# Forum Home Renovation Brickwork  Wafflepods

## sundancewfs

Has anyone had any experience with these? Good or bad? I have heard of people putting jacks throught the floor in garages??? I'm in the process of building a shed/workshop and a home extension. http://www.wafflepod.com/products/

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## madrat

When we built in NSW about 12years ago, we had a concrete slab, but we did notice that within the Estate we were building, other builders were using wafflepods. (I'm not sure when they came into practice though).
We had stories of someone's car falling through their garage floor (but at the time that particular 'building company' didn't have a good rep..).
Others never had a problem..
I'm guessing it comes down to whether it is done right?? :Confused:

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## spennywenny

G'day,
We just laid our slab for our strawbale house. It is a wafflepod, and our builder (who is 72 mind you!) reckons that they are the way to go. I haven't heard to any problems with them, and I hope I don't now, given that the job was done today!

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## sports fan

i wouldnt recomend a waffle slab for your workshop floor as you mentioned they have issues when point loads (car on a stand etc) are applied over the pod.. the single reason why builders use this method is the cost saving (less concrete) esp. with project home builders who will do anything to reduce their costs to try boost sales 
so if your on a tight budget go ahead and do it but if its a small slab anyway it wont save you heaps$$

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## dazzler

My understanding of wafflepods is they speed up the process and provide an insulating barrier between the ground and the slab. 
A builder mate said they are faster and easier because you basically level the site and have the perimeter footings dug and poured as normal, then add your bricks for the infill slab. Here is where the time is saved as you dont need to have the excavator come back to dig the trenches as the wafflepods raise the height except where the footings would normally be dug, that is a space between the pods. You then lay the mesh but dont need chairs for the mesh as they are built in.  You also dont need to add crusher dust to build up the pads.  I do a fair bit of pad filling with my skidsteer. 
It is also more accurate to estimate the concrete pour. 
Where it may be of use is where you want a higher infill slab, such as a colonial house where you want a timber verandah which needs a minimum 450mm from ground level. In this case you can add pods on top of each other to gain height above NGL.

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## dazzler

Youre welcome, glad we could help  :Rolleyes:

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