Can I lay a 15x15 concrete patio in one pour if I mix it on site?
Question:I am worried about the concrete setting before I can get it all mixed. I'll be using a rental mixer.
Answers:
Your patio should be at least 3 1/2 to 4 inches thick and should have rebar or wire in it - fiber won't help if the slab decides to crack and shift the rebar will. At a rough estimate of 4 inches you will need almost 3 cubic yards of concrete for your slab. That would be alot of mixing by hand without some help - - one on the mixer, one wheeling, and one or two leveling and straight edging.
As already mentioned, you need to keep everything moving. If things start to set up on you, you will get "cold joints" that will turn to cracks later. I'd make the cement a little wetter that usual to give you some extra time to get everything mixed and down before having to worry about finishing.
On the other hand, redi-mix could be the best way to go. You don't have to worry about not having enough sand, cement, or aggrigate (if not just using an all sand and cement mix). The last thing you want to do is to run short on materials - better to figure thing on the long side.
Since this is a small pour, you may be charged a small load charge by a redi-mix company. I believe that in our area the minimum load is 4 yards and the small load charge is equal to the cost of a yard (around $100). Also, with the increasing cost of fuel, ther will possibly be an additional "surcharge" for fuel - again in our area that is about $35 a load.
You will need to look into your options and if you can get enough help if you pour your own. The company I work for's motto is "You never have enough help when it comes to concrete". It is much easier to send someone home that to wish you had more help.
I hope this helps you out. Good luck with your patio.
Pardon any typo's or misspelled words again - the spell checker is not working for me today.
work fast.
You can if you got help.
You are gonna need one person keeping the concrete mixer going and your gonna need another hand helping floating it out as you go.
15'X15' I hope you got reinforcement bars for that size of pad. If not you need to add fiber in your porter mix as well.
As long as you keep the freshly poured edge from setting up. Work as fast as you can and have as much help as you can get on site.
A three inch slab would use just over 2 yards of concrete. At under $100 per yard, you might do better to buy it ready mixed in a truck. There's a lot of work involved in mixing, pouring and finishing concrete, but there is even more in removing a poorly done job.
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