It is easy to pour a concrete driveway especially when you have to work on smaller projects. All you need to make sure is to place all the concrete at once. Also, if it is a big driveway, break it into smaller manageable sections. Explore the insights of the article to build an attractive concrete driveway all by yourself.
But before you start with pouring a concrete driveway, make sure of the below points.
Excavate the Old Driveway:
Firstly, you need to excavate the old driveway and prepare a concrete bed for concrete pouring. If you have a backhoe, the job will become easy for you.
Plan for Materials:
Determine how much lumber, concrete, and stakes that you will need for the task. You can use a variety of lumber including 2×4, 2×6, and 2×8 lumber, and support it by 1×2, 1×4, or 2×4 stakes. You can also have curved entrance ways. All you need is to have Quarter-inch plywood. You can bend and stake it properly to match the curve. It supports the concrete.
Prepare Driveway Surface:
You must have leveled the driveway surface. It should have no high spots or dips. You should prepare a bed of at least 6 inches. The surface should be compact. The compact surface ensures there will be no dips and uneven spots when the concrete hardens after pouring the same.
Pouring a Concrete Driveway
After following the above-mentioned steps, you are ready to pour concrete. Start by thoroughly dampening the gravel. Now start placing the concrete at one corner of the surface and then use a shovel to spread it. Pour the concrete up against the form and compact it into all corners. You can use the hoe to push the concrete and not drag it. But don’t overwork the concrete by pushing it too far. Overworking will force the aggregates of the concrete to the bottom of the slab. It also brings up the smaller particles to the top surface and cause defects in the finished concrete driveway. Instead, place out your placement along with the form. Place each batch against the previous batch to fill the form. Move the strike off the form to level and smooth the concrete driveway.
If you are planning to leave dividers then finish and cure the concrete in alternating sections. Consider it as a checkerboard and you are red squares first. Once the concrete is cured for three days, remove the stakes. You can now start with the remaining sections of the driveway. In a similar fashion that has been discussed above, you can pour concrete and complete the driveway. The final step is to edge the concrete. You can use a mason’s trowel between the concrete and the outer edges of the slab form. Now move a wood float or a magnesium hand float over the concrete. It gives the driveway a smooth touch.
Conclusion:
Pouring a concrete driveway needs proper skills. The article covers all the important details that you must know while doing that. You can also ask for expert help to do the job for you. Directly click on our website http://www.concretersauckland.net.nz/ and connect with our team.
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