- Location
- Lake Havasu City, AZ USA
Quick question, Im curious. How many batches in the mixer did that area take? Also, how many bags per mix? I have a area about that size Im thinking of doing myself.
Thanks in advance!
What's your view look like today?
- Thread starter OCD Solutions
- Start date
Quick question, Im curious. How many batches in the mixer did that area take? Also, how many bags per mix? I have a area about that size Im thinking of doing myself.
Thanks in advance!
- Location
- Lake Havasu City, AZ USA
View attachment 305207
Went to the sports med dr and said I need a mri to confirm. He said it could be a tib/fib compression fracture, acl tear, lcl tear. Could be one of them, or all three. But it's so swollen and the pain he couldn't do all the knee tests. Best case scenario is a tib/fib fracture. Bad way to end a sweet ass vacation.
So sorry this happened. I want to hit the like button, because I feel for ya man, but its just not right clicking "like".
We need a consolement button and also a "un-like" for things we dont like. lol
Take care & get well!
OCD Solutions
Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
- Location
- Rentz, GA
You know there's an app for that, lol.
https://www.quikrete.com/calculator/main.asp
My area was 4'x12' and the calculator told me I needed 28 80lb bags to achieve a 4" slab. I purchased 32 to be safe and ended up using 26 bags. My space was actually only 11' long and not 12'. I had rounded up and then added another 10% so I wouldn't short myself on material.
The mixer is a cheap Harbor freight unit I borrowed from a coworker. It has a 3.5 cuft hopper and handles 2 - 80lb bags just fine. Add 3 quarts of water per bag and mixed for 4 minutes a batch. Starting at the back corner, I mixed 3 batches (6 bags) and then paused to level, screed and finish the area while I could still reach it.
There were some really good tips given earlier when I mentioned that I was doing the project so I will repeat them here. They were spot on and made a big difference knowing them beforehand.
1 - add the water to the mixer before the concrete.
2 - mix with the hopper as flat as possible without letting the mix spill out.
Other tips I learned in the process;
1 - Excess water washes the cement off the rocks. So does over mixing. An 80lb bag requires 3 qts of water. Adding as much as 1 extra qt reduces the strength by as much as 40%.
2 - Add your water, tilt the hopper straight up and bring to a stop to add your bags. Start the mixer back up and then tilt as flat as possible while it mixes. Adjust the angle as it mixes to achieve the most turnover and best agitation.
3 - Agitate the form to ensure you get a nice finish. A dry mixture will leave a crumbled and undesirable finish once you strip your forms. Easiest is to tap the form with a hammer to bring the smooth finish but others have used a vibrating sander up against the form. My father actually keeps a couple old palm sanders around and will seal them in a plastic bag and insert them right into the concrete on really important "aesthetic" pours.
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Did you find it was worth mixing yourself over ordering from your local ready mix retailer all things considered?
- Location
- amarillo ,tx
OCD Solutions
Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
- Location
- Rentz, GA
The redi mix plants usually have a minimum order of 1.5 yards. My project was something like .51/ yard so mixing at home is kinda the only option.
My father has gone in with his one-ton right to the batch plant and had them drop smaller quantities onto the back of the truck. That's a good option if you can get your truck up to the pour area but I could not, plus I only have a half ton. As it was, I had to make two trips to bring the Cement home from Lowes.
All things considered, I believe I did it it the best way possible.
The whole project cost me under $150 and about 9 hours of my time.
There's almost 2 years of procrastination to factor in there somewhere as well. I'm paying for that in other ways.
My father has gone in with his one-ton right to the batch plant and had them drop smaller quantities onto the back of the truck. That's a good option if you can get your truck up to the pour area but I could not, plus I only have a half ton. As it was, I had to make two trips to bring the Cement home from Lowes.
All things considered, I believe I did it it the best way possible.
The whole project cost me under $150 and about 9 hours of my time.
There's almost 2 years of procrastination to factor in there somewhere as well. I'm paying for that in other ways.
