When I built my barn, the foundation was a conventional stem wall (8″ above grade) with cutouts at the doors. I put on hanging slider doors that run on the outside of the building. During the winter, the snow and rain puddle next to the foundation, freezing the doors shut.
So I want to pour a concrete ramp level with the floor and recut the doors to be flush with the ramp, but I’m concerned about the ramp heaving during the winter and jamming the doors tight. My neighbor had the same problem with the ramps he poured into his Morton building.
Question: is the proper thing to excavate down below the frost line, stone, then pour the ramp? (will the water get between the stone and heave the ramp). Option 2 is to excavate below the frost line and pour concrete (essentially creating a stem wall for the ramp. Option 3 is to ask the professionals – you guys….
The ramp need to be approximately 11 feet wide x 12″ sloping away from the barn
Replies
---" hanging slider doors "---
If that is what you have in your barn, you may think about spending the money on overhead doors rather than trying to keep working with sliding doors.
They are a true pain in the back. We changed our two heavy 9' by 14' sliding doors on our Quonset barn, built in 1956, to one 18' by 14' overhead door with a manual chain hoist and wonder why it took us so long.
I think I have a permanent kink in my back from fighting those doors all these years.
Just one more idea for you.
Door #1
No, that's option #1.
Compact the gravel before you pour. Don't believe those who claim it is self compacting.
SamT
One minor point I'd suggest -
Don't pour the ramp level with the interior slab - Leave a lip a couple of inches tall.
Otherwise rain can blow right in under the door.
Leaving a bigger gap under the doors might help keep 'em from freezing shut. You can always fill in the gap with a rubber "gasket", or just lean a board against the bottom of the door in the winter.
I'm the outdoor type.
As soon as a woman mentions commitment, I'm out the door.