Exterior home improvement projects are common, especially when the weather is sunny and warm. Whether you are looking to install a new patio, or add to an existing one, concrete slab patios are hard to beat. They are flat and smooth which makes them suitable for all sorts of outdoor patio furniture and activities. Concrete is easy to keep clean, is virtually impervious to weeds and does not shift with seasonal changes. Not surprisingly, the challenge of building with concrete is the concrete itself. Once concrete is mixed, there’s no turning back, as it hardens no matter what. JD’s Concrete lists the steps with pouring a concrete patio below.

Subgrade Preparation for Concrete Slab

The designated area for your patio layout and design need to be excavated and transformed to begin with. Loose rocks, trash, plant life, debris, and all the clutter need to be cleared out. Though it is not essential you have the area 100% leveled, you do want the ground as evened out possible. Make sure to fill in any holes and edge off the hills.

Concrete Forms

From there, the outline of the patio will need to be formed. By using spray paint to mark the surface, outline the form of your patio. Be sure to use the bender boards to exaggerate the shape of a patio with dramatic curves. Approximately every foot apart, secure the desired form using stakes pounded into the ground.

Interior Rock Layout for Concrete Patio

Between the concrete and ground level, nestle the rocks together. Spew the rocks before to pouring concrete. With ¾ inch base rock within your concrete form, make certain to spread the rocks 2-3 inches above the ground.

Concrete Patio; Install Rebar or Wire Mesh

To prevent the concrete from cracking over time and to reinforce it, rebar is a must and needs to be installed properly since patios are truly dependent on them. Lay out your rebar about every 2-3 feet apart in a grid pattern system. Using metal rebar ties where they cross using your pliers, secure the rebar together.

Pour Concrete

Pour the concrete with the grid pattern sections you have created. As you pour the concrete make sure the sections are smooth and evenly distributed. For the smoothing of the concrete, trowels and concrete floats are the best tools.

Concrete Dye Powder

After the concrete has slightly dried, should you want the concrete patio to be tinted, similar to when you are tossing a pair of dice, toss handfuls of powder throughout the concrete. With the use of the concrete floater, smooth the tint over. Make certain you are wearing rubber gloves during the process, otherwise you will get tint all over your hands.

Concrete Texturing

Should you prefer to add some texture, add some mineral salt in a desired pattern. Use the concrete floater to gently press the salt into the surface.

Remove Concrete Forms

You can remove the concrete forms once the concrete is fully dry. Be sure to thoroughly read the directions printed on the label to determine the recommended drying time of the concrete. Avoid sweeping the salts into your plants as you carefully sweep away the salts if you want a soft, porous texture.

Concrete Services in Huffman, Crosby, Spring, The Woodlands, Atascocita & Greater NE Houston Texas

Though installing a basic patio sounds simple enough, it can be time consuming and hard labor. To spare your back, and time, contact JD’s Concrete to ensure your concrete patio is done the way you want!