Why Cost Isn’t Everything In Concrete

Cost isn’t everything because not all contractors, equipment or concrete is equal.

“A floor is a floor” is true.. if you’re simply looking at the top of it the day after it has been finished. However, the problem with that idea is a three inch thick basement floor with a smooth polished top that is good for storage and foot traffic, looks exactly the same as a ten inch thick polished floor in an industrial warehouse with a double rebar mat, 40 MPa concrete and high heavy traffic. From the top, you can’t tell how much rebar is in the slab, you can’t tell concrete strength and you can’t tell how thick it is.

Not all prep work is equal either. The quality of any concrete work starts with the base and what the slab is actually sitting on. Having precise grade work and proper base material underneath, means the slab will also have a consistent thickness. Having uniform rebar placement and spec also contributes to the strength, durability and all around integrity.

The finish specs and quality of a floor can vary from contractor to contractor and crew to crew. We’ve seen customers very happy with an existing shop floor that had variances in elevation of up to two inches with puddles and standing water, which is not passable on any spec.

Comparing costs between contractors is impossible without taking into the account the crew and equipment and tools required to get tight tolerances on the flatness of your floor and proper slope percentage to get the water flowing to floor drains.

Crews and equipment aside, concrete mix type, batch time to placement time variables, temperature, humidity and wind speed can all affect the end result

Concrete is something that anyone can do, but not just anybody can do well.

There is an actual sequence of steps for finishing that gives a floor integrity in regards to longevity and weather resistance whether it’s indoor or outdoor concrete. However the sequence changes with every project. The weather conditions, the concrete mix, being indoor or outdoor, the finish specs all affect what step to take next.

To be blunt, there are ways a person can finish concrete improperly that will make it not survive it’s first winter season. This has to do with many things including mix, finishing procedures and timing.

So if cost is your number one priority, then hopefully your uncle’s buddy’s uncle did in fact do some concrete back in the day.