Garage floor concrete in Hilo HI - a floor where cracks follow planned lines
What goes into new garage floor concrete in Hilo?
Mainstay Hilo Concrete Construction pours garage floor concrete in Hilo on a dug-out, packed base, with the reinforcement you chose and cut lines laid out before the pour so cracking follows them. I come out to look at your garage, and I work on site with the crew that pours it.
Most garage floor calls start with a slab that's cracked, sunk at one end or pooling water by the door. Others come from a new garage that needs its floor. If the old slab has to come out, we break it out and haul it off first. Then we check where the water runs so the new floor sheds it out the door and not toward the house.
The part you'll never see matters most. We dig the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, down to firm soil and pack it, because a slab poured on raked dirt settles with the dirt. Hawaii's state soil, the Hilo series, is deep volcanic ash in many layers along the Hamakua Coast, so I check what's under your garage before we plan the base.
Price and schedule turn mostly on how big the garage is and what's under the old floor, and the cards below walk through it. If you'd rather have color or pattern than a coating, ask about decorative concrete. If the garage is cut into a slope, we also build concrete retaining walls.
What a garage floor takes
- Breaking out and hauling the old slab
- Digging out and packing the base
- Checking which way the water runs
- Steel bar, wire or fiber reinforcement
- Cut lines laid out before the pour
- Planning ahead for a future coating
What to weigh before a garage floor pour
What sets the cost
Size, the old floor, base work and your reinforcement choice set the price. If something has to give, cut the finish and keep the base.
What the schedule turns on
Breaking out an old slab and fixing soft ground both come before the pour, so they push it back. A bigger garage also takes longer to place and finish.
Broom or smooth finish
A broom finish has fine grooves brushed into the top, so it grips better when the floor is wet. A smooth troweled finish sweeps cleaner. If a coating may come later, tell us first.
Garage floor questions from Hilo
How much does a new concrete garage floor cost in Hilo?
We price each garage floor after seeing it, because the size, the old slab and the ground under it move the number more than anything else. The estimate is written to show what's included and what isn't, so you know what you're paying for.
What causes cracks in a new concrete garage floor?
Concrete shrinks as it hardens, so some cracking is normal on every slab, even one designed and built right, and so is some curling, where the edges lift a little. We saw control joints partway into the slab. These are planned cut lines, and we lay them out before the pour and show you where they'll run, so the cracks follow them. A few cracks alone don't mean bad work, and our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
What is the best way to reinforce a garage floor, steel or fiber?
You have three choices. Rebar is steel bars set inside the slab, welded wire is a steel mesh, and fibers get mixed into the concrete. All three help keep cracks narrow and add strength. Fibers cut down cracking but don't give the structural support steel does, so for a floor that carries a truck or heavy shelving I usually lean toward steel. Ask each bidder which one their price includes so you're comparing the same floor.
How do I plan for coating my garage floor later?
Tell us before the concrete goes in. Water vapor coming up through a slab can make a coating or floor covering fail. It can peel, discolor or turn into a trip hazard, and it can bring mold and odors. One trade group's guide calls a vapor retarder sensible planning under every interior slab, because floors left bare often get covered later. A vapor retarder is a layer laid under the slab. If coating is a maybe, say so at the estimate so we can build for it now.
Does a small concrete job in Hawaii need a licensed contractor?
Not always. State contractor law exempts a job if the total price for labor, materials, taxes and everything else is $1,000 or less. That exemption ends when the job is part of a larger project, or when it's split up to stay under the limit, and other limits apply too. Hawaii licenses cement concrete work as its own specialty, so ask any bidder for their license. We're licensed and insured.
What should I ask a concrete contractor before a garage floor pour in Hilo?
Ask how they handle the mix, the type of stone in it, the finishing and the curing, because how well a garage floor stands up to wear depends on all four. Curing means keeping the new slab from drying out too fast. I come out to look at the job, write the estimate and work on site with the crew, so you hear those answers from someone who'll be there on pour day.
Garage floor concrete near you
We're based in Hilo and pour garage floors there, in Hawaiian Paradise Park and in other cities nearby. Pick your area below, or call (808) 229-1132 if yours isn't listed.
Other concrete work
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Get a free garage floor estimate
Send your garage size, whether the old floor comes out and any coating plans. We reply within one business day, then I come out for a free, no-obligation estimate.