How big of a slab could I do by myself?

[paulsharvey]

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

Well, you can grind imperfections after things are cured, you can rub bad areas with a brick for about 12-24 hours. You can mix up some Portland and water and use a sponge to fix surface problems. Don't be intimidated by concrete, just chose a good day, have everything ready, and do a section small enough to get it done.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Well, you can grind imperfections after things are cured, you can rub bad areas with a brick for about 12-24 hours. You can mix up some Portland and water and use a sponge to fix surface problems. Don't be intimidated by concrete, just chose a good day, have everything ready, and do a section small enough to get it done.

Or start with a small enough section that you can bust it out if you have to.

I do own a gas-powered jackhammer.

 

[Runner]

Or start with a small enough section that you can bust it out if you have to.

I do own a gas-powered jackhammer.

I did several smaller slabs for stair and door landings and small drive additions that were broom finished before I tried the troweled floor slab. Helps to get your confidence up.

Also, I was glad my first finished slab was inside a storage building so I didn't have to worry about perfection.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

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.

So this is an interesting idea. As I understand it, do 8" or so around all the edges first, which is small enough that you can get it reasonably level by eye. Then as you do the rest you always have three finished side and a form on just one.

 

[Dryland Farmer]

Well, you can grind imperfections after things are cured, you can rub bad areas with a brick for about 12-24 hours. You can mix up some Portland and water and use a sponge to fix surface problems. Don't be intimidated by concrete, just chose a good day, have everything ready, and do a section small enough to get it done.

I have done enough concrete work to not be intimated by it. You can't make a fouled up job look like a good job in mine experience.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, does our OP want a slick floor, or is he ok with bullfloat and broom, or is he wanting a trowel, and then a very fine, light broom finish?

Slick is slick, and went it gets wet or spill oil on it, it is definitely slippery, but it is easily swept, and a creeper rolls well.

A bullfloat and broom is what your typical production sidewalk looks like. Good traction, even when wet, easier to blow off with a leaf blower than really sweep, can be a bit of a pain on a creeper.

A trowel and light broom is kinda in the middle.

Bullfloat a broom is definitely the least labor intense.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

So, does our OP want a slick floor, or is he ok with bullfloat and broom, or is he wanting a trowel, and then a very fine, light broom finish?

Bullfloat and broom is fine.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, tools.
You going to want/need a
steel edger tool,
kumalong (the hoe discussed above)
a float, this can be a mag, or a wooden float, (I prefer a mag), about 16" long
I dont think it's worth beying a bull float, but you can screw a 2x6 (about 30" long), to a handle at about a 30 degree angle or so, and simulate a bull float.
a 2x4 about 6" longer than the width of your pour as a screed board
a broom head, and handle, but you can use a old kitchen broom,

optional;
knee pads,
rubber gloves
rubber boats

Misc stuff to have on hand;
hose and sprayer nozzle
hammer, nails, screws, screw gun, a 5 gal bucket
spare stakes

 

[JRG1223]

I keep my tractor in a one-car garage in the winter. It's about 13'x18' on the outside, so 12x17 on the inside give or take. The floor is gravel, which is a pain because if I drop anything it's easy to lose. So I've been thinking about pouring a concrete floor. I spent some time calling around to concrete contractors in my area, but I guess it's a small job for them because when I say it's a one-car garage they lose interest.

So I'm thinking of pouring it myself. I've done a little bit of concrete work, the biggest pour I've done was 70 60lb bags, but I had my sons to help with that. For that I rented an electric mixer. This would probably be around twice that. I'm not afraid of the physical work, but what I'm afraid of is not being fast enough and ending up with an enormous mess when the concrete starts to set up before I'm ready.

So I'm looking for tips. It seems like one approach would be to do it in sections. Would it make sense to add a retarder? Since it's under roof I wouldn't have to worry about the weather, but would that invite other issues? Other thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

OK, I finally got around to doing this.

I decided to divide it into six strips, each strip was 33" wide and 10'6" long.

I ripped 4" pieces of treated plywood and Tapconned them to the walls, I figured that would give me a level and also a bit of an expansion joint. The building had a concrete apron that was even with the bottom of the doors and then a gravel floor for the rest of the interior, so the first step was to remove enough gravel to make room for the concrete.

This ended up being a pretty big job, I hand shoveled about 4,000 pounds of gravel out. To get the level right I built a box out of 2x4's, got it level with the plywood at each end and then scooped out the gravel in the middle. Then slide the box over and repeat. I sloped the floor somewhat toward the door, partly so that it would drain but mostly so I didn't have to remove so much gravel.

Next I put down sheeting and forms. The form was just two pieces of 2x4 screwed together at a right angle. I cut slots for the rebar in the vertical piece, and then cobbled together a few scraps of 2x4 at each end to hold the form to the plywood. I did a form at each end so I could do two pours at a time. This worked really well, the forms were really solid, they never moved and they gave me a good place to stand.

The first pour:

The final pour:

It ended up being 105 60-pound bags, about 18 bags per section. I mixed them with a Kobalt electric mixer I bought at Lowes. I did two sections per day for the first two days, and then one a day on the next two. The quickest section was under 90 minutes, the slowest was over two and a half hours. I raked the concrete out with a garden rake, screeded with a 2x4 and then touched up with an 18" float. For the sections by the door I could pour straight out of the mixer, but for the back sections I had to dump the mixer into 5-gallon buckets and carry it to the back. Overall I felt that was a manageable quantity for me to handle by myself.

Overall verdict: I'm pleased but not proud. I got exactly what I wanted, a solid floor that I can work on. The appearance is pretty mediocre but I can live with it. Total cost was about $550 for the concrete and about $100 for the rebar.