Building Our Home from the Ground Up- Footers & Concrete

We’ve officially reached an exciting milestone in our home build — the concrete slab has been poured! But before we get to that, let’s rewind a bit.

Footers & Rebar

After completing dirt work and underground plumbing, the next step was forming and pouring the footers, which provide a strong foundation for the load-bearing walls of our home. Footers are the wide, deep sections around the edges of the foundation that carry the load of the structure and distribute the weight evenly across the soil. In Florida, where we have sandy soil and high moisture content, properly engineered footers are especially important. Once the footers were in place, it was time to lay out the rebar (short for reinforcing bar) — steel rods placed strategically throughout the foundation to add strength and help the concrete withstand tension and pressure over time. It’s a critical part of the process. The rebar that you see standing upright throughout the slab is what will connect the top lintel rebar all the way down to the slab in our wall downpours (more on that later). The plastic covering the soil is a moisture barrier to help keep water from penetrating through the slab and will remain in place for the concrete pour.

Then came the big day: slab pour day!

The concrete pour started bright and early at 3:30 AM. We brought Donut King for the team — just a little something to thank them for their hard work and early start.

A huge shoutout to our superintendent, Gary, who made sure everything ran like clockwork that morning. His experience and leadership were on full display, and we’re incredibly grateful for the care and precision he brings to every phase of the build.

We also want to thank my father-in-law, Tom, for being there early in the morning to help as needed. It truly takes a team, and we’re so thankful for the people who are part of making this dream home a reality.

What Actually Happens During a Concrete Slab Pour?

Pouring a concrete slab for a home is a major milestone in the construction process. It’s not just about pouring concrete into a form — it takes careful planning, precision, and a highly coordinated team effort. Here’s a quick breakdown of what that process looks like behind the scenes:

1. Concrete Delivery & Placement:

On pour day, timing is everything. But before the slab itself is poured, the footers are poured first. These are the deep, reinforced trenches around the perimeter and under key load-bearing areas that provide critical structural support. Once the footers are filled, the team begins pouring the slab itself.

Concrete trucks arrive in a steady stream to keep the pour moving smoothly and continuously. Stopping mid-way can cause cold joints — weak spots where two separate pours meet — so the goal is a consistent, uninterrupted pour. For our build, the first truck arrived at 3:30 AM, and by the time we got there at 3:50, they were already on truck number five!

2. Spreading & Screeding:

With the footers already poured, the crew moves quickly to spread the concrete across the slab area. Working from one end to the other, they fill in the entire space in a continuous pour to avoid any cold joints. Then comes screeding, where long straight edges (like a metal board) are used to level the surface. This step is crucial to ensure a flat, even slab and proper drainage in areas like patios or garages.

3. Floating & Troweling:

Once screeded, the slab is floated using hand or power tools to smooth the surface. After that, it’s troweled to create a more refined finish, depending on whether the slab will be polished or have flooring installed over it.

4. Control Joints & Finishing Touches:

After the initial set, control joints are either cut into the slab or tooled in to help control cracking. These are intentional weak points that allow the concrete to crack in a controlled manner as it cures and shifts naturally.

5. Curing:

Finally, the concrete needs to cure properly — which means allowing it to gain strength over time. It may look dry on the surface after a few hours, but the full curing process takes up to 28 days to reach maximum strength. We like to let our slabs sit for at least 6 days before having block delivered.

Watching the slab come together was such a surreal and exciting moment. This is the base of the home we’ve dreamed about for so long — and we’re one step closer to seeing it come to life. - Kaitlyn

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