How do you make a patio with cast in place concrete?
Question:I saw an article last year in a magazine,with a patio with irregular shaped pieces of concrete that looked like flagstone. Then grass grew in between the (pavers).The article said the pieces that were approx. 3' x 3' and they were (cast in place). What does that mean? Could I just dig areas in my lawns and pour in concrete to make a "flagstone" patio?If so how deep should they be,How do I prepare the ground underneath? Should I add anything to help strenghten the concrete.
Answers:
I understand exactly the look you're going for with the grass growing between the sections. I've actually seen people use this method for driveways.
Will you just be using the surface for normal patio use? If so, by the time you go to all of the trouble, you might be better off time-wise and cost-wise to use actual flagstone.
If you do end up using concrete sections, I also like the idea of creating the forms to shape with flashing material. I would use concrete dyes also to try and get a more natural and varied color. You'll find lots of options by searching your favorite search engine and also ebay.
To really finish the look, also take a look at concrete stamps. Usually, these are just rubber molds that you'll place on top of the concrete as it drys to create a natural looking texture of your choice on top.
Hope that helps!
if what i think your talking about is pre-cast tiles you can get them at lowe's or home depot they are ranging from brick to two foot square pieces you should use heavy black visqueen (plastic) over the ground then set the tiles over them. good luck
You can't just dig holes and pour concrete. You need a form of some sort or all you'll end up with is a pile of concrete. A roll of flashing from one of the HD's or Lowes will suffice for that.. you can make freeform shapes. Pound it into the ground leaving 4" above ground to contain the concrete.
You'll want to put plastic down on the bottom of the hole so the water won't be absorbed by the ground before the concrete sets.
You'll need a roll of that wire stuff,,, the correct term escapes me at this hour. Just walk down the concrete aisle and you'll see it... looks like wire fence stuff. You suspend that 1/2 way in your 4" hole and pour the concrete through it.
You suspend that stuff by attaching it to re-bar. Since re-bar comes in longer pieces, you'll need something to cut it with. Cut it into 6 or 7" pieces, pound it into the ground so that it's at least an inch below your intended surface and wire that wire stuff to it so it'll hold while you pour in the concrete. (That is to strengthen the concrete)
Then you'll need to float the concrete... level it out with a piece of 2x4, and I would suggest brooming it with a straw broom so that it won't be so slippery when wet. However, then it won't look like flagstone, which comes flat. Also, flagstone is usually in different colors, so you'll need to dye the concrete.
Then you'll need to cover the new 'pavers' with plastic so the water won't evaporate too quickly, and mist it with a hose for a few days, and then re-cover it. (2-3 days should do it).
Rather than digging out areas, it would be better to just remove all the grass in the area, level & tamp the ground, build your 'shapes' and then when all of them have set up, fill in the blanks with dirt and grass seed. If you're not level, your lawnmower blades will take a beating while you're cutting the 3" sections of grass.
On the other hand, considering all the time and back breaking work you'll be putting into this venture, have you checked with a stone place for installation of a real flagstone patio? Price for you: materials, lots of time, cement mixer rental, sore muscles, ground leveling, digging... might be worth a couple more bucks to let the pros do it.
In any case, good luck to you!
Your going to be doing alot of hard work to accomplish this task so why not do it right and have it last for many years to come, I think we both can agree on that. To start, determine the area you want to do the installation in, next you need to determine the finished elevation of your patio, is it going to tie into existing walkway elevations etc. Once you've determined this you can begin excavation of your patio to establish the proper subgrade needed to allow for the pieces of concrete yu want poured. Keep in mind if you want a great looking finished product, your concrete pieces need to be poured on top of at least two inches of sand, and the concrete thickness needs to be a minimum of 4 inches. At a mimimum your going to need to excavate at least 6 inches below your finished elevation. Using a string line or better yet a builders level, you can establish this subgrade over the entire area of the patio. If you need more info. feel free to email me, I'd be happy to help.
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