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BruceSki
Formerly Motoman25
- Location
- Long Island
Been doing transformer inspections the last couple days with a thermal camera
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We have guys come in once a year and do that. It's pretty cool!
What do you do?
Big Kahuna
Administrator
- Location
- Tuscaloosa, AL
You could have just bought some concrete pavers and some crushed stone........... Just saying.The redi mix plants usually have a minimum order of 1.5 yards. My project was something like .51/ yard so mixing at home is kinda the only option.
My father has gone in with his one-ton right to the batch plant and had them drop smaller quantities onto the back of the truck. That's a good option if you can get your truck up to the pour area but I could not, plus I only have a half ton. As it was, I had to make two trips to bring the Cement home from Lowes.
All things considered, I believe I did it it the best way possible.
The whole project cost me under $150 and about 9 hours of my time.
There's almost 2 years of procrastination to factor in there somewhere as well. I'm paying for that in other ways.
BruceSki
Formerly Motoman25
- Location
- Long Island
Operating engineer. Part of a 31 man crew running a 24-7 power plant. We also supply domestic hot water, heating and air conditioning to 20 high rise apartment buildings, a strip mall and a "big mall".
OCD Solutions
Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
- Location
- Rentz, GA
We had that at our last house and hated it. We pulled the pavers up 3 times over 5 years to clear out weeds, relevel and improve the undermat to improve weed control
If the right answer is $150 and 9hrs labor for a concrete pad, I say we made the right choice. Concrete is a done deal now for the life of the home. No weeds growing up, no uneven edges, no maintenance other than pressure washing it once a year.
Ducky
Back in the game!
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
Heck yea, I hate pavers. I did concrete work for a few summers (Stamped concrete patios, walkways, driveways, etc) and it looks like you did a fantastic job for a DIY! Ive seen professional jobs from companies that look far worse.
Now, you should research stamped concrete overlays, and have a good at that yourself! Overlaying that patio would be cake, and you can rent the stamps, and then you would have a stone or brick look patio!!!!!!
OCD Solutions
Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
- Location
- Rentz, GA
Not quite a DIY'er. My parents have been general contractors for 40 plus years so I literally grew up in the building trades doing this type of work. I skipped kindergarten and went to the jobsite with my dad everyday. Worked after school, weekends and summer breaks right up to graduation and even while I was doing my electrical apprenticeship.
My uncle owned White Rock Redi-Mix for 25+ years and my grandfather owned a placing company for 35+ years before his knees gave out. He drove a mixer for the next 15 or so years for my uncle and I used to get to ride along in the truck and listen to him yell "instructions" to all the placers, lol.
So, I'd say I've seen some concrete in my days. Always had a knack for finishing work too.
We messed with the stamps and dies for a couple projects but I never liked the finish. I was always a fan of concrete as smooth as glass. I achieved it at one of my houses and promptly had to etch walkways in it before I killed my renter. Smooth concrete and a drift of snow is a deadly combo.
My uncle owned White Rock Redi-Mix for 25+ years and my grandfather owned a placing company for 35+ years before his knees gave out. He drove a mixer for the next 15 or so years for my uncle and I used to get to ride along in the truck and listen to him yell "instructions" to all the placers, lol.
So, I'd say I've seen some concrete in my days. Always had a knack for finishing work too.
We messed with the stamps and dies for a couple projects but I never liked the finish. I was always a fan of concrete as smooth as glass. I achieved it at one of my houses and promptly had to etch walkways in it before I killed my renter. Smooth concrete and a drift of snow is a deadly combo.
- Location
- Hermosa Beach, CA
Truth hurts
Good service is a lost art...I promise. Based on personal employment in restaurant industry for 12 years. The current generation has trouble making eye contact.
OCD Solutions
Original, Clean and Dependable Solutions
- Location
- Rentz, GA
That's the customer that wrote that, not the wait staff. That's harsh and I feel really, really bad for laughing at it!
- Location
- amarillo ,tx
Yep everytime we go eat olive garden it either takes 30 mins for them to get to us once we sit, down or we get a stupid waitress that screws everthing up
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