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Tips & Techniques

Simple Screed for Sloping Slabs

Use this easy-to-make block screed to pitch garage slabs in front of an overhead door.

Issue 324 - July 2024
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I like to slope the sections of garage slabs located on the exterior side of overhead doors. This helps shed rainwater and keep the floor inside high and dry. I accomplish this with a 2x block the same length as the width of the walls. I attach a screw to one side of the block, up from the bottom the same distance as I want the surface to drop. After the slab has been floated and before it’s been troweled, I remove the excess concrete in that area by pulling the block along with the non-screw end riding on the top of the concrete and the screw riding along the form. To avoid sloping the wrong spot, I confirm the location of the overhead doors with the contractor and homeowner to make sure that the location is accurate and has not changed from the original plans.

—Eric Wisner; Lakeville, Minn. Drawing by Martha Garstang Hill.

From Fine Homebuilding #324

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