"Thought I was saving money until the first frost heave cracked it all to hell... Expensive lesson, but hey, live and learn, right?"
Ha, sounds familiar. I once got overly confident building a small retaining wall—figured drainage wasn't that big a deal since it was just a "little" wall. Fast forward one rainy season later, and I had my own personal mudslide feature in the backyard. Not exactly the landscaping upgrade I had in mind.
Honestly though, DIY concrete work is deceptively tricky. Seems straightforward until Mother Nature decides to weigh in. Now I'm extra cautious about prep work—gravel base, proper drainage, compaction... all that boring stuff really does matter in the end. Expensive lessons indeed, but at least they stick with you.
Yeah, frost heave is no joke. I learned the hard way too—thought I could skip the insulation step on my shed's slab since it was just a small project. First winter hit, and suddenly my shed door wouldn't close properly anymore. Turns out even a small slab needs proper insulation and drainage to handle freeze-thaw cycles. Now I'm all about foam board insulation and gravel bases... boring, sure, but way cheaper than fixing cracked concrete later.
Totally agree with you on foam board insulation—it's a lifesaver. Ever tried adding perimeter drainage tile too? I did that on my last shed build, and it made a huge difference. Before that, I had a similar issue with frost heave messing up my door alignment. I remember standing there in the freezing cold, staring at my crooked door, thinking, "Why didn't I just do this right the first time?" Funny how DIY projects always teach us lessons the hard way, huh?
Also, have you experimented with different gravel types for your base? I found that crushed stone with sharp edges compacts way better than rounded gravel. It locks together nicely and helps keep things stable through freeze-thaw cycles. Might be worth checking out if you're planning another project down the line.
"Ever tried adding perimeter drainage tile too?"
Funny you mention drainage tiles—I had a similar thought after my first shed build. Didn't use them initially, and come spring, the ground around my shed was a soggy mess. Ended up digging trenches later on (not fun!), but it definitely helped. As for gravel, I've always leaned toward crushed stone myself. Rounded gravel just doesn't seem to lock in as well, especially after a few freeze-thaw cycles. Curious though, anyone had luck mixing gravel sizes? Seems like it might compact even better...
Totally agree about crushed stone holding up better—rounded gravel tends to shift around too easily. I've thought about mixing sizes myself, but never got around to testing it out. Might be worth trying a coarser base layer topped with finer gravel for better compaction and drainage... at least in theory. Anyone here actually done this and seen noticeable improvement, or just extra hassle?
