Creating Nice Concrete Floors. Nice basic concrete floor in a house in Sun Valley, Idaho. These are my notes on creating nice residential concrete floors. In my primary residence, I put in about 1. I used a 6 inch slab on crushed stone with 12 inch PEX tubing for hydronic heating. Im pretty happy with these floors, although not wild about the results I got in finishingsealing them. I am in the process of building a second home in which all three levels will have concrete floors. In principle concrete is a very inexpensive, b a wonderful means of installing hydronic heating, and c attractive. But, Ive found that there is all kinds of confusing information about how to achieve these aims. Here is what Ive learned based on experience, research, talking to concrete contractors, and my own experiments. Formulation. Concrete is formed by mixing water, portland cement, sand, and gravel. A chemical reaction occurs between the cement and the water that results in a rock like material with very high compressive strength. This material ends up in a mixture with sand and gravel, which forms a very strong, very inexpensive composite material. How To Build A Concrete Slab For Storage Shed How To Build A Shed Door With Plywood 2 Door Shed Plans How To Build A Concrete Slab For Storage Shed Shed Plans 12 X. How strong It depends on the mix, but typically several thousand pounds per square inch compressive strength. In flooring applications, concrete is almost always reinforced with either wire mesh or rebar, which theoretically provides tensile strength as well. Concrete gets stronger with agefor decades. Old concrete is super strong stuff. The corollary is that if you want to cut or drill concrete, do it when it is young. There is something called lightweight concrete which entrains air in the mix. Its not that light. It also has risks of delamination of the top layer if steel troweled. I wouldnt bother. Cost. Concrete is an inexpensive raw material. It is sold in units of a cubic yard usually just called a yard. A yard is a lot of concrete. Diy Garden Shed Concrete Slab Sewing Desk Plans Diy Garden Shed Concrete Slab Build Your Own Deck Plans Free Plans For Simple Desk. Installing Entry Door Concrete Slab' title='Installing Entry Door Concrete Slab' />A typical concrete truck holds 5 1. By definition, a yard of concrete is 3ft x 3ft x 3ft 2. So, a yard of concrete is equivalent to these floor areas 5. If your floor is 1. The material itself costs about 1. This is the price for a truck to deliver several yards to the site. Lets assume 1. 30yard. Installing Entry Door Concrete Slab' title='Installing Entry Door Concrete Slab' />At that price, the raw material for your 1. The cost to place the concrete is about 1. Its about a third less for driveways, walks, etc. This includes getting the concrete from the truck to the floor, leveling it, and steel troweling it to form a smooth surface done several hours after the initial pour. Youll also pay about 7. The pump truck literally pumps the concrete through a large hose to the floor location. Finally, youll pay for the rebar or wire mesh that reinforces the floor. I was on a job recently where I had to completely rework the entry door install on a house. It was difficult to tell from a distance, but the original work had been. Shed Concrete Slab lt How To Build A Shed With Pallets Eccentric Reducer 8x6 Building Small Shed With Barn Style Roof. How To Build Wooden Steps On A Concrete Slab Shed Info 1850s New England How To Build Wooden Steps On A Concrete Slab Unusual Chicken Coop Ideas Design Shades Windows. This will cost another 0. So, to get a smooth freshly poured concrete floor in place will cost about 2. All in, a 1. 00. 0 sq ft lower level floor with a 5inch slab will cost about 5. That same area with a 3 inch slab say on an upper level will cost about 4. Both scenarios include 1. This does not include placing any crushed stone under the slab, installing a vapor barrier, or installing insulation, as you will probably do for lower level slabs. It also does not include placing in the slab any plastic tubing for hydronic heating, which youll want to do if you live in a climate requiring heat. These prices are for Park City, Utah, a resort community outside of Salt Lake City. Prices are similar where I live outside of Philadelphia. Prices may be lower in some rural locations. Theyll be a lot higher in Manhattan. On a lower level which will have a slab poured anyway, a finished concrete floor is the cheapest floor you can do. On an upper level, there are less expensive options. Specifically, you can install decent carpet for less money, especially when you consider that the floor framing e. However, if you are certain you will use hydronic i. This is because the alternative ways to get plastic tubing under floors for hydronic heating are all about as expensive as just putting in a concrete floor. Cost can be a primarily motivation, but honestly, I just like the look and feel of warm gray concrete. It looks great with colorful rugs. It is a nice neutral background for almost any decorating style. It is really low maintenance to boot. It feels very nice in bare feet during heating season. Reinforcement. Some argue that rebar and wire mesh are equally effective in reinforcing concrete if properly installed e. Fine