When you are working with concrete projects in your yard to add a sidewalk, patio, or a foundation slab for a shed, you want to have the right type of concrete in quality and quantity to complete your concrete pour project successfully. Here are some recommendations to help you out with your upcoming concrete project.
Prepare For Your Concrete Order
As you calculate how much concrete you will need to have delivered to your home, be sure you calculate it as accurately as possible. Measure the slab site where you will be pouring the concrete, being sure to calculate its width, length, and thickness for a full concrete requirement. It is also a good idea to add a bit more to your order to compensate for any extra concrete that you might need when you pour it. This can be needed if you, for example, excavate too much in one area of your prepared site and the concrete needs to be slightly thicker in this spot, or if you spill a bit of the concrete onto surrounding areas.
It is better to have a little bit too much ready mix concrete than to not have enough. The reason for this is because it is difficult for fresh concrete to adhere to concrete that was previously cured, as it will most likely separate and give you a poor surface. Be sure that you arrange for a sufficient amount of concrete so you don't run out before your concrete surface is poured. You can arrange to dispose of any unused part of your ready mix concrete order either by using it on your property to shore up loose fence posts or fill in missing landscape edging, as examples. Or contact the concrete supplier for their disposal options.
Protect Your Concrete Surface
After you have poured your concrete, you will need to take the proper steps to ensure that it is finished right and fully cures to a hard surface. Your concrete's cure process is a chemical reaction that occurs within the mixture of concrete and water, and will take a few days for it to complete. However, you may want to finish the surface of your concrete with a smooth or textured finish, depending on your needs and the concrete.
For a textured surface, you can apply rock salt onto the surface and compress it down, then rinse it from the concrete after it hardens. A broom finish is a good way to add small amounts of texture, or you can smooth it with a trowel. Then be sure your concrete remains dry from rain with a plastic tarp covering, and to keep it moist in times of excessive heat and low humidity by misting it appropriately.
Keep these tips in mind when looking for ready mix concrete.