Poured a concrete slab in my backyard last spring and the whole thing cracked in a week

I live in Ohio and thought I did everything right. Mixed the concrete myself, let it cure slow, kept it wet. But I poured it straight on top of clay soil without any gravel base. That was my mistake. After the first real rain the ground shifted and I got hairline cracks all over. Had to rip the whole thing out and start over with 4 inches of crushed stone underneath. Cost me an extra $200 and a full weekend. Anyone dealt with soil issues like that before?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas_johnson359d ago

Straight on clay? That was doomed from the start.

bailey.xena9d ago

Buddy of mine tried the same thing on a job out in the boonies. Ended up having to jackhammer the whole thing out and start over with a proper base.