Anyone know anything about concrete?

-
J

jeryst

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
507
Reaction score
1
Location
Western PA
I need to pour a floor. I can level everything out, build a form, put down gravel, and have a truck come in to deliver the concrete, but dont know anything beyond that point. What steps are required next? How do you "float" it? What else is required?
 
I've done some small projects so I cant help you much but you'll need a screed board, a good bull float (possibly some extensions for the handle), and some trowels to cut in your expansion joints. how big of an area are you pouring?
 
How many yards is the pad? If the pad is any size at all then you might be better off finding someone with experience. Trust me. At least find a relative who has done it before to help out.
You will need a screed board, bull float, a couple of mag. floats, knee boards, trials, edgers and a couple of guys if it is any size at all? Concrete is something that you don't mess around with because it's a one shot deal. This might help. http://www.wikihow.com/Finish-Concrete
 
Good advice above. Also, what area is the floor ( basement, garage, etc. ) ? That could depend on the finish. If you want a super smooth finish consider getting a pro. It's VERY easy to over work bringing too much moisture to the surface causing the end product to flake off. And figure drainage needs.
 
If I were you, I would probably contact some "concrete" guys and get
a quote. Not taking away from your ability, but I would rather have
the pros do it if it were me. I watched it being done on my new garage and driveway
and I will be the first to say that I don't want anything to do with it.


new203_Small_.jpg


new088_Small_.jpg


new090_Medium_.jpg


new094_Medium_.jpg


new080_Medium_.jpg


new206_Medium_.jpg


new232_Medium_.jpg


new228_Medium_.jpg



Good luck if you give it a try.
 
Okay. Looks like something I shouldnt jump into without knowing anything about it- lol.

I am planning on building a room on the back of my garage for storage. It would probably be around 10x12. I can handle the carpentry, just never did any concrete work.
 
I would suggest you hire a pro to do your concrete work, you will be glad you did. Like someone has already said, you get one shot. The concrete will not wait around for you to learn as you go. When I built my garage I hired the pros to do it and it turned out beautiful. Your investing a lot of money, I'm sure, so hire a pro. I was working on a job one day and witnessed a cement truck empty his full load of concrete on someones front lawn because the guy wasn't ready when the truck arrived. Laying concrete is a skill and takes years to perfect. Just trying to help brother.
 
X2 what's already been said. When we built our new garage my son & I did all of the advance prep - groundwork, dug footers, spread gravel, put down plastic and wire and built the forms. Then we called in a local who does small jobs like ours (a retired concrete man). He set up the delivery and spent all day working it. He was also able to get a discount on the concrete which amounted to about 1/2 of his charges!
With the construction business being what it is today, you should be able to find a good reputable guy that would welcome a days work.
C
 
jeryst said:
Okay. Looks like something I shouldnt jump into without knowing anything about it- lol.

I am planning on building a room on the back of my garage for storage. It would probably be around 10x12. I can handle the carpentry, just never did any concrete work.
Click to expand...

A pad that size you should be able to handle with a buddy, but if it's like the construction around here right now then guys are willing to do it cheap. They have all of the tools and can knock it out quick and it will be done right. For a garage floor I like to go with a polished finish and a good concrete guy can do that for you. I am speaking from experience. My dad had a concrete construction business for about 20 years and I grew up around it. Maybe that's why my back hurts all of the time.
 
Looks like if you only go 4" thick you are looking at about 1.5 yards, but around here most ready mix companies have around a 3 yard minimum and will charge extra for the small amount. What I like to do is have a plan for the extra mud, because they will also charge to haul it back.
 
x2 what Badart said. I did concrete work with my uncle on weekends when I was a teenager. I'm sure you could get the job done but I bet if you watch the guys doing it you'll be glad you aren't the one doing it....
 
I poured about 6 yards in my back yard & shed area-- the work is heavy but it came out really good. This was 4 years ago
we have local do it yourself places you can buy up to 1.25 yards of concrete at a time (trailer)---- I measured off a little more than a yard at a time & poured the area in sections--- my finish work came out rough not smooth -- (the wiki page was not up at that time).
I rented a bobcat to remove the old stuff fencing/dirt / graded away from the pool & poured. Saved some bucks learned something new--- I would pay if reasonable -- but at the time , it was over $5k for the work I did-- I came in around 1.5k.
Lawrence

IMG_8124.jpg


IMG_8148 (2).jpg
 
I did the same thing you are thinking about, excavated, formed, rebar, did everything but the pouring. The pad was 22x23 something like that, but too small!! Wish I had made it bigger, but the garage was a used one I bought and had it moved and set down on the pad, so I was restricted. Anyway, for the 22x23 I think I was under a grand having it poured and finished for me. All in $5k movers, concrete but not insulated or wired when I got it. Good luck let...let someone else do it, u dont want 5 tons garbage concrete
 
I know a bit. I have built rock walls and used mortar. I have poored slabs and did it myself.I poored an extra thick 12" slab several years ago at the base of some stairs outside as they were moving/tilting. They are now stable!

