Build & Remodel

[aprilbell81]

I want to lay a cement slab in my back yard. any help on how to do this by myself

[Paul]

How big of a slab and what is the intended use?

This link to Home Depot's how-to on concrete will get you started. But if this slab is for a reasonable sized patio area, you'll probably want to have a truck deliver the concrete to your site. If they can't get the truck right up to the area, be prepared to pay for pumping it or be ready to buy a lot of pizza and beer for the friends running wheelbarrows back and forth from the truck to your form...

[punkybrewster]

Just an are to hang out with the dog abd friends. I have a slab now which has risen and cracked really bad. Figured i would have to remove that one first before getting to anything.

[punkybrewster]

Approx size is 6 by 6

[Chris_HD_CHI]

Hey punkybrewster.

Well, to get rid of the old slab you will need to rent a demolition hammer.  Here is a picture of a larger model.  Smaller ones are available and will just take a little longer to break up the old slab.

Once the slab is out of the way, frame out the new patio and add stone so you will end up with at least a 4" thick slab.

Compact the stone with either a plate compactor, or for this size patio you could use a hand tamper.

Another item you may want to rent is a concrete mixer.  You will need somewhere around 20 80# bags of concrete.

Other tools you may want to buy and probably don't have would include a hand float to get a smooth level finish, and then a concrete brush to rough it up just enough not to be slippery.  The concrete how-to Paul mentioned above will give you a good head start.

I hope this helps,

Newf.

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[con]

Does the wood form need to be "oiled" before the concrete is poured?

[Chris_HD_CHI]

Hi con.  Welcome to the Community!

No, the wood forms need no oiling.  They will simply pull away from the concrete edges after the duplex (2 headed) nails and stakes are removed a couple days after the pour.  A very few folks use screws to set the forms, which I suppose is OK for really small jobs.  If you splash a lot of concrete over the form edges, clean it up as soon as possible, and the form will just pull away when you tear it out.

You may see references to "oiling" forms.  This is a method used on those rare occasions when you would want to finish the side edges soon after the pour as the concrete sets up.  Wax paper works as well.  For a cement patio this is not worth either the time or effort.  The nice rounded end you get after you use an edger around the forms makes a nice transition to the sides which will end up mostly buried or hidden anyway.  You will be busy enough making sure that the patio surface is properly finished, so don't worry about the sides.

I hope this helps,

Newf.

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