Articles and tips about concrete, of interest to homeowners. Cement your understanding of this hard subject!
If you long to take a dip in a pool at your convenience, and you have room to install one, building a swimming pool can provide hours of relaxation and fun. But before you begin, assess your wants and needs. Indoor pools will either require construction of an addition to your home or an outbuilding. If you have a building in mind for your pool, make sure it has adequate water and utility services. Outdoor swimming pools come in three basic types: above ground, in ground (made of vinyl) and in ground (made of concrete).
Retaining walls are used for a variety of reasons. They can serve practical purposes like marking a property line or creating privacy; or they can be used purely for aesthetics. Materials used for retaining walls include brick, stone, wood, concrete and adobe. Keep your wall consistent with the style of your house or garden, including complementing materials. The goal should be to integrate your wall into your landscape.
Q: I have a new house and my cellar floor has a dusting and grit problem. How can I make the builder solve this problem?
Q: I was told to always check references when looking at contractors to do home improvements. But I wonder if it's worth the trouble when I know the contractor is going to hand pick the references. Is reference checking effective?
Installing brick, stone or concrete requires precision and a great deal of preparation. Most masonry projects need ground leveling or site preparation in addition to strict attention to ensuring the masonry is installed level and evenly. When planning a masonry project, it is best to hire a professional.
Q: I live in the foothills where my 21-year-old two-storey home is built on a hillside. One end of the house sits on solid granite and the other end sits on landfill. The house has been sinking on the landfill end for the entire 21 years I have lived here, which has created wall cracks, slab cracks, a cracked beam in the attic, door frames that periodically require shaving of the door or latch in order for it to close properly, and other problems. I'd like to know what type of contractor or engineer I should contact in order to have this problem assessed for repairs and costs.
Q: How do I seal a concrete slab foundation that is leaking water into the covering pad and carpet? I know that I likely will have to have new pads or carpets installed, but before I do that, I'd like to know if there is a sealer that will prevent the water from coming up from the ground. Or is there another solution?
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about installing a concrete foundation.
Q: We have detected several cracks in our cement foundation. Our vinyl flooring is puckering. Is this a serious problem?
Q: I am looking to have a hardwood floor installed. My house is on a concrete slab and I do not have water seepage problems. Is it better to have the floor glued down or layered over an underlay of plywood? I am looking for longevity and I have several grandkids who frequent my house.
Q: I want to remove the vinyl flooring before I lay down ceramic tile. Underneath the vinyl is cement. The vinyl is stuck really well. I have a large scraper (six inches attached to a six foot handle) that I have been using, but it is a really slow process.
Q: My builder built our house in Massachusetts and it was cold outside when he poured the concrete floor. I think the top layer of the floor is weak because we have had a dusting and sandy grit problem that comes off the top of the floor. The builder put a sealer over the floor called Cure and Seal, which he says will do the trick. Have you ever heard of a problem like this? Any answers you could give would be greatly appreciated!
Builders as far back as the early Egyptians used a concrete-like substance to seal the stone blocks of the pyramids. Throughout the years, the ingredients and methods of making concrete have changed.
Q: Does the concrete contractor normally install the vapor barrier between the ABC (crushed rock beneath the slab) and the concrete slab or does another company do it?
Q: I've received a bid to repair my wooden fence. The repairman said he would dig out the existing posts, replace them with new posts, pour it up with quick set cement and proceed to finish on the same day. Will the quick set cement work on such short set times? I can recall having to wait up to two days before loading the posts.
Concrete is a strong, durable material when it is properly prepared, but while it is being produced it is perishable and difficult to transport. It must be mixed on site or else prepared by a service that specializes in delivery.The delivery must be carefully timed.
Q: My deck and surrounding patios are stamped (Bomanite) concrete in a Spanish tile pattern. The driveway is in the fishtail pattern.
We are researching how to bring back the original terra cotta color and then seal it with a sealer that won't be slippery to walk on when it rains.
Concrete surfaces come in three basic finishes and many colors. The most common finish for interiors has a smooth finish created by running a flat trowel over the top. This can be quite smooth, almost like glass.
Concrete can be colored and stamped to simulate other materials such as natural stone (granite, slate, cobblestone, etc.) or brick at about half the cost of using the real thing. This is because to use masonry stone or brick, a concrete foundation or slab must be poured first, then the stone or brick must be installed, then mortared. With stamped concrete, only concrete is used, so there is less invested in materials and labor.
Q: We purchased a home that had carpeting in all the bathrooms. We did not like this so we tore out the carpeting in our upstairs bathroom and installed vinyl linoleum. We decided to do our downstairs bathroom.
Before sawing into an existing wall or floor, it is suggested that a pre-job meeting be held with the owner or contracting agency to determine many things:
Q: I would like to know if there is an inexpensive, relatively uncomplicated solution to our outdoor patio slab. It is an exposed rock concrete slab approximately 40x25 feet that is uncomfortable to walk on in bare feet and not very practical for our purposes. Is it possible to put a layer of brick, concrete or something else over the existing patio slab without ripping the entire thing out and starting from scratch? I would prefer just a regular smooth concrete slab. There is no cover and it is exposed to the elements.
This information can clarify and help answer some questions about repairing concrete flatwork.
Poured concrete foundations are created by pouring concrete into moldings. The footing for the foundation wall is generally wider than the wall, and it must rest on firm soil or on a gravel bed, with the base of the footing below the frost line (or in no-frost areas, at a minimum depth of 12 inches for a one-storey house.) The footing should also have two half-inch reinforcing bars or rebar.
Problem: Dangerous or crumbling concrete steps.
Concrete is one of the most durable building materials, but it does require occasional repair and maintenance. Problems can be caused by outside forces such as freezing water, structural problems or surface damage, which is usually caused by improper finishing methods or poorly mixed concrete.
Q: I want to faux the concrete floor in my kitchen. Right now there is vinyl flooring glued down. What is the best way to remove this vinyl? I do not know what glue was used.
Poured concrete needs to have reinforcement to prevent cracking or uneven settling
Q: Is it advisable to pour a three or four inch patio on top of an existing one or is it necessary to remove it first? Pouring on top of the existing patio would not only be cheaper but it would also provide a raised border around the flower beds. Also, no doors or gates would be affected by the additional height of the patio.
Q: I would like to know what the professional standard is for pouring a concrete driveway and walkway. The driveway is 18 feet by 33 feet and the walkway is three feet wide by 33 feet long. How many expansion joints should be installed and in what areas? How deep should it be and what grade of concrete should be used?
This information will help clarify and answer some questions about maintenance of concrete walls.
Concrete slabs, sidewalks and steps are fairly convenient and inexpensive additions to any home exterior and provide useful surface areas for a range of traffic. Once you have an idea of the areas where you'd like concrete to be poured, contact service professionals to get quotes.
There are several different types of concrete surfaces:
The term "set in concrete" implies permanence, so pouring concrete is one of the most important home improvements to do right the first time, because no one would want to have to do it over again. Most consumers hire a professional, licensed concrete contractor to add concrete to their property because professionals are usually best equipped to know how much of what kind of concrete is needed, and will be responsible for having it properly delivered and finished.
While concrete is often one of the very base foundations of any structure, its stability relies on proper site preparation. Concrete can either be flat or shaped into three-dimensional objects. If you need steps, curbs or other form work, please let your service professional know ahead of time. Steel rebar within the concrete makes the concrete structure stronger. Removing concrete or paving material is difficult work. Often it's best to leave this to your service professional, who will have proper equipment and training to handle the removal.
Q: I need to put concrete floors in my out-building. Can you provide me with resources or an instruction guide on how to "do-it-yourself"? Any information will be much appreciated as I have had difficulty in finding concrete services.
Q: I am buying a new home. There are several cracks on the concrete slab, and each crack is about six feet long. One of the cracks starts from the wall. I don't know whether or not those cracks will cause some problems later to my house.
Q: My basement has a 1/4 inch horizontal crack in the wall that continues across the basement floor. I've had a mason to come in and look at it and he told me all I need to do is to seal up the wall and to pour new concrete on the floor. Do you think I need a structural engineer to take a look and if so could you provide a listing of engineers in the area. Thank you.
Q: I would like to get pricing information on pouring a concrete slab for a basketball court in my yard. The dimensions would be 48 feet x 32 feet. How much concrete would I need? What would be a ballpark figure for a contractor to pour such a floor?
Concrete sawing is done with special diamond coated blades. There are many kinds of special equipment and most are quite expensive, the blades become dull and need replacing. It requires skill and experience to do more detailed concrete sawing and drilling so it is a rather expensive service. Most concrete sawing companies have a minimum charge of $200 or $300 just to take their equipment to a site and start cutting.
There are different sizes of pumps with different capabilities, so it is important for the pumper to know exactly what kind and how much concrete needs to be pumped.
A variety of different chemicals and additives can be added to concrete to keep the consistency workable and to help the concrete cure at a proper rate. This is particularly important when pouring concrete in cold weather, where it can cure too slowly. Or in hot weather, where it can dry out and cure too quickly.
Concrete injection, leveling, or mudjacking is a process which hydraulically lifts an existing damaged concrete walk, drive, steps, etc. to its original position. Since it typically costs about half as much as total replacement, it is often an alternative worth exploring.
Q: I have a concrete driveway about 24 by 60 feet that was poured one year ago on a dry day in about 60 degrees. About three weeks after installation, the surface appeared "dusty" and wet leaves made spots on the driveway. What causes this problem and what can be done to correct this?
Concrete trucks are available to deliver concrete to large job or small jobs. Concrete is popular for sidewalks, parking pads, patios, dumpster pads, front stoops, recreational areas, driveways, curbs, gutters and much more.
Q: How can I keep green mold from growing back on my concrete after I power wash?
Q: I'm interested in having my backyard covered with cement. Is there a difference between cement and concrete? Which is more economical? Approximately how much should this job cost? The space is about the size of a medium patio deck.