How big of a slab could I do by myself?

[paulsharvey]

You can also set grade pins with a 1x1 wooden stake and screed from that, and then hammer down or pull them out as you go

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I broke the wood handle on it a decade ago and now it has 3/4 copper pipe for a handle because that’s what I had laying around.

That handle is probably worth ten times what you paid for it now.

 

[bigtiller]

I do like Eddie and snap a chalk line on the wall but I also like to spray it with hairspray. The hairspray will help it stay visible during the pour.

I also like to build a screed form with concrete. Just level off about a strip of concrete beside the wall and at the chalk line, and extend the concrete out from the wall about 8 inches and level it off with a float and trowel or magnesium float.

I prefer to use a float and trowel against the wall. When screeding the rest of the section I trowel off any marks from the screed board before stepping back during screeding. This way, the bull float doesn't have to bump against the wall leaving a ripple.

Now I can screed the rest of the section from the top if that strip I just laid.

 

[MossRoad]

You can also set grade pins with a 1x1 wooden stake and screed from that, and then hammer down or pull them out as you go

That's what we did. Works fine.

 

[MossRoad]

I got a pulling tool like this as well. It has a hook on the back for lifting that wire mesh we aren't ever gonna use.

But it was very handy for moving the concrete.

 

[Runner]

Some (what I consider to be) good advice I got from the guy that poured the slab in my shop was to keep the concrete wet for 30 days while it's curing. I just walked through with a garden hose and wetted it down every day after work.

Also did this on the floor I poured in the little pole barn and have no cracks in either one after 10 and 8 years, respectively.

 

[paulsharvey]

Some (what I consider to be) good advice I got from the guy that poured the slab in my shop was to keep the concrete wet for 30 days while it's curing. I just walked through with a garden hose and wetted it down every day after work.

Also did this on the floor I poured in the little pole barn and have no cracks in either one after 10 and 8 years, respectively.

This is fine, so is wet blankets, or curing compound. It's not really necessary for our OPs work, but it doesn't hurt, and it does help get a bit more PSI

 

[tradosaurus]

That sounds about my speed, which means all the more reason to buy a mixer rather than renting.

How do you join the pours? Just wet against dry or do you put in an expansion strip.

If it was me, with little experience, I would hire someone, not necessary a contractor, who has done it before and volunteer to be the helper.

 

[bigtiller]

Some (what I consider to be) good advice I got from the guy that poured the slab in my shop was to keep the concrete wet for 30 days while it's curing. I just walked through with a garden hose and wetted it down every day after work.

Also did this on the floor I poured in the little pole barn and have no cracks in either one after 10 and 8 years, respectively.

Back in the 70's my neighbor poured a garage floor using forms that were about 2" taller than the finished floor would be.

He used a plastic ground cover that was bigger than needed. When the pour was finished, he covered it with burlap and filled it with water.

Remember, the forms were 2" to tall and covered with plastic. So now he has a 2" deep pool of water covering his floor. He kept it that way for 28 days.

Some water would evaporate everyday and he would top it off as needed.

All that, to increase the psi strength.

 

[Dryland Farmer]

I think Trad is right. The thing about concrete is if you mess it up you can't fix it anymore.