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 In one video, David Odell of Odell Complete
Concrete shows how to make a concrete pad for a patio, which he says
is easy for beginners. Odell uses an existing patio and pours right
over it with the concrete going out beyond the patio area.
Odell and his crew set up a three-sided form that is 12-by-16 feet.
He says there is a 1.5 percent slope from the house to the outside
edge, so water drains away from it.
Odell says that a lot of times when you pour over concrete and a
portion of it is dirt, it may crack right at the edge of where the
old concrete stopped. They put the rebar all the way through and
across overlapping that old concrete, so it won't crack there.
Consideration needs to be given if there are differing sub-surfaces,
as in this instance being part dirt and part old concrete. Before
pouring the new mix, Odell puts a lot of water on the dirt side of
the pad because dirt will absorb water out of the new concrete mix.
The wet mix going over the old concrete will dry a little slower
because all the water in the concrete has to go up.
Odell says his concrete mixture is pea gravel with fiber mesh in it.
For smaller projects you might considering whether to choose
concrete mixed or mixing it yourself on site. Odell says if you have
the space, you could bring the concrete mixer in through the side
yards. In the video example they did not have access through the
side yards, so concrete had to be pumped. You can also mix concrete
yourself by hand.
Odell says if you really want to do a little home patio by yourself,
starting on something like the size of the patio he is working on or
even a little smaller is a good place to start.
After the concrete is poured, Odell refers to the leveling process
as 'rodding' the area off. Excess wet concrete is removed and the
project is leveled. This is most easily achieved with two people
using a flat edge set across the full width and sawed in small
strokes back and forth down the length.
Once level, Odell uses a three-and-a-half foot magnesium bull float
with a long handle in his first process to smooth the wet surface.
After this point, what you will need to do is cut your joints. Odell
put one joint through the middle so that it is right at 8 feet,
making two 8-by-12 foot sections in the patio.
Odell says you can use a ¾ inch or ¼ inch edge, which is a pretty
common standard. In this instance, a 1/2 inch radius edges the whole
perimeter.
As the cement gets drier and you lose water off the top, you can run
trowels over it to produce a smooth surface.
Odell says they had to use a broom on the patio a little early on
the outside edge where they did not have concrete under it because
it dried quicker. After brooming the whole edge, they had to wait
for the middle to dry.
Odell says if you are not around to keep the concrete wet with a
hose, you will want to use a concrete curing compound to help hold
the moisture in, so the concrete dries a little more slowly. That
way, you have less chance of shrinkage cracks.
Odell sprays concrete cure on the area with a little garden sprayer.
He says the sun makes a big difference in the drying time, which
should always be considered when you are pouring concrete.
Since Odell oiled the forms with standard-use
motor oil, he can strip the wooden forms off the same day without
any problem. He says people also use vegetable oil or diesel fuel to
break the concrete bond on wood.
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 Check out the steps Odell and his crew used
How to Pour a
Concrete Slab for Beginners DIY
Add design and character to your concrete with
stamps
Whether you are pouring a concrete patio, driveway, or walkway,
stamping concrete with special designs has become a popular trend.
A crew from Decorative Concrete Resources demonstrates the process
for stamping in easy to follow steps.
Before stamping they use a bull float on the concrete surface, then
a trowel. The next step is applying a powder release agent. In this
example, concrete texturing "skins" are used on the edge.
Stamping mats are placed and then tamped evenly with the tamping
tool showed. The squeeze joints are "rolled or tooled down" to fix
up spots when necessary.
The next day the crew cleans the surface starting by rinsing the
release agent with a hose. They do one final detailing of the "fins
and squeeze joints."
To remove the release, an acid wash with cleaning agent is made of
ten parts water and one part muriatic acid. Using light broom swirls
removes the release.
The concrete must be thoroughly rinsed and allowed to dry, then new
release is rubbed in the joints to darken.
The final step is to apply two thin coats of sealer.
To view the process that Decorative Concrete
Resources uses go to:
MCA - Stamped
Concrete Process Add color,
definition, drama or fun; paint your concrete
Painting is another way to decorate concrete flooring, patios and
walkways.
ABN Painting shows the steps for painting concrete flooring.
Since the area in their video was previously painted, little prep
work was needed. The painters first pressure wash the area and use a
special solution to clean it.
They paint the lines using a brush and "Deck Over" paint. A roller
is used for painting the remaining area.
When the first coat has had time to dry, a second coat is applied.
The finished product shows how much brighter the area looks after it
has been painted.
See how painting concrete is done at:
How to
Stamp Concrete Whether you want to
pour a concrete pad or walkway, decorate the concrete by stamping or
painting, the steps can be fairly simple and easy to follow and
yield satisfying rewards that will last for years.
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