This is my first crack at concrete. Small job and I figure I'll need a
bit over 1.5 cubic feet, and I'm planning to do the work this afternoon.
I've almost finished my forms and am reading the instructions in my
Reader's Digest Complete DIY book.

I read the instructions on the bag of Quickcrete (60 lb.) I bought, and
it says to use 4 quarts of water with it, maximum 5 quarts. There's no
mention of how many cubic feet (or inches, I figure a cubic foot is 1725
cubic inches) I can expect to get out of a 60 lb. bag. I don't want to
mix much more than I'll need, and figure a sure don't want to mix less.
How do I determine how much to mix?

To extend the mix, I figure to put in some crushed concrete or rocks I
have. I have tons of that stuff around (maybe literally!), and figure
I'll crush some with a sledge hammer. Not much, just some near the
bottom of the pour.

Thanks for the help!

Dan

wrote:
This is my first crack at concrete. Small job and I figure I'll need a
bit over 1.5 cubic feet, and I'm planning to do the work this afternoon.
....
I read the instructions on the bag of Quickcrete (60 lb.) I bought, and
it says to use 4 quarts of water with it, maximum 5 quarts. There's no
mention of how many cubic feet (or inches, I figure a cubic foot is 1725
cubic inches) I can expect to get out of a 60 lb. bag. I don't want to
mix much more than I'll need, and figure a sure don't want to mix less.
How do I determine how much to mix?

http://www.quikrete.com/Calculator/Main.asp

A 60-lb bag will make just under 0.5 cu-ft, an 80 about 0.6. It's
printed on the bags somewhere, I'm sure.

--

On Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:06:19 -0500, dpb wrote:

wrote:
: This is my first crack at concrete. Small job and I figure I'll need a
: bit over 1.5 cubic feet, and I'm planning to do the work this afternoon.
:...
: I read the instructions on the bag of Quickcrete (60 lb.) I bought, and
: it says to use 4 quarts of water with it, maximum 5 quarts. There's no
: mention of how many cubic feet (or inches, I figure a cubic foot is 1725
: cubic inches) I can expect to get out of a 60 lb. bag. I don't want to
: mix much more than I'll need, and figure a sure don't want to mix less.
: How do I determine how much to mix?
:
:http://www.quikrete.com/Calculator/Main.asp
:
:A 60-lb bag will make just under 0.5 cu-ft, an 80 about 0.6. It's
rinted on the bags somewhere, I'm sure.

Yeah, probably printed. I cut out the instructions and threw away the
bag, storing the mix in plastic containers to seal out moisture. The
instructions don't say.

On Oct 1, 11:06*am, dpb wrote:
wrote:
This is my first crack at concrete. Small job and I figure I'll need a
bit over 1.5 cubic feet, and I'm planning to do the work this afternoon..
...
I read the instructions on the bag of Quickcrete (60 lb.) I bought, and
it says to use 4 quarts of water with it, maximum 5 quarts. There's no
mention of how many cubic feet (or inches, I figure a cubic foot is 1725
cubic inches) I can expect to get out of a 60 lb. bag. I don't want to
mix much more than I'll need, and figure a sure don't want to mix less.
How do I determine how much to mix?

http://www.quikrete.com/Calculator/Main.asp

A 60-lb bag will make just under 0.5 cu-ft, an 80 about 0.6. *It's
printed on the bags somewhere, I'm sure.

--

Info from a from a Jun 16 2007 thread

http://www.quickrete.com/PDFs/SPEC_DATA-ConcreteMix.pdf

60 lb bag .45 cu ft
80 lb bag .60 cu ft

"Dan Musicant" wrote in message
news
This is my first crack at concrete. Small job and I figure I'll need a
bit over 1.5 cubic feet, and I'm planning to do the work this afternoon.
I've almost finished my forms and am reading the instructions in my
Reader's Digest Complete DIY book.

I read the instructions on the bag of Quickcrete (60 lb.) I bought, and
it says to use 4 quarts of water with it, maximum 5 quarts. There's no
mention of how many cubic feet (or inches, I figure a cubic foot is 1725
cubic inches) I can expect to get out of a 60 lb. bag. I don't want to
mix much more than I'll need, and figure a sure don't want to mix less.
How do I determine how much to mix?

To extend the mix, I figure to put in some crushed concrete or rocks I
have. I have tons of that stuff around (maybe literally!), and figure
I'll crush some with a sledge hammer. Not much, just some near the
bottom of the pour.

Assuming you're planting a post, I'd say get a second 60# bag and bring the
volume up to 1.5 CF with your aggregate. Remember to slope the surface for
drainage away from the post.