Drainage is key so ensure it is properly sloped.A base of gravel about 4" thick under the concrete will ensure good drainage and prevent soil erosion underneath. Strength can be added using rebar and concrete wire,but it needs to be all tied togther with wire or a welder.. I also use some thing called fibrefrax? It's basically chopped fibreglass. Add this to the concrete and it becomes very strong.

Ratio of cement to sand/gravel affects cure time. I used 4:1 but I want my concrete to cure if it gets cold. The more cement you use the fastr it will cure and the reaction is less likely to stop if it gets too cold.

While it cures you want to keep it wet. Concrete will absorb water as it dries. This becoames a probel on hot days.What I did was cover the slab with an old comforter and soak it with water,then cover with plastic. Even on a hot 100 degree day the cement stayed wet.


It is a lot of work. The best thing is to have lots of help!
 
Badart said:
You will need a screed board, bull float, a couple of magnum floats, knee boards, trials, edgers and a couple of guys if it is any size at all? Concrete is something that you don't mess around with because it's a one shot deal. This might help. http://www.wikihow.com/Finish-Concrete
Click to expand...

Someone is preoccupied with Mopar engines. Hand held trowels that are made out of Magnesium are lovingly referred to as "Mags", but they have nothing to do with private investigators in Hawaii or Dodge engines :toothy10:.

Bull floats are also made out of magnesium which are used to level out the concrete, push the aggregate down, and bring up the cream so that you can have a nice level pad. After hitting it with a bull float a couple of times or more, you can then switch to a Fresno if you are going for a smooth finish, or dig out the knee boards and hand trowel it with a steelie. Not for the un-initiated in my opinion.
 
A 10x12 is not that big of an area where you couldn't do it yourself, and you could probably rent the trowels and floats from the rental center. The one thing you would need to have experience with is WHEN to mag it out, as concrete is a chemical reaction and needs to be finished at the right time. Most all concrete guys I know come and screet it out and then pour a case of beer on the lawn and cover it with ice. When the beers gone, it's time to float it out. Usually takes about an hour or so after it's poured, but like the Free Masons, they ain't givin' up their secrets, or any of their beer. That would throw their timing WAY off!!!LOL!!! Good luck with the pour, Geof
 
Tony,
As it happens Im a commercial general contractor.
I dont know what you will be using your pad for but there is way to little rebar in the pad and it appears there is no reinforcing in the walkway. Both of these items are not up to any sort of standards.
Jeryst,
while the area is not that big if you want the finish to be good have someone with experience do it for you.
Andrew
 
I worked for a foundation co for about a year 10x12 isnt that big, but you will probably want a truck, cause thats a lot of mud to mix yourself, unless you do it in seperate areas. We did footings and foundations but the principal is the same.

If so, mix it and the pour the area, i would say in 3 or 4 foot squares, depending how deep it is, float each area smooth, dont "pack it" all the rocks will sink to the bottom. Then mix and pour the next area, and smooth again.

If your using rebar, pour half, then lay the rebar in and pour the other half, unless you are tying it into the form.
 
When to start bull floating has little to do with beer consumption, and a lot to do with the type of concrete (psi, additives), time of day, outside ambient temperature, shade or no shade, humidity, and wind. A pour at 8 am at 70 degrees/80% humidity in the shade with no wind will be a lot different than one done at 4 pm at 98 degrees/25% humidity in the blazing sun with a 15 mph wind blowing. On the first, you can take your time, on the second you better be running your butt off and have invited 3 more buddies than you thought you needed in the first place. Someone can always be edging. As far as expansion joints go (which in the common use of the word is actually a stress relief joint), I prefer to cut them in the next day or so with a wet saw with a diamond blade. Much cleaner looking and you don't have big troughs in the floor that fill up with crap and create speed bumps for floor jacks and hard wheeled dollies.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top