*
I am thinking of building a semicircle patio which would but against the house along 2 walls. It would be about 34′ long and go from 11′ to 22′ at the widest point. Realizing this will be a labor intensive project I plan to enlist some friends. My experience is limited however, especially with the finishing aspects. One reply to a previous post suggested 3 seperate pours to make it more managable. I would like to build a small brick wall around the perimeter and in between each pour to add some decoration. The wall would be the same height as the finished slab and approximately 8 inches wide (2 bricks). I have read some books on concrete construction and obviously watched TV, but I still have some concerns about this project…as does my wife. Will the wall be strong enough to serve as the formwork? Can it serve as the control joints between the slabs? Should I even be attempting this? I would love to do this myself “just because” and the concrete cost is so low. I am confident in being able to excavate and build the wall, but will it work? The books even make the finishing look somewhat easy.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Production manager Ian Schwandt explains how financial tools such as QuickBooks or Buildertrend can help companies track project costs for a healthy outcome.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
*
gofer it..
don't bild the walls until after you have teh concrete in place.
leave out exactly the space you want for your decorative brick dividers / control joints..
if you try to put them in it will be more difficult for u to screed teh concrete and float and finish it.. and u'll get concreteall over the brickwork...
even breaking it down into 3 pours.. it is still a lot of work .. even if you've done it before....
go practise on a 3x4 garbage can stoop first .. so yu can get a feel for the material and the finishing techniques...
*I'm with mike, the first time I did concrete was the first time I did it. Go for it.Floating and finishing takes some practice, or atleast it takes a couple of times to get the feel of concrete. Again, Mike gives good advice on the practice slab.One thing that I've never seen in any of the books. If you are forming anything, make sure you vibrate the concrete so there are no air pockets against the form. Just take your trowel and stick it into the concrete and wiggle the stuff up against the form boards. If you don't do this, you'll have alot of ugly voids on the side whatever it is you're pouring.
*To add to Ryan's tip, tap on the forms with a hammer as you place the concrete. This will help move the stones and fill the voids with slurry.Experience is the best teacher. Why not hire a lead man to run your crew. I say this cuz once that stuff goes, it's gone. There is a feel to it that is hard to get outta a book. Also, too many inexperienced hands working those trowells might leave a few diff. finishes on that slab. And just the forming of that radius takes a little exp. so you end up with a nice smooth arc that stays when that concrete is placed.And both previous posts are right on the money.Reminds me of a story a concrete driver once told me. Homeowner, drinking beer with his buddies when the truck arrived. Puke out the concrete, rake it around, screed it, and then as he's cleaning out the shute, homeowner walks up and asks "exactly when does this stuff get smooth?". I realize you are not that naive but I thought you'd like a good laugh.Best of Luck. Get boots and don't get any on ya. It can burn those that are sensitive to it.
*
I am thinking of building a semicircle patio which would but against the house along 2 walls. It would be about 34' long and go from 11' to 22' at the widest point. Realizing this will be a labor intensive project I plan to enlist some friends. My experience is limited however, especially with the finishing aspects. One reply to a previous post suggested 3 seperate pours to make it more managable. I would like to build a small brick wall around the perimeter and in between each pour to add some decoration. The wall would be the same height as the finished slab and approximately 8 inches wide (2 bricks). I have read some books on concrete construction and obviously watched TV, but I still have some concerns about this project...as does my wife. Will the wall be strong enough to serve as the formwork? Can it serve as the control joints between the slabs? Should I even be attempting this? I would love to do this myself "just because" and the concrete cost is so low. I am confident in being able to excavate and build the wall, but will it work? The books even make the finishing look somewhat easy.