Homebuilding article Rebar vs. Welded Wire Mesh, 2. However, one respected contractor declared to me wire mesh does nothing. Ive demolished a few concrete floors for other projects, and have found the mesh at the bottom of the slab, nowhere near the center of the slab where it belongs. My opinion is that either mesh or rebar can work as reinforcement, but that wire mesh is more easily installed incorrectly, and so rebar is the safer method. I also believe that in most upper floor residential slab applications, it pretty much doesnt even matter if the concrete is reinforced. Generally, the structural engineer does not assume any strength or stiffness from the concrete floorits basically just a layer of concrete sitting on the subfloor. In my opinion, cracks will form no matter what you doso that isnt the issue. So, in sum, I would use rebar for slab on grade e. Slab thickness. In lower levels e. Mine will be 5 inches thick just because thats the minimum my flat work contractor recommends. When  you use concrete in an upper level you have to support it with the floor structure. Its heavy, about 4. So, you cant generally make it 5 inches thick. Probably the thinnest feasible slab is 1. Probably the thickest you would make it is 3 inches thick due to weight considerations. My brother, who is also an obsessive engineer, has determined that 2. My architects argue that 3 inches is the right thickness to minimize cracking. I doubt anyone has studied cracking as function of slab thickness in any controlled way, and I personally doubt it matters much on that dimension. Im going with 3 inches based on the preferences of the architect, the contractor, and to be absolutely sure Ive got plenty of coverage over the heating tubing. You also need to think about what happens at the edges of the floor. In general, you pour the floor after the walls have been framed, but before the drywall has been installed. You pour it right over the sub floor, usually oriented strand board OSB or plywood. In most cases you need to add additional  layers to the plate the 2 by lumber that supports your walls. This is because you need something to attach the bottom of the dry wall to after you pour the floor. So the wall plate has to stick up above the concrete at least an inch or so. So, if your slab is 1. In my case, since Im using a 3 inch slab, Im going to use a triple plate i. The slab will cover the first two, and the top one will be the nailer for the baseboard and dry wall. Note that the wall plate is super cheapdont worry about that. Protecting the Surface. In most residential construction, a concrete floor will be covered by carpet, tile, or wood. Thus, the trades usually make a mess of the floors without any concerns. Paint will splatter, drywall mud will cake surfaces, there will be chips and dings from dropped objects, etc. This is all bad if the concrete will be the finished floor. I spent a couple of days scraping and scrubbing with a scotchbrite pad on my first floor, and thus learned my lesson the hard way. Rodent proof construction and exclusion methods. Rex O. Baker. Professor and Research Project Leader HorticulturePlant Soil Science California State Polytechnic University Pomona, California 9. Gerald R. Bodman. Extension Agricultural Engineer Livestock Systems Department of Biological. Systems Engineering University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska 6. Robert M. Timm. Superintendent and Extension. Wildlife Specialist Hopland Research and. Extension Center University of California Hopland, California 9. Importance of Rodent Proof Construction. Rats and mice cause serious damage to all kinds of structures if they are allowed access to them. Damage by rodents has been documented in homes, apartments, hotels, office complexes, retail businesses, manufacturing facilities, food processing and warehouse facilities, public utility operations especially power and electronic media operations, farm and feed storage. In urban settings, rodents most often cause damage to older, inner city buildings and utilities in poor repair. New housing developments may experience commensal rodent problems, but problems are more noticeable in neighborhoods 1. Ornamental plantings, accumulation of refuse, woodpiles, and other such sources of harborage and food are more quickly invaded and occupied by rodents when adjacent to an established rodent habitat. Many types of land, air, and water transportation systems and their infrastructure also face serious rodent infestation problems. Infestations are of particular concern in the transportation of foodstuffs, feed, and other agricultural products. Commensal rodents consume and contaminate human and livestock feed. One rat can eat about 12 pound 2. Rodents destroy insulation, electrical wiring, plumbing, and other structural components of buildings Fig. Insulation damage alone may amount to a loss of several thousand dollars in only a few years. Energy loss from damaged buildings results in added annual costs. Hamsterball Gold V3.25 With Patch. Rodent induced fires from damaged electrical wiring or nest building in electrical panels cause loss of property and threaten human safety. Rodents also serve as vectors or reservoirs of a variety of diseases, such as salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and