Concrete Slabs in Hesperia, CA

Concrete slabs are the plain, flat workhorses of a property. Many Hesperia homes sit on large lots, and owners use the space for sheds, detached garages, workshops, carports, RV and boat parking, and pads for equipment like water tanks or generators. Each of those needs a slab that is level, the right thickness and built on ground that will not move.

Matching the slab to the load

• Small pads and sheds. Four inches is standard under a shed, a trash bin pad or an air conditioner.
• Garages and shops. Cars are fine on 4 inches. Walls need thickened edges, and a car lift or heavy machinery calls for a deeper floor. A slab that carries a building usually goes through plan review, and the approved plans set the footing and slab details.
• RV and trailer parking. HomeGuide's guide calls for 5 to 6 inches under RVs and heavy vehicles. A loaded motorhome or toy hauler presses a lot of weight through a few small tire contact patches.
• Steel. Rebar or mesh will not keep a slab from cracking. What it does is hold the cracked pieces tight and level.

The base is the job

The USDA describes Hesperia soil as well-drained sandy loam formed from granite on alluvial fans. It drains well and it is not the swelling clay found in some other places. But loose sand compresses under load. A geotechnical report filed with the city for one site west of Highway 395 found slight to moderate collapse potential in the native soil, with removal and recompaction as the fix. For a home slab, that means stripping loose topsoil, moistening the subgrade so it compacts, compacting in layers and adding gravel base where needed. A slab is only as flat as the ground under it.

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Vapor barriers

For slabs under enclosed buildings, like a garage or a shop you might finish later, a plastic vapor barrier under the concrete keeps ground moisture from coming up through the floor. It matters most if you plan to put down flooring, paint or an epoxy coating.

Getting it level

A shed or garage slab has to be flat and square, or walls will not sit right and doors will bind. An RV pad should slope slightly so water runs off, but stay level enough to park on. We set forms with a laser or string line and check them before the pour.

Curing in Hesperia

Slabs placed in summer start early in the day. The dry desert air and afternoon wind can pull water from the top of a slab and leave it weak and dusty. We cure each slab with a curing compound or by keeping it damp, which gives a harder, more durable surface. In winter, nights average near freezing, so new slabs are protected if the forecast calls for a hard freeze.

When to load it

HomeGuide's driveway guide gives light vehicles 7 to 10 days and heavy vehicles a full 28 to 30 day cure. Building on a slab can usually start sooner, but wait the full month before parking an RV on a new pad.