Awl--

I'm getting ready to pour a floor, which has to be done in sections of about
2.5 feet by 14 feet, by about 4 to 6" deep--or about 1/2 to 2/3 of a cubic
yard at a time. Cupla Q's:

Any experience with HF mixers? They have 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 cu ft mixers. I've
rented a 2.5 cu ft mixer, which seemed convenient ito # bags of ready mix
one could put in it--but don't quite recall all the details--it was a pretty
traumatic experience.
For some reason, some of the HF 1.5 cu ft mixers are more expensive than the
larger ones. Why would that be? Same HF mfr--Central Machinery.

Should I use wire or rebar? What size rebar?
I plan on using QuickCrete mix, or the equivalent.
Any tips? Should I break up the pour into, say, 2.5 by 3.5 foot sections,
or just a continuous 2.5 by 14 ft pour? If smaller sections, is 3/4 pine OK
for the joints?
Lay down plastic sheeting first? Any kind in particular?

Not a critical pour (shop floor), but don't want to screw things up
unncecessarily, either.

Would like a demo on getting a smooth floor. Any advice or mebbe a dvd on
this I could buy? Mebbe Sakrete puts one out. Or Jimmy Hoffa?

TIA. Appreciate all input.
--
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll

I am just wondering... why does it need to be in so many pieces? The
more sections you pour (especially the smaller ones you describe) the
more cold joints you will have, the more movement you will have, and
the harder your floor will be to finish.

You shop floor should be burned smooth with a troweling machine so that
you can easily sweep away all the dust and debris you will generate.
With all those cold joints, your floor will be rough, your machines
will not roll, when the floor heaves due to climatic conditions your
floor will be uneven and if all sections are not properly doweled to
together, they will separate with wild abandon.

This is you shop; take the money you are spending on the mixer and
concrete, and pour it in one piece if you can. Your expansion joints
should be cut into the new floor with a walk behind concrete saw
(easily rented) about an inch deep to divide it into sections that will
move with the substrate.

When I was pouring tilt panels and lots of concrete all the time, we
cut our panels with the walk behind saw the day after pouring so the
concrete was still really green and easy to cut.

Robert

we tried doing an outside pour with truck delivered mix in sections and
in a hurry found out how stupid we were not to get a loan and bids with
a concrete contractor. we wound up short handed, sucked at finishing
the surface, and all our work was a waste of time and had to be torn
out.

with such a large amount of concrete needed the cost of sakrete will
eat you alive... really compare the cost of 5 yards truck delievered
and 5 yards of bags. sakrete will likey be 5 times the cost.

you will get a better job and near the same price and a ton less work
by having it done professionally.

because sakrete or buying concrete materials sand cement gravel costs
so much more than delivery by concrete truck

i once poured a 30X40 slab (in four sections) with a 1/4 yard mixer. i
had a large crew. never again! the batches are inconsistent and the
time lag between the first and the last made finishing a nightmare.

even with ready mix, there are many ways for a beginner to screw up a
slab finish. mixing small batches will make it even tougher.

I'd use rebar just because it's cheap insurance IMO, though probably
not necessary. you can also use fiber mesh to control cracking.

whether you use plastic (6 mil black) under the slab depends. don't
need it for a garage. definitely in a house. i'd strongly consider
using foam instead of plastic. don't think you need anything in your
joints. you only need expansion joint material where a slab is butting
into something you don't want to move, like a foundation.

as for finishing techniques, you can google finishing concrete and find
some info. make sure you have the right tools. you can't float with a
steel trowel and you can't trowel with a float. again, if there is any
way to pour it all at once do it. and rent a power trowel.

Proctologically Violated©® wrote:
Awl--

I'm getting ready to pour a floor, which has to be done in sections of about
2.5 feet by 14 feet, by about 4 to 6" deep--or about 1/2 to 2/3 of a cubic
yard at a time. Cupla Q's:

Any experience with HF mixers? They have 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 cu ft mixers. I've
rented a 2.5 cu ft mixer, which seemed convenient ito # bags of ready mix
one could put in it--but don't quite recall all the details--it was a pretty
traumatic experience.
For some reason, some of the HF 1.5 cu ft mixers are more expensive than the
larger ones. Why would that be? Same HF mfr--Central Machinery.

Should I use wire or rebar? What size rebar?
I plan on using QuickCrete mix, or the equivalent.
Any tips? Should I break up the pour into, say, 2.5 by 3.5 foot sections,
or just a continuous 2.5 by 14 ft pour? If smaller sections, is 3/4 pine OK
for the joints?
Lay down plastic sheeting first? Any kind in particular?