murine typhus, that are transmittable to humans. Additionally, they may be sources of swine dysentery, brucellosis, sarcoptic mange, and tuberculosis, all of which affect livestock or pets. The most effective means of limiting rodent damage is rodent proof construction. New buildings should be designed and built to prevent rodent entry. Rodent proofing is a good investment. Designing and constructing a rodent proof building is less expensive than adding rodent proofing later. Nevertheless, poor maintenance or management practices, such as leaving entry doors and unscreened windows open, will make the best constructed building susceptible to rodent entry. Techniques discussed here apply both to new construction and to the modification of existing structures. Junctures where utilities pipes, cables enter structures require special consideration in preventing rodent entry. Some earthquake design criteria require open spaces in important joints and other support areas, to allow for limited movement of tall structures. These present a real challenge in the design of rodent proof construction. Physical Abilities of Rats and Mice. To prevent rodent entry, their capabilities must be understood. For example, both rats and mice can run along or climb electrical wires, pipes, fences, poles, ropes, cables, vines, shrubs, and trees to gain entry to a building Fig. Rats can crawl through or under any opening higher or wider than 12 inch 1. Fig 3 climb the outside of vertical pipes and conduits up to 3 inches 7. In areas where high rat populations exist, it is common for both roof rats and Norway rats to enter buildings through toilets and uncovered drains. House mice can enter openings larger than 14 inch 0. F 4o. C if adequate food and nesting material are available. Survey for Entry Points. When inspecting sites for potential rodent entry points, look for rub marks, droppings, tracks, gnawing, or other rodent signs. Special attention should be paid to areas discussed under. Common Rodent Entry Points below. Keep in mind the physical abilities and behavior of the particular rodents, especially their tendency to seek shelter behind, under, or in appliances, sinks cabinets, drawers, stored goods, wall voids, false ceilings, and other undisturbed areas. To conduct a thorough survey, inspectors will need an inspection form and paper for noting and illustrating items needing attention a good flashlight a mirror to see under and behind objects and screwdrivers and other small hand tools to remove interior and exterior vent grills, appliance base plates, and service doors to attics, crawl spaces, and utility cabinets. A tape measure is usually necessary when  preparing a plan and estimating materials needed for repair. A small dustpan, broom, and some lime, flour, or similar powdered material are useful in preparing an area for a follow up observation of fresh tracks. A camera can be of great value, especially when trying to design a project after leaving the site, or when seeking assistance from someone unfamiliar with the site. A simple item to use when measuring gaps under doors or around pipes, screens, or vents is a common wooden pencil or ball point pen usually 31. Sinhala Remake Songs Mp3 Free Download. Common Rodent Entry Points. Many structures have inherently similar rodent entry areas due to similarity in design particularly entry and service areas, utility sources, and building equipment. For the sake of simplicity, we have attempted to group similar structures and settings. Commercial Office Buildings, Hotels, Hospitals, and Retail Stores. Commercial buildings are constructed from types of materials and design methods that vary greatly in the degree of susceptibility to rodent infestation for example, metal and concrete versus wood. Most structures eventually become less rodentproof due to deterioration, alteration, or repair. Heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical service, and fire sprinklers provide some of the most commonly encountered rodent entry points. Neoprene seals, spray in place foam, and similar products commonly used to close openings are not rodentproof. Even in new buildings, utility pipes, electrical conduit often at meters or circuit breaker panels, water and gas lines, and communication cables generally have large openings that permit entry of mice and rats. Once rodents have entered walls, they generally have ready access to much of a building via holes for utility pipes and wires in the framing, and via overhead suspended ceilings or other types of construction adjacent to utility enclosures. Specific problem areas include poorly sealed heating and air conditioning ducts roof and wall vents installed without strong, well attached hardware cloth screening Fig. Fig. 4b and doors hung unevenly or too high, or lined with unprotected soft rubber weather stripping Fig. Refuse and food handling areas are likely to have the greatest rodent pressure. In older buildings, cracks in concrete slabs, brick and concrete block walls, or worn or damaged drain covers allow rodent entry. Air and elevator shafts and laundry chutes also merit close inspection. Food Handling Facilities and Warehouses. Businesses in which food is stored or handled are especially prone to rodent invasion. Good sanitation practices are essential.