Finishing Touches For Retrofitting
After the concrete has had time to dry and cure, the installation can be finished. This includes removing any protective wrapping from the drains that was in place to prevent damage to the drain.;
You can also take this time to test the drain to ensure everything is properly connected and working accordingly. Once it has been determined that everything is in working order, you can continue on with setting up your facility. This includes adding any protective floor coatings, like epoxies, and moving in facility equipment.;
The most critical element to this entire process is taking your time to ensure that everything is done properly.;
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions about the installation process or would like to learn more about how slot drain systems can benefit your facility, contact one of our drainage experts today.
FoodSafe Drains contains numerous articles for food and beverage facilities researching the best types of drain systems for their applications.;
How To Ensure That Your Pavers Have Good Drainage
A patio made from pavers in Las Vegas is a beautiful and functional addition to your property. One of the key concerns with covering the soil in your yard with a patio is the proper control of runoff from heavy rains to protect your foundation from erosion and insects. When your patio is built, it is important to follow these steps for ensuring proper drainage.
How To Pour And Level The Concrete
Pouring the concrete for your patio slab and getting it leveled out is something you might want to hire a professional for.Â;
If your patio slab isn’t very big, then maybe it’s something you can do on your own.Â;
Watch us pour this 50′ x 10′ concrete patio and see if it’s something you want to try or not.
To learn how to pour and finish concrete like we do in the video above, check out my training academy The Concrete Underground.
In The Concrete Underground I have many of my best training videos to teach you how to pour and finish concrete just like we do it.
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Build A Dry Creek Bed
A dry creek bed gives you the best of both worlds: function and appearance. Constructed from rocks ranging in size from river rocks to small boulders, a dry creek bed functions as a planned channel for stormwater. Rather than letting nature pick the course, you can do this in advance: into a swale, a catch basin, or to the edge of the property. When it’s not busy moving water, a dry creek bed is a beautiful form of xeriscaping for your yard.
Install A Dry Creek River Rock Bed
Another helpful landscaping feature in the fight against poor yard drainage is a creek bed. These look so great, even when its not raining, that people likely wont notice that its functional rather than decorative.
The creek bed acts as a drain pipe would, directing storm water runoff away from low areas and into places that can handle more water.
Another common issue when your yard wont drain is flooding on your patio.
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How To Broom Finish And Seal The Concrete
Knowing how and when to start the finishing process is one of the hardest things to learn about concrete finishing.
In the video below, I will show you how we start the finishing process and apply a broom finish to the concrete.
The finishing is always determined by how fast of slow the concrete sets up. I’ll show you the best time to start finishing in the video below for best results.
I used a penetrating sealer to seal the concrete with in the video. This type of sealer will not leave a slippery film on the surface but will seal and protect your concrete.
It’s best applied with some type of sprayer. We’re using a power sprayer in the video but you can use a simple garden pump up style sprayer if you like.
tools you’ll need to build a concrete patio slab
I’ve made a list of all the tools you’ll need to build your concrete patio slab.
Most of these you can get at your local hardware store or even easier, you can order them right from Amazon.
IN CONCLUSION:
I built this page to help you decide if you want to pour your own concrete patio or not.Â;
If you kind of handy and like building and doing things on your own, then maybe it’s something you can tackle by yourself after watching my videos.
If the size of your patio slab isn’t too large, maybe you can do it yourself with the information I’ve given you on this page.
If you have any doubts or questions, then look to hire a pro like me. We do this kind of work every day.
Installing A Channel Drain In Existing Concrete: Important Considerations
Floor-based drainage systems play a vital role in a wide range of different facilities, from breweries to food processing plants to industrial manufacturers. While some floors and drains are installed around the same time, you may often have them going down separately.
