I need to pour a new basement floor in a 1922 addition to my home.
The space is 24 x 18, no floor drain, access for pour through four windows. My question is this – Is there any reason not to do this as two separate pours?
I plan to do it myself with my dad’s help. It would be a lot easier on me to pour this in halves given I would be pinned in by the walls.
are the any downsides to such an approach?
Replies
the only thing I can see is that it will be 5.3 yards and around here there a five yard minimum so if you did it in two pour you will be buying 10 yard of concrete.
You're gonna wind up with a cold joint or an expansion joint. A cold joint can be 'glued' with concrete bonding agents, but is still less desireable than a single pour. An expansion joint, with black joe or something similar, will work okay, but you won't have a unified floor and you're leaving a possible entry for ground water.
I don't understand the issue you have with a single pour. You only need to build yourself an escape platform/ladder and hang it from one of the windows you will not be pouring through, then work back towards that with your Derby and float the last couple of strokes working from that platform. Then climb out and let it dry....
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
I realize I could do it that way, but not being a concrete finisher I was concerned about working the floor as its poured. I have finished sidewalks and a few small patio slabs, things you can work from all four sides.
As a HO I was concerned with attempting it as one pour might as it might be beyond my capabilities.
The concrete is free, so to speak. I did a favor for the redimix plant in return for the yardage needed.
I could just pay someone to finish it and likely will if a single pour is more advisable than two pours. Obviously that's why I asked. Think I got my answer. Thank you.
Working it while it pours is no big deal; you each need a good pair of knee-high rubber boots, a couple of rakes and shovels, and a 6-foot, two-handled float commonly called a 'DerbyFlex'. It wouldn't hurt if you had a laser level set up on a platform tacked to the wall in one corner so you can shoot levels with a story stick all through the room.
Make sure you've got a source of clean water to wash down all the tools immediately after you're done, before the concrete dries on 'em....
An idea would be to ask your friends at the redimix company to let you know next time they're going to pour a floor to be professionally finished. Then go along to the site and watch how the guys do it. It's an art--but it's not rocket science. There's no mystery, just practice. If you've done other concrete finishing before, you're already ahead of the game somewhat....
Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Edited 8/29/2004 12:39 am ET by Dinosaur
great idea. I'll give them a call.