of the distance front to back. The crack is nothing
serious (yet anyway), but I'm wondering whether it's something I ought
to be concerned about? If so, what should I be considering as my
options?

Knowing how stingey builders are it wouldn't surprise me if they
short-changed the concrete in the garage floor and this crack is due
to settlement, bearing in mind that there's a car parked on one side
and not the other (we are a one car family).

Andrew


Ah, your problem is obviously the single car storage. It's creating uneven
stresses on the concrete... you garage is in danger.

Tell you what, I'll sell you a lovely Honda Prelude, that should balance the
problem out, and save the garage....

;-)

cheers
Richard
--
Richard Sampson

email me at
richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk