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Can you pour your own concrete slab?
Used for walkways, patios, and floors, concrete slabs are inexpensive to install and durable enough to last for years. When you pour your own concrete slab, you’re giving yourself a design material that is adaptive to many of your outdoor design needs, while saving money that would have been spent on a contractor.
How deep does a concrete slab need to be?
Standard concrete floor slab thickness in residential construction is 4 inches. Five to six inches is recommended if the concrete will receive occasional heavy loads, such as motor homes or garbage trucks. To prepare the base, cut the ground level to the proper depth to allow for the slab thickness.
What is the cheapest way to pour a concrete slab?
You can get cheaper concrete by purchasing sub-grade concrete. This usually is available at salvage yards and is clean material. Therefore, you don’t have to worry you’re not getting quality material. You’ll save a lot of money on concrete, and you’ll be doing your part for the environment by using reclaimed materials.
Can you pour concrete over dirt?
Long story short, yes you can pour concrete over dirt.
How many bags of concrete do I need for a 10×10 slab?
Regarding this, “how many bags of concrete do I need for a 10×10 slab?”, at 4 inches thick, generally you will need approximately either 74 bags of 60lb or 56 bags of 80lb premixed concrete for a 10×10 slab, at 5 inches thick slab, either 93 bags of 60lb or 70 bags of 80lb premixed concrete are required, while at 6.
How much does it cost to pour a 24×24 slab of concrete?
A typical 24×24 garage slab costs between $3,057 and $5,944 with prices ranging from $5.31 to $8.31 per square foot for a 4” reinforced slab of concrete, and $6.83 to $10.32 per square foot for a 6” slab of reinforced concrete.
Is gravel needed under concrete?
Whether you pour concrete for a walkway or patio, a strong gravel base is required to prevent the concrete from cracking and shifting. Gravel is especially important in clay soil because it doesn’t drain well, which results in water pooling under the concrete slab and slowly eroding the soil as it finally drains.
Is it cheaper to build a deck or pour concrete?
Overall, a concrete patio will generally be cheaper to install compared to a deck. While your specific house and yard set-up may determine which is cheaper for your individual needs, a wood deck is likely to have a better return on investment compared to a concrete patio.
What’s the difference between a concrete slab and a cement slab?
What is the difference between cement and concrete? Although the terms cement and concrete often are used interchangeably, cement is actually an ingredient of concrete. Concrete is a mixture of aggregates and paste. Cement comprises from 10 to 15 percent of the concrete mix, by volume.
How much does an 80 pound bag of concrete cover?
30 cubic feet, 60 pounds of concrete mix yields . 45 cubic feet and an 80-pound bag yields . 60 cubic feet.
Can you use quikrete for a slab?
Concrete is one of the most economical, versatile and durable building materials available. Build a sidewalk, patio, or floor with QUIKRETE concrete mixes no matter your skill level.
Does a 4 inch slab need rebar?
Rebar is not necessary for every concrete project. The general rule of thumb is that if you are pouring concrete that is more than 5 inches in depth, you are probably going to want to add in some rebar to help reinforce the entire structure.
Is sand a good base for concrete?
Simply put, sand isn’t sturdy enough to work well as a subbase for something like a driveway. It is also difficult to maintain a level sand surface when pouring concrete, and therefore difficult to maintain a uniform thickness of the concrete slab.
What kind of gravel goes under concrete?
More gravel is better, but 3 inches is the minimum amount of gravel you should have with a 4” slab. Use ¾” washed and screened gravel, then compact it to level.
How many bags of concrete do I need for a 10×8 slab?
Regarding this, “how many bags of concrete do I need for a 10×8 slab at 4 inch thick?”, its depend on thickness of slab, at 4 inches thick, generally you will need approximately either 58 bags of 60lb or 45 bags of 80lb (0.98 cubic yards or 26.4 cubic feet or 0.748 m3) of premixed concrete for a 10×8 slab.
What is a cheaper alternative to concrete?
There are a few different types you can find in the home improvement store that can replace concrete cement used for driveways and walkways. These include pea gravel, crushed stone, and quarry process. Cheaper than other surface materials and low-cost to install.
How much does it cost to pour a 10×12 concrete slab?
Cost of concrete per square foot Slab Size Square Feet Average Cost 10×10 100 $600 10×12 120 $720 10×20 200 $1,200 12×12 144 $864.
How much is a 10 yard truck of concrete?
According to the NRMCA, a truckload (10 cubic yards) of concrete costs $1,150 to $1,450, depending on various factors such as your geographic location and the company you use. Ten cubic yards is enough to pour a driveway measuring 20 feet by 24 feet.
How much does a 40×60 concrete slab cost?
How much does a 40×60 concrete slab cost? It would be about $8,500 to $12,000 for a 40×60 foot concrete slab, 6 inches thick. That’s based on national averages of around $5 per square foot for a fully engineered, finished concrete slab, including labor and materials.
How big is a yard of concrete 4 inches thick?
One Cubic Yard of Concrete: 4-inches thick – covers 81 square feet. 5-inches thick – covers 65 square feet. 6-inches thick – covers 54 square feet.
Should you put a vapor barrier under concrete slabs?
The single most important reason you should use a high-performance vapor barrier is to protect the expensive floor covering in your building. Liquid water below the slab can diffuse through the slab as vapor, then condense under the flooring, which can emulsify some adhesive and destroy the floor covering.
What happens if you pour concrete without gravel?
Because concrete is a very porous material, it will absorb any moisture that it contacts. This can cause pooling. Without crushed stone, pooling water will settle under it and erode your slab.
How thick should cement be?
There are times where thicker slabs will make more sense, but, most of the time, 4 inches is the perfect thickness for a concrete slab. It is, however, wise to make the perimeter of the slab an inch or two thicker. This will help the slab withstand soil erosion and cracking.