Dan Musicant wrote:
This is my first crack at concrete. Small job and I figure I'll need a
bit over 1.5 cubic feet, and I'm planning to do the work this
afternoon. I've almost finished my forms and am reading the
instructions in my Reader's Digest Complete DIY book.

I read the instructions on the bag of Quickcrete (60 lb.) I bought,
and it says to use 4 quarts of water with it, maximum 5 quarts.
There's no mention of how many cubic feet (or inches, I figure a
cubic foot is 1725 cubic inches) I can expect to get out of a 60 lb.
bag. I don't want to mix much more than I'll need, and figure a sure
don't want to mix less. How do I determine how much to mix?

To extend the mix, I figure to put in some crushed concrete or rocks I
have. I have tons of that stuff around (maybe literally!), and figure
I'll crush some with a sledge hammer. Not much, just some near the
bottom of the pour.


Get another bag. Mix up one bag. If it's not enough, mix up the second.

Unmixed concrete doesn't keep very long. It sucks the moisture out of the
air.

Hint 1: A wheelbarrow makes an excellent mixing venue.
Hint 2. Start mixing with much less water than you think you'll need. Add a
little bit at a time. It is VERY easy to use too much water.

On Wed, 1 Oct 2008 14:30:23 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:

an Musicant wrote:
: This is my first crack at concrete. Small job and I figure I'll need a
: bit over 1.5 cubic feet, and I'm planning to do the work this
: afternoon. I've almost finished my forms and am reading the
: instructions in my Reader's Digest Complete DIY book.
:
: I read the instructions on the bag of Quickcrete (60 lb.) I bought,
: and it says to use 4 quarts of water with it, maximum 5 quarts.
: There's no mention of how many cubic feet (or inches, I figure a
: cubic foot is 1725 cubic inches) I can expect to get out of a 60 lb.
: bag. I don't want to mix much more than I'll need, and figure a sure
: don't want to mix less. How do I determine how much to mix?
:
: To extend the mix, I figure to put in some crushed concrete or rocks I
: have. I have tons of that stuff around (maybe literally!), and figure
: I'll crush some with a sledge hammer. Not much, just some near the
: bottom of the pour.
:
:
:Get another bag. Mix up one bag. If it's not enough, mix up the second.
:
:Unmixed concrete doesn't keep very long. It sucks the moisture out of the
:air.
:
:Hint 1: A wheelbarrow makes an excellent mixing venue.
:Hint 2. Start mixing with much less water than you think you'll need. Add a
:little bit at a time. It is VERY easy to use too much water.
:
OK, thanks. I'll go buy another bag. Even so, I figure I'll have to add
rock, I probably have a couple of tons in the yard! I have to break up
some, though. Did some already.l

I wish I was doing something as easy as a post, It's actually a tricky
little border. The one that's there for some reason they didn't complete
it and the rest was done with unmortared bricks, just stacked there.
Tired of realigning the bricks I decided to complete the raised concrete
border, which requires forms and some care so the whole thing matches.

I have a wheelbarrow I can use. I saw a crew do some concrete work in my
yard around a year ago and have an idea how to go about it. They did a
trenchless sewer replacement. I enjoyed watching them do the concrete.

Dan

wrote:
....
OK, thanks. I'll go buy another bag. Even so, I figure I'll have to add
rock, I probably have a couple of tons in the yard! I have to break up
some, though. Did some already.l

Get two, once you're started you won't have time for a trip.

....

I have a wheelbarrow I can use. I saw a crew do some concrete work in my
yard around a year ago and have an idea how to go about it. ...

You have a trowel and edging tool to use to put a finish on it?

--

On Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:20:08 -0500, dpb wrote:

wrote:
:...
: OK, thanks. I'll go buy another bag. Even so, I figure I'll have to add
: rock, I probably have a couple of tons in the yard! I have to break up
: some, though. Did some already.l
:
:Get two, once you're started you won't have time for a trip.
:
:...
:
: I have a wheelbarrow I can use. I saw a crew do some concrete work in my
: yard around a year ago and have an idea how to go about it. ...
:
:You have a trowel and edging tool to use to put a finish on it?

Well, don't have an edging tool and thought of making or buying one but
the concrete edging I'm duplicating here doesn't really have an edge.
The edge is basically sharp, or almost, so I'm not concerned about it. I
do have a trowel.

I bought only one extra bag, but it proved more than enough. I wound up
using a little over 1 1/2 bags. I mixed one, used it and then mixed the
other.

What I decided was that I'd dug down too far and I filled in a lot of
the trough with dirt. I think it was really too deep and a waste of
concrete.

I think it probably came out pretty OK, but won't know for sure until
it's cured, I guess. I don't know when to remove the forms. Should I
wait 5 days until the concrete's cured?

