On Thu, Dec 27, 2001 at 08:06:07AM -0500, Nolan Penney wrote:
> The only thing I didn't like was the finish didn't match. The
> old slab was slick smooth like the cement floor of a building.
> The patch I installed looked like a sidewalk.
The way to get that finish is to 'float' the concrete when it's still wet.
There's all kinds of cement floats-- small hand-held ones that also do
rounded edges, to big ones made out of magnesium with 15' long handles
for doing big slabs. You could probably make one from a scrap of 2x4
by rounding off the corners.
You slide the tool along the concrete and sort of jiggle it from side to
side at the same time. What happens is that the rocks and larger bits
of sand get pushed down, and the finer particles and water come up to
the surface. Repeat until you get the finish you want.
> >>> Noemi Berry Doudna <noemi@nebcom.com> 12/27 12:41 AM >>>
>
> We need to put a small (4'x6'?) slab into our small dirt-floor
> basement (12'x12'), on which to place a boiler, indirect water
> storage tank, and various other underfloor radiant heat (yee-haw!)
> accoutrements. So this doesn't have to be a heavy-duty
> rebar-reinforced thing or anything.
What'd be really cool would be to have the footprint of the boiler
etc and to put bolts into the concrete for bolting them down.
But, it's ok to use a hammer drill and expanding bolts after
the concrete's done to hold 'em down.
> The most experience my husband and I have with concrete is
> making handprints in it. What are the various approaches/methods
> for this? Do we just bop down to Home Depot and get some
> "premix" (??) and pour it into a form we make with 2x4s?
> What tools do we need to mix, level and handle the concrete?
A wheelbarrow or large bucket for mixing.
The wheelbarrow is good 'cause you can dump it without
having to pick it up.
> My husband's reading about it and says we should at least put
> some wire mesh in to reinforce and hold it together when it cracks.
A rebar around the edge would be good. If you can't bend the rebar
you can cut it so the ends overlap at the corners and wire
it together with baling (or coathanger) wire to get it to hold
in place when you're pouring.
Eric
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/wilma/shop-talk
|