Older facilities will also need to upgrade their drainage, and a retrofit option is generally the best choice, rather than completely redoing a production floor that doesn’t need redoing..;
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Effective Patio Drainage For Paver Patios
- Written by Niki Hampton on Oct 24, 2009To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by Charles Ramos, Jr. on May 26, 2021
Even though it may not be the first thing on your mind when you go to plan your new paver patio, drainage will greatly impact your ability to enjoy your new living area. Drainage is the natural or artificial movement of surface and sub-surface water. Without the proper setup, water can roll back on your foundation, causing damaging erosion. Standing water can breed insects and ruin your landscaping, and it can cause your paver patio to subside and throw the entire area out of level. There are a number of ways you can effectively drain the water from your patio.
Base
The base of your patio provides drainage. Unless you have mortared each paver, there is a certain amount of sand in between each piece. Water will percolate through this sand until it reaches the base. Depending on whether you properly laid a base of gravel or sand, the water may pool under your pavers, or it may wash out the sand if not properly compacted. This will cause your pavers to sink. Therefore, your first line of defense is to properly lay the base when installing the patio.
Slope
Drains
Drywell
PRO TIP
Painted Concrete Patio Cost
For an estimated $2 to $6 per square foot, either painting or coating concrete is a great way to add design and/or color to your patio concrete with professional quality products.
- Pros: Depending on your concrete contractors skill, you should have the choice of literally any color.
- Upkeep: Standard cleaning methods and resealing every couple of years.
- Summary: A straightforward, inexpensive way to add designs or color to your concrete slab.
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Install A Water Garden
The landscape designers at Johnsons can design and install a water garden for the space where your yard currently has standing water. Water gardens solve your yard drainage problems by holding excess water in an aesthetically pleasing basin that supports water-loving plants. A water garden gives your excess water a better place to go than unappealing puddles or the soil near your foundation.
Secure The Concrete Pavers In Place And Fill The Gaps
Once you have finished each section and the pavers have all been laid, make sure none of the paver stones wobble. Youll want to check this before filling the joints.
I had about five that had some wobble and just about every time, the culprit was a raised bit of larger gravel that had been pulled near the surface. The concrete paver stone was resting awkwardly on the raised gravel.
The way to fix this is to gently remove the paver and check for the larger gravel that is raised. Remove it and fill in the hole with sand. Carefully place the paver back down into position.;
If you dont see any gravel, then something in that spot isnt level. It could be that theres a bit of a bump, or just one edge needs a little more sand. Use the float to level it and place the paver back into place.
With all the pavers set as you need them, you can start filling in the gaps. Use the square nosed shovel to scoop the sand or paver dust and place it into the joints, but only add about ½- ¾ of the paver dust/sand.;
Try to distribute it evenly between them. You can use a hand spade and/or a broom to help with this.
Now finish filling in the gaps with your decorative top layer. I used marble chips.
Spread these evenly throughout, but be sure to leave them recessed about ¼ from the top so you dont end up with a big mess of overflowing joint filler.
Those are all the steps! Now youll be ready to entertain on your new concrete paver patio!
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Material Type For Paver Joints
When youre gathering your supplies, youll want to consider the type of material that will fill in the gaps between the concrete pavers.
Here are some of the gap fillers you might want to consider for your project:
- Moss: This can be transplanted from your yard or purchased like sod from a nursery.
- Grass: Let grass grow naturally. The drawback here is you may be end up fighting with weeds
- Fill the paver joints with your choice of pebbles. These can be a natural stone color, or brightly colored.
- Glass stones: For a really glamorous look, use sanded glass pebbles.
- Sand: Sand is simple and budget-friendly. I recommend using polymeric sand which will seal and harden the sand so you wont track it.
Quick Links In Post
Reduce Your Watering Schedule
Before launching into a costly and extensive DIY drainage project, consider the possibility that you could be overwatering your yard and/or garden. Try cutting down on your watering and watch the trouble spots to see if they drain or not. If they do, the soil could be draining properly but simply cant keep up with your watering schedule. If not, it may be time to get your hands dirty.
Tools youll need: Most sprinkler systems can be set to operate at fewer or shorter intervals. If you water your yard manually, simply do so less often. Keep an eye on your wet zones over the next week or two to determine if your yard is indeed not draining.