I was disappointed in the Quikcrete. It seemed to me that there was too
large a proportion of rocks, not enough cement. It was a LOT of work
getting a smooth surface. Maybe I didn't put in enough water, but
instructions I read suggested that too much water is apt to produce
crumbly concrete, whereas too little will produce concrete that's hard
to work. Rather than risk the former, I went with being maybe bit
conservative in the amount of water.

To cure, I think I'm supposed to keep it damp. How important is that?
It's supposed to rain here starting in a couple of days for maybe 1/2 a
day.

Dan

wrote:

Well, don't have an edging tool and thought of making or buying one
but the concrete edging I'm duplicating here doesn't really have an
edge. The edge is basically sharp, or almost, so I'm not concerned
about it. I do have a trowel.

I bought only one extra bag, but it proved more than enough. I wound
up using a little over 1 1/2 bags. I mixed one, used it and then
mixed the other.

What I decided was that I'd dug down too far and I filled in a lot of
the trough with dirt. I think it was really too deep and a waste of
concrete.

I think it probably came out pretty OK, but won't know for sure until
it's cured, I guess. I don't know when to remove the forms. Should I
wait 5 days until the concrete's cured?

You can remove the forms after an hour or so. I watched a professional
crew do a driveway ramp last month at a Habitat for Humanity house, and
they took off the forms after 30 minutes.

I was disappointed in the Quikcrete. It seemed to me that there was
too large a proportion of rocks, not enough cement. It was a LOT of
work getting a smooth surface. Maybe I didn't put in enough water, but
instructions I read suggested that too much water is apt to produce
crumbly concrete, whereas too little will produce concrete that's hard
to work. Rather than risk the former, I went with being maybe bit
conservative in the amount of water.

Quikcrete is fast-setting, hence the name. You only have about 15
minutes to mix it, pour it, and work it, maybe a little longer if you
mix it wet. Sakcrete is the regular stuff, with the long open time.

I like the consistency to be about like peanut butter.

To cure, I think I'm supposed to keep it damp. How important is that?
It's supposed to rain here starting in a couple of days for maybe 1/2
a day.

Don't worry about it. It's already cured. You used Quikcrete, remember?
You can spray it lightly with the hose a couple of times per day if you
want, and you can put some old tote sacks over it to keep it moist
longer. The "keep it moist" recommendation is for big jobs, like a
slab, where you worry about cracks.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

On Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:51:37 -0500, wrote:

:On Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:23:38 -0700, Dan Musicant )
:wrote:
:
:I was disappointed in the Quikcrete. It seemed to me that there was too
:large a proportion of rocks, not enough cement. It was a LOT of work
:getting a smooth surface. Maybe I didn't put in enough water, but
:instructions I read suggested that too much water is apt to produce
:crumbly concrete, whereas too little will produce concrete that's hard
:to work. Rather than risk the former, I went with being maybe bit
:conservative in the amount of water.
:
:I have always felt that Quickcrete (all brands), never contain enough
:raw cement. It's weak. I either mix my own using sand, stone, and
ortland cement, or if the job is real small I use Quickcrete, but I
:add a little more portland cement. (I bought a bag of portland some
:years ago, and keep it in a well sealed plastic pail).

THAT idea I like! Portland cement to supplement the Quikcrete. It was
murder getting that stuff smooth. I was just lucky I didn't have a lot
to do. Less than 2 square feet to smooth. It was tricky, though. There
was a tight corner where I couldn't use my trowel and I used a small
wood & compressed board one I made many years ago. Lucky I had that.

:
:As far as keeping it moist, for a small job like yours, wet rags over
:the pour work well. Saves soaking it several times a day. In hot
:weather, a tarp or plastic trash bags over the rags help too.
:
ont wait 5 days to remove forms. They will be hard to remove.
:Remove within 24 hours. In hot weather that can mean an hour after
:the pouring, but I prefer to wait several hours to avoid sag. You can
:usually tell when it's set.

I'll remove the forms today for sure. Thanks.

Dan

On Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:09:27 -0400, wrote:

:On Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:51:37 -0500, wrote:
:
:I have always felt that Quickcrete (all brands), never contain enough
:raw cement. It's weak.
:
:Not true at all. This is typically 3500 or 4000 psi

OK, so I guess my problem was that I didn't add enough water.

Dan

"Dan Musicant" wrote

Dan, I was hunting up thre quickcrete site and noted the forms for making a
brick-look. Seemed easy. Is that what you are doing? I may do it here.
The simple standard brick look seems right for this project.

On Wed, 1 Oct 2008 17:17:01 -0400, in alt.home.repair you wrote:

:"Dan Musicant" wrote
:
an, I was hunting up thre quickcrete site and noted the forms for making a
:brick-look. Seemed easy. Is that what you are doing? I may do it here.
:The simple standard brick look seems right for this project.

