DIY: Concrete Easement & Garage Door Lip

I have a new found respect for those that work in concrete. I recently laid an easement onto my garage and it was quite the adventure. Here is how it looked before I started:

First came the back breaking of sledging and digging out the old concrete crippled mess on this side. It was no easy chore. I found there is pretty much nothing I can’t do with a 20lb sledge and some motivation. 🙂

All the crap removed.

Next came digging out the easement itself. I did a 12″ (inch) trench dig 4′ (feet) wide. Oh yeah. Lots of digging. Lots of sweat. Good times.

Then, with the help of my neighbor, we laid the bedrock and set the forms. This helps prevent the slab from breaking apart and keeps it in place during the setting process. Earth moves. Prepare yourself. After that, we started laying the concrete.

Bedrock down. Forms in. Let the pouring begin!

After it was all said and done we have a beautiful easement to work with. Ta da! I put a Lean-To shed that is 8’x4′ in the front for all the yard tools and still had room along the back to put the garbage and compost bins. Turned out great!

While we were at it, the we did the garage door lip as well since it had chipped away over years of use.

Before:

After:

Concrete work is tough, but anyone can do it with a second set of hands, some motivation, and know-how. 🙂