Pouring concrete slab

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  • #26
Thanks for the replies.

Red, I'm going to bore some holes with the auger below frost and tie them into the slab with rebar. 6 holes.

Tree billy. Any idea os what concrete finishers charge? I considered calling someone for final tidy up. But in reality im not living here forever, and don't want to sink tons of cash into it. Just something for now to keep moisture off the new gear.

Unless someone has other ideas for a cheaper, yet effective solution for such. I was thinking millings also~
 
I've helped pour a bit of concrete through the years. Just enough to know it's not for me.

When I'm ready to pour my next slab, I'll hire it out.
 
Use more stakes than you think you need on the forms. Having 4 or 5 guys makes things go easy. It's nice to have someone with a background to keep you heading in the right direction.

You can make a wood bull float that will work fine. You can probably rent a magnesium one.

You need one guy to run the chute, one to pull the excess off the screed and two to screed. More is better. Bull floating is pretty straight forward. Steel troweling not so much. Never used or was around a power screed.

Too bad your not close. I don't mind concrete at all. Lot's of people run when they hear your pouring 'crete.
 
8 years ago the guys I worked with wanted $250 for an 8 hour day. They figured their normal wage in cash since their side work was always on Saturday. Not sure now. I'm gonna be finding out in the spring when I put the addition on my house and build my shop. To help with the drying time from when it gets poured till it can be finished you can throw a 80 lb bag of calcium chloride in the mix. It'll also loosen it up at the time of pour so make sure not to add to much water. As lumberjack said concrete is only as good as the base under it and drainage is key. Wish I could be more help but I don't live in the next town over
 
Poured a 9yd driveway today, had four helpers. lots of yelling by me, they were green! We got it down, and it looks so so, but I'm sure not proud of it! HO wanted to use to "pole method", sliding a pole on top of grade stakes to skreed both sides at a time, a plan I fought tooth and nail!
It's done, I'm not happy, or proud of it, and lost my ass, but it's done.
 
IMHO if the need for a pad is urgent, then just pour, following much of the advice given is great, finishing can be done nicely, however, there are many great epoxy type products that can be applied to a fully cured slab to give a great stain resistant and non-slip finish to your colour choice, both indoors and out. I've always painted concrete floors, they always give up so much dust if not.
 
About the finish .What you don't want is a mirror like finish because with a little bit of water it becomes about like ice .Smooth not like a mirror .

I use sealer myself .Unless epoxy has came down in price it used to be about half the price of the concrete .

About the cracking .All crete will crack that's what the control joints are for .So you can control where it will crack .
 
He's in rock country, he should be able to get crushed rock with fines fairly cheap. Here crushed rock is about 1/4 the cost of concrete by volume. 2 hours east, limestone costs 1/10 of concrete here.
 
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  • #42
Hmm. I think we call that "processed" here. Thinking...if a layer of plastic was underneath, do you recon it would keep most of the moisture out? I actually have 3/4" stone out back now. The place i got it from, (within a quarter mile) doesnt wash their stone so its got lots of smalls and dust. It just seems to stay wet longer. I can get asphault millings dirt cheap too. Have access to a ride on roller also.

As luck would have it tonight i just discovered 7 acres for sale a couple miles from here. Its now got me thinking "think cheap".
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #44
Hmm. My buddies got a parking pad, nothing overhead. Parks a kw wl900 and numerous pickups. I think its 6-8". Seems to be holding up well. Sees rain snow etc.
 
I helped with a 12 x 20 pad inside a garage about 10 years ago. It's hard work and there's no standing around. I would definitely hire a finisher. Better yet, hire someone start to finish!!
 
FWIW my building floor is on about a foot of compacted bank run gravel.The slab is 7.5 inches thick with 3/4" rebar every 12 inches .I had the whole thing poured and finished for around 900 bucks .It was over 5 grand worth of concrete at the time .

Sounds like over kill perhaps but I got the rebar ,about 7 ton for 40 bucks.Simpley being in the right place at the right time with cash .

Now the plastic .It used to be thought you needed it .Now it isn't done much .If you want it do it .If not don't .Do use some type reinforcement in the pour though .
 
What's with the adversion to moisture?

The smaller pieces in the non wasged rock help lock it all together.

Millings would work too.
 
The moisture coming up from the ground will be very minimal on a covered area. You'll notice it at the wall lines unless you can get a good seal where the building meets the concrete. We only used plastic on concrete that was inside of a building. I'm not sure if a carport actually qualifies. If you're planning on moving I'd go with an ag slab and just elevate it a bit to make sure it doesn't puddle. Use crushed stone of some sort (limestone, recycled concrete) in a #4 or#57 size. Roll it in good and then top with #8's and re roll. Just a thin top layer though to lock it in tight. Keep a sheet of plywood handy to lay on to work on trucks
 
My bud put millings in a pole barn we built for him. He didn't compact at all. We had to jack his Harley out of the ruts it sunk into. Once it got damp it settled in and locked up hard. Nice cheap fill.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #50
lumberjack said:
What's with the adversion to moisture?

The smaller pieces in the non wasged rock help lock it all together.

Millings would work too.
Click to expand...

My love affair with keeping things as new as possible.

But really. I bought two, mid 90s equipment from a friend who parks on asphault. The under carriages are incredible.
 
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