Summary: Most of us know that concrete is a moistened mixture of three vital components; cement, crushed stones and sand with an approximate ratio of 1-4-2. In order to make concrete, you have to mix them in proper proportions. If you are not an expert in doing this mixing then you have the option of buying pre-mixed concrete that is readily available today. If you buy a pre-mixed concrete then you only have to add water into it in order to make it usable.
Now, let’s start pouring some concrete. You might need pouring concrete on an area of your driveway or the sidewalk that has got cracks in it. You can add concrete to renovate your deck stairs. If you take a look around in and outside your home, you will find that there are many concrete projects waiting for your attention. For example you might need to renovate your driveway. You might need to renovate or build from scratch your concrete steps.
If you have your personal garden outside your home and you want to make a bird bath, you can easily make a concrete bird bath for them. In short, you may have plenty of concrete projects inside or outside your home that don’t require experts. For home related small concrete projects, you are not required to ask the concrete companies to send their monster trucks to your home. Most of us think that making a mix concrete is a very complicated task. In reality, it is not. Mixing a small amount of concrete is not a very complicated task. You can easily do it if you are willing for a little heavy work. Follow these steps for efficiently preparing and pouring concrete:
· Your first step would be to start preparing that area in which you want to use the concrete. What do you need to do in order to prepare the area? You need to make a deep dig. The dig should be deep enough in order to make sure that you can easily put a layer of gravel.
· Make proper measurements and dimensions.
· Thoroughly tamp the gravel.
· If you are using concrete on areas that have small cracks then try to clean the area as much as you can.
· The next step would be to make strong forms that will house the wet concrete. Forms can be made by using lumbers like 2*4 or 2*6.
· Use motor oils to in order to ensure that the forms can easily be removed once the concrete becomes hard and dry.
· Use stakes in order to hold the forms firmly at their place. Use stakes after every 24 “. Always make sure that you have correct measurements so that you can estimate the amount of cement and concrete required.
· In order to make your final product stronger and free from cracks, use wire meshes or rebar while pouring the concrete.
· You have several options for mixing concretes. You can buy sand, concrete and gravel separately and can mix them yourself or you can buy a pre-mixed concrete too. If you buy a pre-mixed concrete then you just have to add water into it. Whatever approach you choose, make sure that you read the directions that come along with them.
· If you have chosen to mix concrete yourself and you have a small batch of concrete then you are not required to buy a cement mixer. You can use various plastic cement mixing pan to do the job for you. You can also use big cake pans that are about 6-8 inches deep. You might have to use concrete hoe in order to mix the concrete yourself. Concrete hoe looks like a garden hoe. The only difference is that it has two holes in the blade. Make sure that you have all necessary tools before mixing the concrete.
· One of the most common mistakes that most people do while mixing concrete is adding excessive water. You should know how much water is required when mixing concrete. Remember the simple formula; less water results in stronger concrete and excessive water results in fragile concrete.
· Always add water slowly and gradually while mixing. The final mixture should always be thick enough so that it won’t flow immediately into a level puddle.
· Fill the forms with concrete.
· Use hammer or any other material to tap the outside of the form in order to drive any air bubbles that remains inside the concrete.
· Level the concrete by using straightedge across the top of form.
· To give a much better finishing look, you can use a trowel.
· Let the concrete dry slowly and steadily. Remember, the more slowly it dries, the stronger it will be. You should always take necessary actions to cover the concrete. One useful tip is to pour the concrete on a really cool day so it won’t dry early. If you have no other option than pouring concrete on a hot day, then also make sure that you spray water all the times in order to slow down the process of drying.
· Continue the drying process for few days and then gently remove the forms and then fill in the complete area around concrete with topsoil or gravel as required. The forms should be removed with ease if you have used motor oil on the forms.
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