Firstly, thanks to those who offered advice on my recent
queries regarding my new garage concrete base.

I now have a big problem and I'd be very grateful for advice.

A third of the slab has been laid, but it looks like I have a
strip of about 2ft by 8ft at the far end of the slab (under
which will be the end of the concrete sectional garage) which
seems to have very low concrete to ballast ratio. So much so,
that 24 hours after laying, I can break the surface with my
thumb. I'm guessing that it's been mixed at about 6 to 1
ratio, opposed to the correct 3 to 1. A part of the slab that
_does_ have the correct ratio, is rock hard.

How much of a problem might this be? Should I wait a further 24
hours and see if it firms up, or is it so obviously compromised
that I should rip up the slab and start again.

I'd hate to build the garage and find that the poor concrete at
the end starts falling away.

Anybody else here had a simialr predicament?

Advice, or even ****-taking, welcome.

Mal.

Mal Jackson wrote:
Firstly, thanks to those who offered advice on my recent
queries regarding my new garage concrete base.

I now have a big problem and I'd be very grateful for advice.

A third of the slab has been laid, but it looks like I have a
strip of about 2ft by 8ft at the far end of the slab (under
which will be the end of the concrete sectional garage) which
seems to have very low concrete to ballast ratio. So much so,
that 24 hours after laying, I can break the surface with my
thumb. I'm guessing that it's been mixed at about 6 to 1
ratio, opposed to the correct 3 to 1. A part of the slab that
_does_ have the correct ratio, is rock hard.

How much of a problem might this be? Should I wait a further 24
hours and see if it firms up, or is it so obviously compromised
that I should rip up the slab and start again.

I'd hate to build the garage and find that the poor concrete at
the end starts falling away.

Anybody else here had a simialr predicament?

Advice, or even ****-taking, welcome.

Mal.

Even 6 to 1 should be fine. I'd wait a few days. Concrete doesn't always
dry out evenly

Mal Jackson wrote:

Firstly, thanks to those who offered advice on my recent
queries regarding my new garage concrete base.

I now have a big problem and I'd be very grateful for advice.

A third of the slab has been laid, but it looks like I have a
strip of about 2ft by 8ft at the far end of the slab (under
which will be the end of the concrete sectional garage) which
seems to have very low concrete to ballast ratio. So much so,
that 24 hours after laying, I can break the surface with my
thumb. I'm guessing that it's been mixed at about 6 to 1
ratio, opposed to the correct 3 to 1. A part of the slab that
_does_ have the correct ratio, is rock hard.

How much of a problem might this be? Should I wait a further 24
hours and see if it firms up, or is it so obviously compromised
that I should rip up the slab and start again.

I'd hate to build the garage and find that the poor concrete at
the end starts falling away.

Anybody else here had a simialr predicament?

Advice, or even ****-taking, welcome.

Mal.

Concrete takes around 28 days to almost fully cure, and is usually
very soft after a day, so much so that an ordinary brush will remove
it at that stage. Just let it set.


NT

In message , Stuart Noble
writes
Mal Jackson wrote:
Firstly, thanks to those who offered advice on my recent queries
regarding my new garage concrete base.
I now have a big problem and I'd be very grateful for advice.
A third of the slab has been laid, but it looks like I have a strip
of about 2ft by 8ft at the far end of the slab (under which will be
the end of the concrete sectional garage) which seems to have very
low concrete to ballast ratio. So much so, that 24 hours after
laying, I can break the surface with my thumb. I'm guessing that
it's been mixed at about 6 to 1 ratio, opposed to the correct 3 to 1.
A part of the slab that _does_ have the correct ratio, is rock hard.
How much of a problem might this be? Should I wait a further 24 hours
and see if it firms up, or is it so obviously compromised that I
should rip up the slab and start again.
I'd hate to build the garage and find that the poor concrete at the
end starts falling away.
Anybody else here had a simialr predicament?
Advice, or even ****-taking, welcome.
Mal.

Even 6 to 1 should be fine. I'd wait a few days. Concrete doesn't
always dry out evenly

How level is this base ?

Sectional garages require a VERY level [ less than a cm/panel ideally]
base if you are going to build the garage properly


--
geoff

geoff wrote in :

Even 6 to 1 should be fine. I'd wait a few days. Concrete doesn't
always dry out evenly

Hmm. another 24 hours later and it's a bit better.

How level is this base ?

I took a long time leveling the boarding around the base, and during laying
of concrete, I used a cement finishing trowel to level the concrete with
the boarding.

Sectional garages require a VERY level [ less than a cm/panel ideally]
base if you are going to build the garage properly

I should be easily within that tolerence.

Thanks all, for your replies.

Mal.