Small concrete jobs you can do yourself, no need to necessarily call a company. 🙂
For the majority of DIYers, ready-mix, crack-resistant concrete is the ideal material to use when making a concrete slab. I’ve done simple jobs around the house with what you can get at your local hardware store. The wet mixture is then placed into a ready-made wood mold and allowed to cure. Or if you’re digging a hole in the ground, the hole is your slab box. The sides of the form are knocked off once the concrete has dried and the slab is prepared for usage. The beauty of making a fence, or something where you’re pouring into a hole, you get to skip this step. 🙂
Gravel, sand, cement, and additional ingredients are combined to create ready-mix concrete. You can add unwanted rocks and gravel from your yard while doing a project at home!
Readymix concrete comes in bags and can be found everywhere. It has all the ingredients needed to build concrete, minus the water. Buy crack-resistant ready-mix to prevent the need for reinforcing bars (rebar) to be set for strength, as shown in the picture above. On smaller concrete slabs, its synthetic fibers render rebar unnecessary. Strength, organization, and speed are necessary for moving concrete by hand in a wheelbarrow, which is what Ive always done at home. You might need helpers for this 3-by-3-foot slab. While a third person spreads out the mixed concrete in the form, two persons will mix the concrete in the wheelbarrow. Wait till it’s dry and warm before pouring your concrete slab. The weather does come into play an affect the out come of your overall pour experience. Don’t make this a pour experience but a nice one. 😀
For five days after pouring, the ideal temperature should be 70° F or greater for the majority of ready-mixes. The drying period will be extended to seven days if you pour the slab at temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Makes it tougher for people living in colder climates to deal with concrete, but we have our ways. 🙂
Bags of concrete are very heavy; thus, have help moving them to safeguard your back. Dry concrete mix is irritating to breathing and lungs, therefore always wear breathing protection when working with it. Over all try to have fun while dealing with concrete. I think of it like i’m a big kid playing in the sand, but make a permanent sandcastle.