If rain threatens, you can usually cancel up to two hours before delivery. Take these steps to protect you and your helpers. Pull off the temporary bulkhead after brooming and lay in expansion strips before continuing the next section if you're pouring two separate segments. But because they support vehicles, driveways deserve some extra effort and expense. Once the ready-mix truck (the concrete is premixed and ready to pour) shows up, you and your helpers will be muscling around 200-lb. Avoid overworking the concrete. In cold climates, they'll probably suggest at least a 3,000-lb. Forgetting your autograph. Start thinking about drainage issues at this point. This 4-ft. wide by 60-ft. long and 4-in.-thick walk required just over 4 yds of concrete. 
Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you startyoull save time and frustration. A groover has a blade (typically 1-in.) If youre looking to save money, here are a few ideas: Keep in mind that while having a walkway poured does require an up front investment, it often improves the value and resale potential of your home. Cut in control joints every 5 to 6 ft. with a groover. The first time is easy; light pressure will even out the surfaceUse sweeping motions, lifting the leading edge of the float slightly. But we did rinse off any skin that got splashed.). Working solo. 
Whether youre hiring a contractor or doing it yourself, here are three suggestions for a stronger slab: Thickness: Most driveways are 4 in. Green ideas come in various forms, and a miniature garden with edible herbs Summer Decorating Ideas Bringing Bright Room Colors into Home Office Designs, Indoor Swimming Pools and Pool Enclosures Add Luxury to House Designs, 20 Beautiful Garden Decorations, Sculptures to Accentuate Garden Design, Carrots and Flower Arrangements, Creative Alternatives to Traditional Bouquets, Inspiring Design Ideas for Recycled Crafts to Make Bird Feeders, Adore Small Spaces with 22 Compact and Modern Ideas for Outdoor Seating Areas, 33 Canada Day Party Decorations and Ideas for Outdoor Home Decor, 25 Inspiring Backyard Ideas and Fabulous Landscaping Designs, How to Combine Indoor Plants and Create Spectacular Green Wall Designs. Although you can walk on concrete the day after finishing, it takes about a month for it to reach most of its full strength. Also, pick up enough wood stakes to anchor each side of the form every 3 ft., a 1-lb. Tip: For smooth sides, tap the sides of the form every couple of feet with a hammer to work out air bubbles. Concrete broom (use the handle from the bull float). Sandy concrete splashes can wreak havoc with your eyes. Beware of hot, dry weather too. A few drops of concrete isn't dangerous, but avoid practices like working in concrete-sodden clothes, concrete-filled boots or gloves wet with concrete juice. Using our sidewalk as an example: 60 ft. (long) x 4 ft. (wide) x .33 ft. (deep) = 79.2 cu. Wait until any bleed water disappears and hand float the surface with a magnesium float, starting at the beginning of the pour. If they extend more than 6 in. Concrete pros use 12-in. To outline the sidewalk for digging, mark the unformed side using a spacer block. As the mud continues to set up, you'll have to work harder and harder to smooth out imperfections. It's important to uniformly pack the entire base (including the sides near the forms). But take five minutes and call your local building inspector to make sure that's true in your area. Flip the mesh over and pull one end toward the other to back-bend it slightly to eliminate the natural curl. Wear eye protection. Reinforcement: There are two ways to reinforce a concrete driveway: with rods of rebar or with wire mesh. To get advice, talk to a building inspector whos familiar with soil conditions in your area. If a roll is a little too short for the job, finish up the rest with these sheets rather than buying a second roll. If there's a chance of rain on the pour day, cancel the order and set it up for a different day. A firm, well-drained base is the key to crack-free concrete. of gravel below the 4-in. The cost of a concrete walkway can vary widely depending on its size and finish. Too many builderspros and DIYers aliketreat a driveway just like a patio or sidewalk. That extra inch of concrete increases the strength of the slab by about 50 percent but increases the cost of a typical driveway by only $200 to $300. 
Wet concrete on skin can cause everything from mild redness to third-degree, permanently disfiguring chemical burns. Plus concrete lasts for years and requires little maintenance compared to less expensive materials. During normal summer weather (60 to 80 degrees F), you'll need three to five hours to pour and finish. Make the first pass with the edger and groover when the concrete is just beginning to firm up to form the rough shape. Anchor the sides of the plastic with boards, bricks or stones to keep it from blowing off. After removing the plastic, you may see grayish-blue mottling on the concrete surface where the plastic contacted the concrete unevenly. Every builder has a horror story about forms that bulged or even collapsed under the force of wet concrete. crushed rock is easy to shovel and packs well so you can run heavy wheelbarrows on it without the wheels bogging down. of concrete. Rebar does both jobs better and costs only a few bucks more for a typical driveway. The long handle extends your reach and makes the job easier, while the broad head covers the surface quickly and flattens out any bulges or depressions. Unless the grooves are at least one-fourth the thickness of the concrete, they're of little value. You'll trip every dinner guest who comes over. Its easy to break off concrete edges while removing forms. The simplicity and elegance of the geometric shapes impart a luxurious richness. Divide the gravel volume by 1.4 to calculate the tonnage to order (see Order the Right Concrete Mix below for help). If you tool the surface too much, you'll weaken it. for each foot of sidewalk width. Its hard to imagine a material that gives more bang for the buck than concrete for the cost of sidewalk. What other material yields a permanent, finished, durable, maintenance-free outside surface at a low cost and a days work? back from the forms. We ordered a 10-yard unit for $225 that handled everything we dug out. Cut it to length with a pair of bolt cutters. Draw a bull float over the fresh concrete immediately after screeding to force down aggregate and raise cream (gravel-free concrete) near the surface for finishing. Dont add stress by waiting until the last minute to finish forms or gather tools. Don't work concrete with bleed water present; wait until it reabsorbs or evaporates. below grade to allow for 4 in. Use 1-1/2-in.-thick boards (2x4s, 2x6s, etc.) 
