How To Pour A Concrete Slab
Thoroughly dampen the gravel. Start placing the concrete at one corner of the form while a helper uses a shovel or hoe to spread it .
Pour the concrete up against the form and compact it into all corners with a square shovel or mortar hoe with a hoe, push- don’t drag the concrete. But don’t overwork the concrete, and don’t spread it too far overworking will force the heavy aggregate to the bottom of the slab and will bring up small particles that can cause defects in the finished DIY concrete patio. Instead, space out your placement along the form, placing each batch against the previous batch to fill the form.
If you plan to leave the dividers in place, finish, and cure the concrete in alternating sections. Once they’ve cured for at least three days, remove the stakes from inside of the remaining sections and complete them.
Quikrete Concrete Delivery Day
This was an exciting day, when we finally got the concrete delivered. We used the Quikrete quantity calculator online to figure out how much we would need for our 450 square foot patio. We were told by Quikrete that it would be best to get 80 lb bags to get the job done. Typically they sell 50 lb bags at the hardware store, but we were able to get the contractor size bags. They were heavier, but you dealt with less bags. For the grand total of bags we had 275 bags, delivered on 6 1/2 pallets. That is a LOT of concrete people!
Here I am unloading the truck. This was my first time using a forklift. I was a little nervous at first, then I got the hang of it by the last pallet of course. We had to rent the forklift ourselves to get it unloaded.
Related Costs And Installation Time
The amount of time it takes to complete a concrete patio depends on who does the work the size of the patio, and the site conditions. Generally, it will take a concrete contractor around 4-8 hours to frame, pour and finish a 200 square foot concrete patio. Once it is completed, let the concrete cure for 48 hours before any weight is put on it. The concrete will fully cure after about a month, and then it can be sealed. If you decide to tackle the job by yourself, then the time will most likely double or more, depending on your skill level and the equipment you have available to clear the area for the patio of topsoil and other materials.
The time schedule might look something like this:
- Up to 1 Day | Site Prep removing and hauling away topsoil, framing the perimeter.
- About a Half Day | Pouring and Finishing the concrete
- Two Days | Curing Time before use
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Build Concrete Patio In A Weekend
Willing to build a patio with a concrete walkway that will match your landscape patterns? Then just go with this concrete patio that will complete in a weekend. For this project, you need existing dirt, landscaping fabric, pavers, bags of polymeric sand, gray sand, and base rock. Tool list here medium
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Fake It Till You Make It
There are many ways for you to get the stamped concrete look. One is to have someone come out to install it. The other is to do it yourself.
You can do this with a rubber roller. It looks sort of like a paint roller but it has a pattern printed on it and is specially made with concrete in mind. They come in a ton of unique concrete patio designs for you to pick from.
Once youve chosen a pattern you like, pour the concrete where you want it and smooth it out.
Spray down both the roller and the concrete with a release agent. This will stop the roller from sticking to the concrete. When both surfaces are coated, youre free to now roll out your pattern.
So, youre ready to make this summer the year of outdoor fun in your backyard, and youve got a new concrete patio on your mind. Before you pour the concrete yourself, keep in mind there are practical, aesthetic, and safety concerns that come with any DIY concrete project.
The fact is, pouring concrete requires a good deal more knowledge and skill than other home exterior projects. Doing it right demands careful planning, as well as the proper materials and tools to avoid weakened concrete and an inevitable do-over. There are a number of things you need to carefully avoid in order to stay safe and prevent a DIY disaster.
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Wait For The Surface Water To Disappear
Water will appear on the surface. Wait until this bleed water and sheen disappear entirely before edging, jointing or floating the concrete. Screeding levels the concrete with the top of the forms and begins the process of forcing the larger aggregate below the surface. Use any 2×4 that overlaps the forms by at least 6 in., but make sure its straight .
Follow screeding immediately with the darby . Your goal is to level out marks and fill small holes left by screeding. In the process, youll force larger aggregate down, leaving a slurry of cement and sand to fill the surface.
The darby should be large enough to reach a little more than halfway across the slab. Make a darby by screwing a handle onto a straight piece of 1×4. Longer darbies may require two handles for better control. If you cant reach the entire slab from the edges with a darby, rent a bull float and handle to use instead. Two passes over the surface with the darby are enough. Overworking the concrete will draw too much cement and fine sand to the top and create a weak surface.
Not Having The Right Amount Of Concrete
Another mistake homeowners make when pouring a concrete patio is underestimating how thick the slab needs to be. To make sure safety is maintained, a minimum thickness of any concrete patio is at least 4 inches. However, if it will bear heavy furniture or features, 6- to 8-inch thickness may be required. This is in addition to a 2- to 3-inch base of something like gravel, sand, or limestone.
