Adding concrete to your property is a great way to provide parking or a driveway, a patio, or a walkway that will last for many years. However, the preparation and installation of the concrete work needs to be handled in the right manner to make sure your concrete surface succeeds and does not crack or spall on you. Here are some tips to help you prepare your yard for concrete project installation.
Order the Right Concrete
When you need to have a large amount of concrete for a driveway or patio, for example, it is best if you plan in advance and order your concrete ready-mixed. Your concrete supplier will prepare the mixture at their business and deliver it to you ready and mixed to the right consistency and in the right amount for your project. However, if you calculate too much or too little concrete in your order, you will be left in a dilemma at your concrete installation project. Be sure when you order your concrete with accurate calculations, which the concrete contractor can help you do.
Mix and Prepare the Concrete
When you are ready to get your concrete in the proper place for its cure, you will need to make sure it is mixed appropriately for the climate conditions of your area. If you have ordered the concrete from a local concrete supplier, they should have adjusted the mixture properly for the season and the humidity levels of the air. If the relative humidity is too high or too low it will affect the cure time and proper chemical reaction in your concrete, resulting in weak concrete.
If you are mixing your own concrete, it may be from dry concrete bags you can mix up one or several at a time. A concrete mixer is handy to use during this process so you can mix up several at once and pour them into the site.
Otherwise, if you are using a wheelbarrow to mix your concrete and you need 40 to 50 bags, it can be a time-consuming process. But if you are only mixing around 10 to 15 bags it is manageable. Be sure you dump the concrete dry mix in one side of the wheelbarrow basin and add the water in the other. Drag the dry mix into the water with your shovel or hoe to combine it into a well-mixed consistency. Then, scoop the mixture by shovel or dump it by wheelbarrow into your concrete forms. To learn more information, reach out to a company such as Southport Concrete Corp.
