Building a concrete step

[KyleT87]

Hi everyone,

I have a relatively small project but one I need to get right. The back of my garage I have my fridge freezer, washing machine and dryer. Our garage has been known to flood and ruin the appliances and so I am going to build a concrete step for the 3 appliances to sit on.

The step will be 250cm wide, 110cm deep and about 20cm high. The plan is to place a wooden sleeper the width of the step and then fill in with hardcore. I will then buy pre mixed concrete to pour on top of the hardcore.

My questions are, do I fill the step to the top with hardcore? How much concrete will I need? Will is sink through the hardcore or just lay on top? Obviously if it sinks through then I’m going to need quite a lot of concrete.

 

[Brigadier]

Couldn't you just get 6 "council" paving slabs, and stack them in 2 rows?

 

[bsr]

I would build a base using a sheet of 25mm WBP ply screwed into 3" fence posts laid flat.

If you want to go the hardcore /concrete route then minimum 100mm concrete. Ram down the hardcore with a sledgehammer. The concrete will stay on top.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

The step will be 250cm wide, 110cm deep and about 20cm high.

For three sepearte appliances, apart from the height, why is it so big?

 

[cdbe]

I'd be going for council slabs on brick/blick piers. Slabs free and about £20 for the other bits. And any flooding will pass under it.

 

[KyleT87]

I'd be going for council slabs on brick/blick piers. Slabs free and about £20 for the other bits. And any flooding will pass under it.

Hi, how are council slabs free?

 

[KyleT87]

I'd be going for council slabs on brick/blick piers. Slabs free and about £20 for the other bits. And any flooding will pass under it.

That’s the width of the back of the garage and the 3 appliances are spread out side by side within that width. The depth is to accommodate plumbing/sockets etc.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Slabs often come up for free or just a £1 or so each on Marketplace, depending on how much of a hurry you're in.