Preparing for your remarkable slab party

This is one for the memory bank … but first, a little prep

Before you can throw a slab party (and sign it till your heart is content), a few things need to go down (literally). The earthworks [link to blog] are done but you’ll also need the footings in before we pour the concrete, aka the perfect mix of cement, aggregate, and water—your engineer will make the perfect mix based on your site’s specific soil conditions. 

This is all measured and nothing like the free-pour cocktail party we’ve all regretted the next day. The concrete will then be poured by your grano team (aka the ones who were in charge of getting the buckets of seawater during sandcastle season) over the previously laid mesh and left to harden. 

From pour to cure in three weeks

Once your slab is down, we’ll give it a few weeks to cure (a fancy construction word for dry) before we start cracking on with your underground services. A little look into the future: this includes things like connecting your plumbing to the pre-laid pipes, running your electricals, installing your stormwater tanks, and cleaning the site to prepare for your building materials to be delivered. All of this happens in just three short weeks.

Making your forever mark

Ready to up the remarkability? Lots of our mark makers like to stop by on the day of the slab pour and add sentimental items (like gold coins or even crystals to up your chances of emotionally surviving the next retrograde) or even place their handprints or even paw prints in the wet cement. Then, once it’s all set in stone, you can start party planning.

A slab party to remember

Before your slab signing party, you’ll need to wait for the slab to dry! This is important so that you’re not covered in wet concrete that will most definitely ruin your shoes.

Want to take your experience to the next level*? We’ve got you covered, with ideas and lots of them:

• Host a picnic or high tea to elegantly ring in the process of building your new home
• Invite your nearest and dearest. If you’re keen to widen the net, a slab party is also a great way to get to know your future neighbours
• Secure an entry sign to welcome any guests—we love a chalkboard so it can be repurposed for future celebrations
• If you bring chalk, map out all the rooms and host your first house tour!
• BYO seating—pallets, picnic rugs, and throw pillows are our top pics. Camp chairs also work
• Keep the food and drinks simple and easy. A picnic spread or takeaway pizzas always go down a treat and bring a cooler for drinks if you plan on staying awhile
• Go big with decorations. Balloons, party poppers, even BYO a drone to get those birds-eye shots
• Don’t forget the tunes for ambience

*Just remember, if you do plan on trying any of these ideas on for size one of our staff members *needs* to be with you on site (at all times) to ensure everyone’s safety. Speaking off…

Important safety reminder 

Let’s be honest, slab parties are not exactly on everyone’s list of possibilities—but that’s why you build with La Vida! So, considering their exclusivity, there are a few steps to make everything legit. The most important thing is that you need to get written approval from your La Vida team before you start party planning. Since we have possession of the site during construction and are liable for any issues that may come up (you never know!), we need to be fully aware of anyone on the property—especially for slab events.

FAQs (specific to slabs not parties)

How long does it take to cure? 

Allow a week or so for the concrete to cure. Patience is key as you are literally watching concrete dry during this week!

Why does my slab look so small?

No need to worry, this is literally the thing we get asked the most, and the answer is perception! Everyone worries their home will be too small once seeing the slab, but we promise it’s just as planned. Once the walls are added, you’ll get a much better feel of the space you have to play and live in. Until then, you’ll just have to trust the process.  

Is cracking normal?

Cracks often occur in slabs as the concrete dries and shrinks, due to moisture loss from evaporation (Dr. Carl would be able to explain it in more depth). This reduction in moisture causes small stresses on the slab which is when shrinking cracks can occur.  Reinforcement mesh is designed and used by our engineers in the slab to help control the width and depth of such cracks. However, they’re nothing to be concerned about as shrinkage cracking is all aesthetic and not structural.

Why hasn’t my garage slab been poured?

The slab that’s under your garage is called the garage hardstand. It’s poured 100 mm lower than your home’s slab to minimize the rest of slabbing. Like all builders, we pour this at a later stage, so it doesn’t interfere with your brickwork or get damaged.