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The Benefits Of Concrete Pavers
Paving stones have become an increasingly popular material for driveways, patios, pool decks and walkways in the California Bay area. That’s because paving stones can add to your homes curb appeal as well as its value.
Paving stones come in literally hundreds of colors, styles, textures, and patterns that give you the opportunity to create a one of a kind look for your pool deck patio or driveway. Pavers have an elegant look when correctly installed can last a lifetime and are much easier to repair than traditional poured concrete or asphalt.
With proper installation, concrete pavers can be installed over existing poured concrete slabs if they’re in relatively good condition. This is known as an overlay, and it can be a great, affordable option for many homeowners.
Slope The Trench To Ensure Proper Drainage
Measure the depth of your trench using a line level. Pound a stake in near the house to use as a reference point. Tie the string exactly level to each stake and measure the depth. You’ll need to increase the depth as you get farther from the well. Adjust the gravel at the base of the trench as needed.
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Dec Patio Drainage Issues
Water and drainage problems can happen anywhere on your property. The water problems are especially troublesome on or near an area that you would like to enjoy like a patio. There are a wide variety of drainage issues that patios can cause and a large number of ways to fix those problems. Well discuss both the problems and solutions in this blog post.;
Before You Hire Your Contractor
Narrow your choices down to three who have extensive experience pouring concrete patios and adding the decorative effects youve chosen.
Pick from contractors who check off some or all of the following.
- See their portfolios of previous work.
- Make sure they are bonded and insured.
- Make sure cleanup is included in their quotes.
- Have an exact starting date and finishing date.
- Ask about warranties on the concrete and labor.
- Check their Better Business Bureau rating.
- Check their HomeGuide and Google rating
Get free estimates on HomeGuide from trusted pros:
Daniel W.
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How Do I Prevent Poor Drainage When Putting In A New Patio
The best way to prevent patio drainage problems is to plan for them when the slab is installed. If your landscape prevents you from pitching the patio to allow for natural water runoff, your concrete contractor can install an in-slab drainage system with gravel-filled channels to carry the water away. A more attractive option is to place the patio slab in sections with strips of decorative gravel or groundcover in between.
Another possibility is to build your patio using permeable or porous concrete pavers, which allow water to percolate through the patio into the ground below. This solution can also benefit your surrounding landscape by reducing the amount of stormwater runoff and erosion.
Part 4 Of 4: Adding The Top Layer
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How To Install A Floor Drain In A Concrete Slab
Having a floor drain in the garage or in your basement can come in handy for quick cleanup if you have spilled any water or if the area is prone to flooding. This can also come in handy for when its too cold to wash something outdoors and you prefer to do it inside and then want to simply push the water toward the drain to clean your space. Dont call a general contractor or handyman to install this for you its simple and with the right tools you can handle it yourself.
How To Cut A Drainage Channel In A Concrete Patio
What You’ll Need
Theres nothing worse than going out on your concrete patio at the beginning of summer to start up the barbecue for a party, only to find yourself stepping in a cold puddle of water. Your patio should have been layered in such a way that any collected rainwater would run off its surface, but because its quite difficult to perfectly level the patio in this way, most homeowners have to deal with puddle-covered concrete patios at some point in time.
Installing a drain is the best solution to this problem. In order to do so, youll need to cut a drainage channel. This is a labor-intensive task, but you can still cut a drainage channel yourself by using the tools and following the steps outlined below.
Step 1 – Examine Your Patio
Before your start plowing into your concrete patio with the jackhammer, you need to identify the best spot to cut the drainage channel. You want to install the drain at the spot where water pools and collects. If its raining, observe to see the direction of the flow of collected water. If youre having dry weather, you can do the same thing by running your garden hose over the patio.
Step 2 – Determine where Water will Drain
Step 3 – Dig a Trench Outside
Dig a trench in your yard that will drain the water away from the bottom of the patio. You can do this manually with a shovel in order to lessen damage to your yard, or rent a backhoe if you want to accomplish the job quickly.
Step 4 – Cut the Drainage Channel
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