In the end, you only get one pour. Err on the side of caution and order slightly more than enough. If you have extra bags, you can always return them.
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Survey And Mark The Patio Area
After you have all the necessary power tools, concrete finishing tools, and materials, and equipment, its time to map out the area you want the patio to cover.
Start by determining whether you want an attached or detached patio. The former is connected to the house, while the latter stands on its own a distance away from the house.
Measure out the size you want, mark the boundaries with spray paint, and then drive the wooden stakes into the ground at equal distances from one to the next. Next, use the masons lines or guide strings to fully mark the patio area in readiness for step two.
Kill Two Birds With One Stone
One way to save money is to combine projects and hire the same contractor to do them both. While you are planning to build a patio why not consider paving your driveway at the same time? The same contractor you hire to pour your patio might also be able to construct a roof or partially enclose an area for an outside room effect.
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Cost Of Concrete Patio Vs Concrete Pavers
A concrete paver patio is slightly more expensive than a poured concrete patio, costing between $8.67 to $16.67 per square foot.
Concrete pavers take longer to install than poured concrete, but no setting or drying is involved, which means you can use your concrete paver patio almost immediately.
Add A Gravel Base And Reinforcement
It is important to add a gravel base such that the concrete is not in direct contact with the ground.
The layer of gravel should be 2-4 inches. However, a thicker layer is allowed when you are on a tight budget and have to keep the concrete patio cost to the lowest possible minimum.
Instead of compactible gravel, you can also use sand or crushed stones. Compress the layer of gravel or crushed rocks using a handmade compactor with a broad base.
The idea here is not to drive the gravel into the ground. Rather, compacting is meant to level the stones out and form a reasonably level surface on which the reinforcing steel and concrete will be poured.
Talking of reinforcing steel, its important to strengthen the concrete slab with steel to reduce the chances of cracking.
Arrange the steel rods at equal distances from each other along the entire length of the patio. Do the same across the width to form sizable steel square boxes.
To keep the steel rods from shifting and ruining the square arrangement, use short pieces of binding wire to hold them together at the major joints across the patio space.
Note that plastic sheeting is important for this step if the patio site is prone to excessive flow of water from underground towards the surface. The sheet helps keep ants off as well.
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Taking Insufficient Safety Precautions
Whenever taking on a serious DIY project, safety precautions should be considered. Pouring a concrete slab is a fairly safe process, but there are a few important steps to take to remain protected while mixing and pouring concrete. Wear long pants and sleeves. Use safety glasses and earplugs. Utilize alkali-resistant gloves and rubber boots.
Awesome Diy Stamped Concrete Patio Ideas
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Including a stamped concrete patio in your backyard is a good idea to add sure-shot elegance. It does not matter whether you get it installed or use your own creativity to churn out an attractive patio design. We have collected 25 awesome DIY stamped concrete patio ideas for your convenience.
If you have a concrete backyard then these stamped concrete designs can be a game-changer for the aesthetics involved. You can even access the step-by-step guide for each solution, in case you decide to convert these ideas into action.
In case you are yet wondering what is a stamped concrete patio? It is a combination of concrete slabs that are given a textured surface. Wet concrete is placed as per the chosen design and then stamped onto the ground. Colors or spray can be added onto this surface for further design needs.
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Other Factors That Affect Cost
The size of your patio wont be the only cost factor. Some patios are more complex than others, leading to various costs. Your patio may have an intricate stained finish, curves, or additional reinforcements to enhance its strength.
If youre planning a plain concrete slab patio with no bells and whistles, expect to pay much less than $16 per square foot.
Other factors that affect cost include:
- Thickness: The thicker your concrete slab, the higher your bill.
- Shape: Rectangular patios are the easiest to install. Patios with custom shapes are more challenging to install, leading to higher labor costs.
- Reinforcements: A patio with reinforced concrete will have enhanced durability but will drive up costs.
- Type of Finish: Want to give your concrete an added splash of color, a special texture, or an elaborate design? Decorative concrete will increase the bill.
- Grade of Concrete: High-quality concrete mixes will cost more than lower-quality concrete mixes.
- Location: Costs will rise if your patio site is hard to reach or its soil conditions are poor.
- Concrete Removal: Need to remove an existing patio before you install the new one? Concrete removal will be an additional cost.