I'll try to describe what I did. Just next to my house there's a small
rectangular patch of ground with plants. It's about 3.5 feet by 12 feet.
On one long side is the side of the house, red brick. On the other 3
sides is a concrete surround, raised about 4 inches above the concrete
patio. For some reason, one of the shorts sides was missing, and a very
short portion of the long side. I put in the missing concrete today.

Dan

"Dan Musicant" wrote

an, I was hunting up thre quickcrete site and noted the forms for making
a
:brick-look. Seemed easy. Is that what you are doing? I may do it here.
:The simple standard brick look seems right for this project.

I'll try to describe what I did. Just next to my house there's a small
rectangular patch of ground with plants. It's about 3.5 feet by 12 feet.
On one long side is the side of the house, red brick. On the other 3
sides is a concrete surround, raised about 4 inches above the concrete
patio. For some reason, one of the shorts sides was missing, and a very
short portion of the long side. I put in the missing concrete today.

Ok thanks! Not the same project we need but interesting thread to me! Kind
of the 'learn something new each day'.

I am wondering if those quickcrete molds (see, about 2x2) work well. They
let you use quickcrete to make a sort of faux brick or stone walkway. I
need something all along the ground level sunroom addition we made, or the
mud from rain drops splatters the screens and glass. I was thinking in our
case, a double wide set (about 4ft out) would meet our needs. The other
idea was a 3ft or so suround of ground level trex decking but we havent the
money for that just now.

I liked the look best of the simple 'brick' mold where you add their
colorant to make it terra cotta. I am lucky as they have a store near me.

Now, to see (possibly in a separate post so as to not mess up yours) if any
have any experience with this sort of need, and what they found.

On Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:27:25 -0400, wrote:

:On Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:01:45 -0700, Dan Musicant )
:wrote:
:
:On Wed, 1 Oct 2008 14:30:23 -0500, "HeyBub"
:wrote:
:
:an Musicant wrote:
:: This is my first crack at concrete. Small job and I figure I'll need a
:: bit over 1.5 cubic feet, and I'm planning to do the work this
:: afternoon. I've almost finished my forms and am reading the
:: instructions in my Reader's Digest Complete DIY book.
::
:: I read the instructions on the bag of Quickcrete (60 lb.) I bought,
:: and it says to use 4 quarts of water with it, maximum 5 quarts.
:: There's no mention of how many cubic feet (or inches, I figure a
:: cubic foot is 1725 cubic inches) I can expect to get out of a 60 lb.
:: bag. I don't want to mix much more than I'll need, and figure a sure
:: don't want to mix less. How do I determine how much to mix?
::
:: To extend the mix, I figure to put in some crushed concrete or rocks I
:: have. I have tons of that stuff around (maybe literally!), and figure
:: I'll crush some with a sledge hammer. Not much, just some near the
:: bottom of the pour.
::
::
::Get another bag. Mix up one bag. If it's not enough, mix up the second.
::
::Unmixed concrete doesn't keep very long. It sucks the moisture out of the
::air.
::
::Hint 1: A wheelbarrow makes an excellent mixing venue.
::Hint 2. Start mixing with much less water than you think you'll need. Add a
::little bit at a time. It is VERY easy to use too much water.
::
:OK, thanks. I'll go buy another bag. Even so, I figure I'll have to add
:rock, I probably have a couple of tons in the yard! I have to break up
:some, though. Did some already.l
:
:I wish I was doing something as easy as a post, It's actually a tricky
:little border. The one that's there for some reason they didn't complete
:it and the rest was done with unmortared bricks, just stacked there.
:Tired of realigning the bricks I decided to complete the raised concrete
:border, which requires forms and some care so the whole thing matches.
:
:I have a wheelbarrow I can use. I saw a crew do some concrete work in my
:yard around a year ago and have an idea how to go about it. They did a
:trenchless sewer replacement. I enjoyed watching them do the concrete.
:
:Dan
:
:Concrete is cheap. If this is something more than fence posts, don't
:try to save 4 bucks using rocks. If I was figuring 1.5 cu/ft I would
:get 4 60s and have one left over if I was right but you don't want to
:be 1.45 yards in and run out. (or just put in too much water and need
:some more concrete mix to get it right). Kept in a drywall bucket with
:a good top it lasts quite a while if you don't mix it up..

Yes, it was pretty cheap. I got two 60 lb. bags of Quikcrete concrete
mix for under $5. I decided I didn't really need 1.5 cu. ft., more like
..75. I did put some rocks in there, but it turned out I really didn't
need those because I had a fair amount left over (mixed).

Dan