What is a good how to site for concrete work?
Question:i am looking for a how to site to build forms for a 24'x38'slab and also tips on how to work the concrete after it's poured. i plan on using a small mixer and doing the job in 3 or 4 sections at a time.
Answers:
Two of the best Do-It-Yourself web sites I know of for concrete how to are: http//www.diynetwork.com/diy/d...
http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.a...
They will give you some basics. Also there are 2 more sites that I refer to often.The first I am an e-newsletter subscriber to.
http://www.theconcretesource.com/siteind...
The next will also give you some great "food for thought" projects.
http://www.concreterevolution.com/sitema...
Best of Luck!
thats a big chunck to do if you have to ask how to do it. alot of mixing especially in a small mixer. might be better to form it and hire the finishing out.
Watching HGTV and got motivated hu? Listen my family has been in the masonry business for ages and let me tell you this is a disaster waiting to happen. I have worked for my father who is now a retired self employed mason and I am, partner with my brother who is a concrete contractor. I have done this work for years and would not attempt this project myself. Why, well it is just not worth the time and effort to do it that way. The time you will have invested in the mixing and pouring and mixing and pouring will be many hours, more like days and the end product will not be near as strong as a single pour. Not because of YOU but because of several factors.
If you want to save money on this project which you (WILL NOT DO) if you do it as described, the material (concrete) is about the same cost from a redi mix plant so no savings there (even with a short load charge).
Then there is the mixer rental. If your thinking of using your .5Cy mixer you cant mix fast enough its just not possible (yes even with several friends)
There are several things you must know before you even start digging.
1. How to square up the location
2. How to "set" the forms
3. How to have the slab drain in a direction
4. How much re-bar or wire to put in
5.Where to put the joints
6.How to put the joints
7.When to put the joints
8. On and on.
My suggestion is to get some bids and see what it is going to cost first. Your looking at about 11 or so yards thats 1 FULL redi mix truck and a half or roughly >>>600 60lb bags<<<<
and A LOT of mixing,,,,did I talk you out of it yet??
If not and you still want to do it get a book from the library and do all the set up your self: (layout, grading, setting forms putting in wire or steel etc and then hire out the concrete portion. Even if you get the mixed concrete yourself with a spin buggy or a trailer your looking at 10 trips and a cost way more than having it delivered.
'Unoforna' is right. You can't mix it fast enough in a mixer to do 1/4 of the total area you're talking about. If your slab is 6" thick, that's 17 yards. At about 40 80lb bags of Sakrete to the yard, that's about 160 bags to do 1/4 of it. By the time you mix the last bag, the first one will be set up too much to work it. Your slab also won't be consistent throughout.
Much faster, easier, and cheaper to hire it out. Plus, it will come out a lot better.
i agree with most of the posts, there is no way i'd do that with bags -- unless i wanted a crappy slab and some very large biceps. =)
that said, i don't agree that you have to get a pro for such a job. do some research, build the forms, lay the gravel and rebar. make a huge screed, get some friends over and get the concrete delivered. the cost of getting that will easily cover the cost of your time to mix 600 bags of concrete.
finishing isn't too hard. it all depends on how cold it is and how wet the concrete is. you don't really say what type of finish you want. garages can do okay with a broom finish from a nice/clean horse hair push broom, but really nice finish takes some skill. if you want it really smooth, then i'd suggest practicing on some pavers or something first.
More Related Questions & Answers...