You're going to need a couple of heavy-duty wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes and a variety of professional-grade concrete finishing tools. Tip: Getting the long, flimsy strips of siding home from the lumberyard is tricky, even in a pickup truck. Secure your tools a day ahead of time or at least contact the rental store to reserve them for the pour day to make sure they're at the site when the truck comes. wheelbarrows over gravel. to handle spillage and uneven bases. thick slab of concrete. Full-service lumberyards and home centers carry all this forming material as well as reinforcing mesh and expansion strips you'll need. Iron rake to move around wet concrete. If the forms extend below ground, pack soil against them. Contractor-grade wheelbarrows with leak-free tires. 
Focus first on getting a good-looking surface. Relying on fiber. But other soil types will expand and contract with weather conditions and can crack overlying concrete. 3. If it caves in, add more dry concrete. Bonus: Your sidewalk will be stronger and last longer than many professionally poured sidewalks. 7. The grooves in concrete are called control joints because they control cracking. Leave the plastic on for a day, then keep the concrete wet for a few days by occasionally running a sprinkler or soaker hose to slow down the curing process. Rest the screed board on the forms and use a sawing motion while pulling the board toward the end of the pour. Wear long pants and long sleeves to protect your skin. 1. Use sweeping motions, lifting the leading edge of the float slightly. One way to slow down drying is to cover concrete with 4-mil plastic sheeting. A big concrete pour is a rush job. Plus, fake it until you make it with these cheap landscaping fixes that look expensive. Cut 18-in. We recommend our users to update the browser. You can always rent a diamond masonry saw and cut in the 1-in. Instead, rent a bull float. You can throw in a bulkhead and order the rest later. There are two ways to make control joints: Plow them in the wet concrete right after floating or cut them the following day with a saw. Screw short blocks onto the bottom spaced the same width as the sidewalk. For basic resurfacing, the cost could be as low as $3 to $7 per square foot, but if you choose a colored and stamped overlay you might pay as much as $8 to $20 per square foot. Youll pay the most for a completely custom walkway that requires special techniques or hand-applied colors. A heavy load of concrete can crush a garden wheelbarrow. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Custom-made concrete slabs reduce the cost, time, and expense of building a walkway with pavers. A groover that cuts control joints 1 in. You'll save some embarrassment and possibly a fine. A good rule of thumb is to order an extra 5 percent rounded up to the next 1/4 yd. Though not as effective as plastic, curing compounds are easy to apply with a garden sprayer. 
In addition to the concrete walkway cost, suppliers usually add a short load charge for small orders (generally under 3 yds.). After that, you'll know exactly what you can handle. This work is intenseyou won't be taking any coffee breaks for a while. Finishing with extra water. 
Floating forces the stones in the mix down and pulls the cement cream to the surface so you can trowel or broom the surface later without snagging chunks of gravel. The tiny fibers added to some concrete mixes may reduce surface cracking, but fiber is no substitute for metal rebar or wire mesh. 
on the underside that cuts the groove. After screeding concrete, the next step is to float it. 
yds. The groove should be fairly smooth and hold its shape. That means concrete that'll handle a 3,000-lb. Renting a sod cutter( rents for $16 a day) to remove sod, and using axes for cutting out roots and pickaxes to loosen soil make the job a little less blister-producing. strips in 16-ft. lengths. 9. drywall screws. The sooner you start, the rougher the finish. You can use a plain old push broom, but a special concrete broom cuts finer lines. Mesh is wound like a spring. Pound in two stakes about 1 ft. from the ends of the form positions. Wetter mud may be easier to place (fill the forms), but the wetter the mix, the weaker the concrete. If the tops of your forms are near ground level, make sure your screed board wont drag against the ground; you may have to skim off a little dirt to clear a path for the board. So if rain is forecast, be prepared to cover your hardboard forms. Line up more help than you think youll need. Complete DIY projects like a pro! After dumping the concrete into the forms, level the concrete as you pour every few feet with a screed board (a straight 2x4 about 1 ft. longer than the width of the sidewalk). The best base varies according to climate and soil conditions. Use a back-and-forth motion in a 1- to 2-ft. area, lifting the leading edge on each pass and working your way down the sidewalk edge. Long, flat areas should have one side of the sidewalk lower so water can drain off the side. Hold the mesh 2 in. When concrete is hard enough so you cant make an impression with your finger, gently spread the plastic. If youre using 2x4s or 2x6s, place stakes no more than 3 ft. apart. After the truck emptied, we installed a temporary bulkhead while we finished the first half. Bleed water is water that migrates to the surface from the fresh concrete in small pools. Curing compounds are available at home centers. Go over broomed areas with the mag float to smooth out marks, and try again in 15 minutes. Yellow paint color schemes create sunny and happy interior decor. 4. Packing the concrete forces out air bubbles and voids that weaken a slab. Be sure to scratch your initials in the concrete before it hardens. Stretch it out to eliminate wrinkles and weigh down the edges to seal in moisture. During the first pass, use a straight board held perpendicular to the forms for guiding the groover. ripped strips of hardboard siding tacked to temporary stakes. Most U.S. homeowners pay between $6 and $12 per square foot for installation of a new concrete walkway. load per square inch without failing. But the driver may send a little concrete down the chute and ask if you'd like more water added. Youll get a nonslip texture and hide imperfections left by floating or troweling. Hand cut control joints with a special groover and straightedge while the concrete is still soft.
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