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Posted by Steve on April 20, 2007, 3:30 pm
I'm looking to install a concrete walkway on the side of my house,
about 40 feet by 3 feet, plus a slab to hold a hot tub.
Due to the expense in hiring people to do cement work around here, I'd
like to try to do it myself with a few other people. Can anyone
recomment either a website or a book that I can refer to with a good
set of instructions (I've only done minor cement repair work in the
past)?
Thanks,
Steve
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Posted by on April 20, 2007, 5:16 pm
> I'm looking to install a concrete walkway on the side of my house,
> about 40 feet by 3 feet, plus a slab to hold a hot tub.
>
> Due to the expense in hiring people to do cement work around here, I'd
> like to try to do it myself with a few other people. Can anyone
> recomment either a website or a book that I can refer to with a good
> set of instructions (I've only done minor cement repair work in the
> past)?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steve
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/dp_concrete/article/0,2037,DIY_13789_2269245,00.html
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Posted by dpb on April 20, 2007, 9:03 pm
On Apr 20, 4:16 pm, sonofabitch...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> > I'm looking to install a concrete walkway on the side of my house,
> > about 40 feet by 3 feet, plus a slab to hold a hot tub.
>
> > Due to the expense in hiring people to do cement work around here, I'd
> > like to try to do it myself with a few other people. ...
...
> http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/dp_concrete/article/0,2037,DIY_13789_22...
Not a bad overview -- I'd make a couple of comments.
Need to be in decent physical shape -- that is, used to manual labor
of at least moderate level of strenuousness (if that's a word ;) ).
Unless you can get a truck where you need it to go, by the time you
tote that much concrete that distance, you're gonna' be pretty beat,
otherwise. The driver ain't gonna' hang around nor push on the
wheelbarrow and there's only so far he can get it to run on a
horizontal, level lot, and it's only about a third that distance at
most.
Then, once the material is in place, you have to screed and start
finishing in a relatively quick time so there's no time to rest and
recover in between.
Depending on how bit the slab you envision is and the size of the tub/
spa, your slab for it might need some wire and possibly, even a little
deeper pour. Depends on what you envision.
You need good firm foundation bed and preferably at least some gravel
and sand under it, not "just dirt". Also, unless you stack it at
closer intervals, I'd recommend 2x instead of 1x forming to prevent
bowing and to make screeding a little more certain. Be sure forms are
set straight and level or have slope for drainage in the proper
direction(s) to avoid pooling or directing water the wrong way.
I'm not that fond of the plastic over the top of fresh pours, either,
unless it's very hot. Too easy to leave ugly marks where it lays.
All you really need is to mist it a little now and then if the air
temp is above 80F or so and it's in the direct sun. Otherwise, it'll
be just fine on its own...
Pouring and finishing a sidewalk is fairly simple as the width is such
that screeding w/ a 2x is pretty easy and you can trowel it from the
side(s). A larger slab, otoh, isn't necessarily that easy. If it's
larger than you can reach comfortably from one edge in any direction,
you'll have to have a float and handle to trowel it. It also becomes
harder to avoid high/low spots the larger a slab becomes. Again, this
all is dependent on just how big an area you're thinking of....
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Posted by Oren on April 20, 2007, 6:15 pm
>I'm looking to install a concrete walkway on the side of my house,
>about 40 feet by 3 feet, plus a slab to hold a hot tub.
>
>Due to the expense in hiring people to do cement work around here, I'd
>like to try to do it myself with a few other people. Can anyone
>recomment either a website or a book that I can refer to with a good
>set of instructions (I've only done minor cement repair work in the
>past)?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Steve
A one day project?
--
Oren
"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"
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Posted by on April 20, 2007, 7:15 pm
>
> >I'm looking to install a concrete walkway on the side of my house,
> >about 40 feet by 3 feet, plus a slab to hold a hot tub.
>
> >Due to the expense in hiring people to do cement work around here, I'd
> >like to try to do it myself with a few other people. Can anyone
> >recomment either a website or a book that I can refer to with a good
> >set of instructions (I've only done minor cement repair work in the
> >past)?
>
> >Thanks,
>
> >Steve
>
> A one day project?
> --
> Oren
>
> "The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"
I would grade and set the forms the day before you order the concrete.
Depending on how large your hot tub slab will need to be you will be
pouring aprox 2.5yards. With a couple buddies and a couple of wheel
barrows you can have most of it finished by noon, weather permitting.
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