Not a critical pour (shop floor), but don't want to screw things up
unncecessarily, either.

Would like a demo on getting a smooth floor. Any advice or mebbe a dvd on
this I could buy? Mebbe Sakrete puts one out. Or Jimmy Hoffa?

TIA. Appreciate all input.
--
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll


I helped my dad pour a lot of concrete, concrete
walls, and we used a 3 or 4 cubic foot mixer. I
wouldn't want to use anything less than 3-4 cF for
the amount you are pouring. It makes no sense to
use ready mix when you are mixing it; the cost
will be enormous. You need to buy a gravel-sand
mix (often called road mix) and cement. Count the
shovels of road mix, count the shovels of cement,
count the gallons of water.

Two people work fairly well, one mixing, one
placing the concrete when putting it in wall
forms. If you have it pretty well set up, the
stuff will be just about done mixing when the
wheelbarrow gets back. You probably want 3 or 4
people for doing a floor. You are only talking
3-5 loads assuming 3 cf mixer and wheelbarrow; so
thats probably 20-40 minutes of mixing.

As to the questions, you need a book to look at
for how to prepare for the floor, using wire,
screeding, etc.

you know building all the forms and getting them just right will be a
ton of additional work.

at least get a estimate for a concrete truck as well as a finished
estimate along with the cost of sakrete for comparison purposes

at least that way you can make a informed decision

wrote in message

at least get a estimate for a concrete truck as well as a finished
estimate along with the cost of sakrete for comparison purposes

at least that way you can make a informed decision

Keep in mind also, it is tough work. If you drive a desk all day, it may be
beyond your physical capability.

As others have said, I think you should hire the work done as you
don't know how and some of your questions indicate you have little
experience. That said, we all started somewhere. Errors in
concrete are harder to erase than some other materials.

Concrete likes to be square. Concrete never likes to be larger
than 12 feet. You are considering some long skinny rectangles
that do not lend themselves to concrete. Can you make the
sections 7x7 or 3.5x3.5? 7x7x4" would be just over a 1/2 cubic
yard per section. Most sack concrete is 2500# on its best day.
This mix is difficult for professionals to get a slick hard floor.
If you pursue this course, either get the sack concrete with more
portland in it or add your own. Be very careful about the size of
sacked concrete you purchase. 1 (one) cubic foot of concrete
weighs 140-155 pounds depending on several variables. Some sacks
are 40 #, 60#, 80#. Plan on an 80# bag to make about a 1/2 cubic
foot, about 30 bags for a 7x7 with very accurate sub grade.

Wire mesh holds the cracked pieces together after they crack, it
is not a reinforcement. Rebar is a marginal reinforcement when
used in a 4" slab as you don't have much concrete cover over the
bar, but you could use #3 bar on 16 to 24 in centers. Make sure
you position the rebar at or slightly below center of slab as you
are trying to reinforce the concrete in tension.

You've not said if this is in an existing space or a new slab for
a shop. You've made no mention of footing or thickened edge, so I
assume it must be existing space. No code authority would allow
you to build it without a footing. Either way, I would put a
vapor barrier under the slab. For your purposes 6 mil visqueen
should be adequate. What kind of shop?
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"Proctologically Violated©®" wrote in message
...
Awl--

I'm getting ready to pour a floor, which has to be done in
sections of about 2.5 feet by 14 feet, by about 4 to 6" deep--or
about 1/2 to 2/3 of a cubic yard at a time. Cupla Q's:

Any experience with HF mixers? They have 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 cu ft
mixers. I've rented a 2.5 cu ft mixer, which seemed convenient
ito # bags of ready mix one could put in it--but don't quite
recall all the details--it was a pretty traumatic experience.
For some reason, some of the HF 1.5 cu ft mixers are more
expensive than the larger ones. Why would that be? Same HF
mfr--Central Machinery.

Should I use wire or rebar? What size rebar?
I plan on using QuickCrete mix, or the equivalent.
Any tips? Should I break up the pour into, say, 2.5 by 3.5 foot
sections, or just a continuous 2.5 by 14 ft pour? If smaller
sections, is 3/4 pine OK for the joints?
Lay down plastic sheeting first? Any kind in particular?

Not a critical pour (shop floor), but don't want to screw things
up unncecessarily, either.

Would like a demo on getting a smooth floor. Any advice or
mebbe a dvd on this I could buy? Mebbe Sakrete puts one out.
Or Jimmy Hoffa?

TIA. Appreciate all input.
--
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll