pouring concrete by myself

[randydupree]

I had uncles on both sides of the family that were builders,they did it all,concrete,roofs,plumbing (back in the day) and as a kid i worked for them both.
Key word Kid.
My dad was a do it yourself guy and so am i.
I have done way to much of that concrete work but i either needed the money or had no money,so i had to do it myself.

Down here in the south they don't pat down the rocks anymore,they say its not the way to go (science and all that).
They just screed it off and trowel it down.

Most of the time we just used squares of plywood as knee boards while troweling,watch your toes.
My buddy did his pole barn by himself and he poured it in 3-4 pours.
He poured down each side,like a sidewalk,then he came back and poured the middle when he had time and money,using a movable board along the front of the pour.
That way he could screed off of the "sidewalks" along the side.
Down here we put plastic sheeting on the base,to keep the ground from sucking the water out of the concrete and to maybe stop the pad from sweating.
Old wives tales?who knows.

I like steel wire and rebar,i do not like the fiber.
With a power trowel the fiber may be ok,hand troweling with fiber sucks (well,it still sucks!)

I was pouring RV pads about the same time frame as I75 was getting a 3rd lane added,lots of concrete being poured and if it sat too long in the truck it got sent back,i was buying lots of concrete for cheap but it may come at noon or it may come at midnight and it may come when its raining.

I had forms built and on some 10 or more yard pours i used my tractor with a box blade as a screed.
No way i could have done it any other way.
It all came out ok,a coarse broom finish as it was for bus parking,i pity the owner of that place if he wants to break that stuff out.

You can do it,have plenty of Aleave on hand for bedtime!