It is pretty much a given that if you have high traffic areas on the exterior
of your home, they will eventually become bare, dirty and muddy. These areas
that are constantly used won’t grow grass, but you can eliminate the mud and
create a more attractive area décor by pouring a concrete pad.
Materials and Tools
The basic tools for pouring concrete include a hammer, shovel, level and a
wheelbarrow as well as an edger and a groover; some gardening tools can be
useful as well. Several materials will also be needed for preparing the
concrete: concrete, gravel, a mason’s cord, fine sand, forming beads and
concrete sealer.
Choosing the Right Concrete Mix
There are several different options to choose from to ensure you purchase the
right concrete mix and the amount you will need to complete your project.
Available options include:
- Regular concrete mix, which is a combination of gravel, sand and
Portland cement.
- High early strength concrete mix, which is a form of concrete that
contains certain ingredients that will allow the concrete to be setup
faster. This is your best option when placing a concrete pad.
- Fiber-reinforced mix, which is a combination of regular concrete mix and
synthetic fibers to add strength to the mixture.
Getting Ready to Pour the Concrete
Your fist step in pouring the concrete is to get the concrete form set in place.
The concrete forming boards need to be set up correctly. The inside of the
boards should be coated with oil or grease. If you are using fiber-reinforced
concrete, you need to use wire mesh. After preparing the concrete, place the wet
concrete into the concrete form. Spread the concrete smoothly as well as give it
a surface finish. The next step is to do edging and grooving on the concrete
pad.
The Final Steps
Curing and sealing concrete pads are the final two steps. Curing and sealing
help to make concrete pads stronger and last longer. To achieve curing, cover
the concrete pad with plastic and leave the concrete pad covered for 48 hours.
Doing so will prevent the concrete pad from flash drying. After 48 hours, remove
the plastic cover and let the concrete pad cure. How long the concrete pad cures
depends on the concrete mix used as well as the instructions indicated in the
manufacturer's label. After curing is complete, it is time to add a high quality
concrete sealer to the concrete pad. |
