concrete slab on pavers

[shoelace]

I installed our H2O Banff spa on our sloped paver drive.  The drive slope is 1" every 4'.  Hence, over the 80" length of the spa the difference in elevation is a little over 1.5".  Not too much ... but enough difference so that I wanted to level the spa.  Hence, I installed a concrete slab.  At its shallow end it is about 3.5" - any shallower would risk cracking.  So at the deep end it is a little over 5".

I used reinforcing wire mesh in the concrete to reduce the likelyhood of cracking.  You can see that mesh leaning against the house in one of the photos I plan to attach.  The slab sits on an EPDM rubber mat - perhaps 2mm thick - so that I could more easily remove the slab in the future without damaging the pavers.  I had the concrete delivered from a small batch concrete truck (you'd be surprised how many bags of concrete such a small slab would take).

You can see the construction of the formwork in the photos.  I have used strips of 3mm teflon sheet for the rounded corners.  The concrete exposed wood formwork is covered with tuck-tape - a smooth construction tape - to help release the formwork.  The tuck-tape also sticks to the EPDM rubber to help seal the concrete into the formwork and to give the bottom of the slab rounded corners.  I match these rounded corners with caulking between the teflon corners and the rubber.

The slab, as you can see, was designed to match the shape of the spa's base.  I suppose I could stain it black to hide it ... but, I figure it doesn't look too bad as is.

 

[Cusser]

Very nice.

[mrwrick]

Good looking work. Gioes one ideas for more projects with concrete.

[BruceKirk]

Great work done!!