Concrete Slabs in Medford, OR

Concrete Slabs are the working floors of a property: under a shed, a detached garage, a shop building, an RV or boat, a carport, a generator or a heat pump. The job is the same at every size, a level, well-drained slab that will not settle or crack under its load. What changes is the thickness, the base and the reinforcement. Larger lots around Medford, Central Point, Eagle Point and the rural edges of the valley often have room for a shop, an RV pad or an equipment slab, and those are the jobs where sizing matters most.

Match the slab to the load

• Garden sheds and small storage: Four inches is usually enough, on a compacted gravel base.
• Garages and shops: Four to six inches, with thickened edges where the walls bear and rebar throughout.
• RV, boat and trailer pads: Six inches is common, with a deeper base, since a loaded RV puts heavy weight on small tire contact points.
• Hot tub pads and equipment pads: Sized for the full weight, with reinforcement.
• Building slabs: Slabs that support a structure may need plans, footings and a building permit, which we check with the City's Building Safety department or the county before quoting.

Base and drainage come first

A slab is only as good as what is under it. We strip topsoil and organic material, dig to firm ground and build a compacted crushed gravel base. HomeGuide lists a gravel base at about $1 to $3 per square foot. In Medford's wet season, when the city gets most of its 18.43 inches of rain, a slab needs to sit slightly above surrounding grade with water directed away from it. For interior floors such as a garage or shop, a vapor barrier under the slab keeps ground moisture from wicking up.

Reinforcement and joints

Rebar on chairs is our default for anything that will carry vehicles or walls. It holds cracks tight and keeps sections from shifting. Wire mesh is sometimes used on light slabs, but only works if it stays in the middle of the concrete. Control joints are cut at a spacing tied to slab thickness, so shrinkage cracks follow straight lines instead of wandering.

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Pouring in heat and cold

Large slabs take time to finish, and on a 90-degree Medford afternoon the surface can set faster than it can be worked. We start big pours early and plan the number of finishers to the size of the slab. In the cooler months, with an average of 64 freezing mornings a year, we watch the overnight forecast and cover fresh slabs to hold in heat. Every exterior slab uses air-entrained concrete for freeze-thaw resistance.

Access and site prep

Backing up a concrete truck to a shed in the far corner of the yard is not always possible. For tight backyards we plan pump or wheelbarrow access, protect lawns and walkways along the route, and include that in the estimate. On sloped lots, the slab may need a thickened edge or a short retaining form on the low side. Before digging, utilities must be located; the City of Medford's Building Safety page points owners to the 811 call-before-you-dig service.

Finishes

Most slabs get a broom finish outside for traction. Garage and shop floors are usually steel troweled smooth so they are easy to sweep, and they can take an epoxy or other coating later. We can leave anchor bolts or embeds in place for buildings.