Diy Concrete Patio Cover Up Ideas
Topping your concrete patio slab with outdoor ceramic tile upgrades your al fresco space into a chic oasis. Stencils are a fun and easy way to customize almost any surface of your house. 4,883 51 decks and patios are a great way to add living. Our back yard was basically unusable when we moved into our house a few years ago. Whether it’s a table, kitchen wall or calendar, you can use numbers, letters or pictures to make any space your own.
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Edging Laying The Polymeric Sand
I had to rent a concrete saw and blade from Home Depot. This was my first time using such a monster, and it was not easy to keep a straight line. This part of the job was done a week after the first part, and I had moved my excess sand and bricks on to the patio and out of the common space so my neighbors wouldn’t complain. I then had to work around these obstructions with the concrete saw, and that made the results a little sloppier than I’d hoped.
The concrete saw was electric, and had a hose attachment to reduce dust. If I could do it over again, I’d have tried to rent a gas powered saw. The cord was always in the way, and the water dripping from the hose erased the chalk line I was trying to cut. There’s probably a better way to mark a cut line than chalk, if water is going to be used.
I used bricks in a running bond pattern around the edges of the patio, 2 rows in some areas, and 1 row in other areas. I mix and matched some of the cut-off bricks to make sure that there was enough room and to compensate for the obstructions. This was pretty time-consuming, but resulted in a much nicer finished product.
I had built some minor retaining walls to support the base material and also to define the two steps to get from the drainage swale behind the house to the level of the patio, so I built those steps as well.
Lay The Concrete Pavers
Cut your spacer down to the size you have planned for your joint width.
In the photo above, my metal bars are diagonal because I needed to slope my patio in two directions. I thought it would make it easier this way, but I ended up pulling them out and keeping them straight. It was easy enough to follow the slope lines with the strings.
Lay one the first spacer down, and use a squaring tool to lay down a crossing spacer. Then carefully place your first concrete paver against the two spacers.
Repeat, using the spacers to lay more concrete pavers. Remember, you can walk on these as you lay them.
My metal bars are lying diagonally in the photo above because I needed to slope my patio in two directions.
I thought it would make it easier this way, but I ended up pulling them out and keeping them straight. It was easy enough to follow the slope lines with the strings.
Lay one the first spacer down, and use a squaring tool to lay down a crossing spacer. Then go ahead and carefully place your first concrete paver against the two spacers.
Repeat using the spacers to lay more pavers. Remember, you can walk on these as you lay them.
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As You Work Measure Down From The Layout Lines To Gauge The Excavation Depth
How To Pour A Concrete Patio. Concrete is one of the most versatile and best stone patio paving materials available for building a solid base or structure. At that depth you can add 4 inches of gravel plus a 4 concrete pad and end up with the top of your patio at ground height. In this video we will be showing you how to pour a easy concrete patio slab.
Pour a Concrete Patio Done right a concrete patio can be an attractive addition to your property thats long-lasting versatile and economicalparticularly if you pour it yourself. We will be showing you the forming and finishing of this concrete slab with clos. If you plan on pouring a lot of concrete build a wood and mesh barrier first to ensure your new slab is strong.
Heres the process in more detail. In addition decorative concrete can be used to create aesthetically pleasing finished surfaces for driveways patios and pathways. Concrete is one of the most versatile and best patio paving materials you can use to create a solid surface.
A poured concrete patio can be a gray utilitarian slab or it may be a highly decorative focal point of your backyard living environment. Concrete is used to create a strong foundation for homes patios and most stonework. In this case with a 4 base and a 4 pad your patio surface will sit 1 above ground level.
The thickness of the slab is designed. In this post well give 5 tips to building a. With a hoe push- dont drag the concrete.
Diy Concrete Paver Patio
Our back yard was basically unusable when we moved into our house a few years ago. The previous owner had used recycled rubber tire mulch as a ground cover, which our toddler was always trying to eat. It looked ok in the real-estate pictures, it didn’t work for our family. We decided to renovate, and make this space more usable.
Our homeowner’s association has a review and approval process for ‘exterior modifications’ and so I created a sketch to include with the project description. There are two main considerations for this type of project 1) the substrate and 2) drainage. Once I had the initial plan, I set out making a shopping list and had to have the budget approved by my client .
Doing the planning up front was really helpful, since when we got the project approved and it was go time, it was really easy to do all of my ordering. I budgeted about $2950, and came in at about $2780 when it was all said and done. Compared to a quote from a landscaper of $9,000, it was a easy decision to do it myself.
- Rumblestone Mini Brick Pavers
- Crushed Gravel
- Bedding Sand
- 2x 10′ 1″ OD PVC pipes
- 2×4 screed board
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