Hi. I want to build a concrete ramp for my shed where I keep my wheel barrow and push mower, so instead of lifting them in, I can just roll'em up. I was reading on quikrete.com about building concrete ramps, and it says when steps are being built against a house or other foundation be sure to apply a ½" mastic expansion joint. How do I do this and what additional materials do I need to create this mastic expansion joint? Thanks for any help.
All I have ever seen used is the 1/2" thick black material (1/2' thick 3-4" tall and about 4' wide).
It should be stocked at Lowes or HD on the same asile as the other concrete products. If not ask I know I have seen it there.
Colbyt
Thanks Colbyt. How is it applied? Between the house/foundation and ramp (sandwiched between), is it applied over top of the joint between the house/foundation and ramp, or some other way?
In all the applications I have seen, you merely stand it on its edge between the existing wall or slab and pour the new concrete. It will rot out and disappear in 5-10 years. It is just an asphalt impregnated fiber material. In your case if the ramp is thicker than the height of the material you might need to stack one on top of the other.
Just in case my ramblings are not clear think of this material as 4th side of the form you are building to hold your new concrete. It should completely prevent the new pour from touching the existing slab or foundation.
Will you most likely be okay if you don't use it? IMO in this application you would be fine.
Since you sound like a new concrete DIY person, keep your mix as dry as possible following the directions on the bag. The major cause of failure is getting too much water in the mix. The stiffer the concrete the stronger the slab.
I also like to add a little extra Portland cement to the mixture to increase the PSI strength of the mix. I use about 1 1/2 3# coffee cans per bag. One 94 bag of Portland will enrich 6-9 80# bags of ready mix.
Since you can only mix a bag or 2 at one time, pour the full depth of your form a section at a time. Pouring new batches beside and not on top of the previous. This helps keep the setting process uniform and leads to a stronger slab.
Colbyt
There has to be a typo in the above statement.
A 2 foot run with a 4 foot rise is not something you are going to walk up or drive a mower up. A four foot thick slab is nothing you are going to mix by hand.
For the average 1000 pound garden tractor a 4" thick slab is all you need.
I think your peace of mind is worth the 2 or 3 bucks it will cost you. All you are doing is preventing the concrete from bonding to the old.
Colbyt
Yes you need to leave a small gap between the concrete and the wood so the moisture over time will not rot the wood. This fiber stuff can be removed after a short period of time with some effort. The longer it goes the easier it gets. You could also use several layers of cardboard for a faster rot out time.
That still seems steep to me and sounds like a lot of concrete. You might consider framing a 3 sided box using blocks or landscape stones stair stepping it down the ramp angle. Then filling the inside with gravel creating a ramp and only pouring the top 4" or so. If you used road fill (DGA) you really would not need concrete. That stuff packs down tight.
Good luck with your project.
Colbyt
Thanks Colbyt. For the small gap I leave between the wood body of the shed, and the concrete ramp, should I then fill in that gap with a polyurethane sealant and cement backer rod, or something like that or is that where the mastic expansion joint comes in? How much of a gap are we talking 1/2 inch? Thanks.
Between concrete and wood I wood not fill it with anything. I would leave it open for drainage and airflow.
Colbyt
I've helped build some entrances to some buildings that were about that high off the ground. We would build the forms and then fill them with large rocks about the size of softballs, leaving the top 3 or 4 inches clear for concrete. I'd say your ramps should be about 6 feet minimum.
How about air? Air makes a good filler, and it's cheap too. What are you going to do, fall down the crack?
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