Question

What are the steps in producing a concrete slab on grade?

Answer 1

FIRST you will need (at a mimimum)

• Hammer and saw
• a roller
• a concrete float
• boards
• a screed board
• concrete

Then

1. Clear the area and dig down as far as you want the slab to go below ground (HINT - Sidewalk pavers are approximately 2″ thick, but are not designed for heavy load bearing for long periods of time and for anything over 4″ thick you should PROBABLY consider reinforcing the concrete with steel rebar.)
2. Lay a base of crushed gravel that extends past the outlines of where you are going to put your slab and then use the roller to compact that gravel solidly.
3. Build the form for the outside of the slab.
4. Make sure that the top of the form is level in all directions.
5. Mix the concrete according to the manufacturers instructions ( for small projects you can purchase products like SacCrete which is premixed cement and aggregate to which you only have to add the water and mix it rather than doing a lot of “shovel measuring”).
6. Pour the concrete into the form and use the screed board to rough level it.
7. Use the concrete float to do a final level and surface texture.
8. Cover with burlap sacking and keep the surface of the slab moist for about 24 hours.
9. Wash all the concrete off your tools and other places that you don’t want covered in concrete (like your hands),
10. Keep your kids and dogs off the setting slab until it hardens enough to make it difficult for them to damage it - this might take a couple of hours. (To do this you will have to be constantly vigilant so my suggestion is to sit under an umbrella and have a beer or two while waiting for the concrete to harden. NOTE - This is an ESSENTIAL STEP so don’t let your wife think that she can drag you off to do other chores until it is finished.)
11. Remove the sacking and frame.
12. Back fill around the edge of the slab.