Common Mistakes You Should Avoid When Installing Concrete
Installation of concrete is not as simple as it looks. It involves a lot of preparation before pouring even a drop of concrete on the site. You need to consider everything from the design, site preparation, quantity of concrete, weather forecast, tools, form removal, placement process, and more in advance. Moreover, what works well for one place may not be suitable for another. So, below is a list of the most common mistakes that should be avoided when installing concrete:
Too Wet Concrete
It is possibly the simplest concrete mistakes that is made because the mixed concrete appears very dry to flow. Do not get fooled. With the right mix, you should be capable to make concrete into a 4” tall and 4” diameter pile if it is mixed properly. If the concrete is sloppier than this, its strength will diminish.
Too Dry Concrete
Though this is a lesser common issue than too wet concrete, too dry concrete isn’t good as well. Cement is an active ingredient in the concrete mix and cement requires enough moisture to cure. If towelling the sample concrete pile does not make a wet, muddy, smooth surface, the concrete is too dry.
Using Old Cement
Cement is a perishable product. The stamped concrete Naperville Il experts suggest that you should not use cement or an add-water concrete. Mixture that is over a year old. Even new cement having hard lumps must not be utilized for concrete mix. Hard lumps show that the cement has become moist and has lost its capacity to harden.
Pouring Too Thin
If you want the concrete to be long lasting and strong, you should keep it thick enough. Do you want to pour concrete for a DIY patio or a shed floor? These are the most popular applications for do-it-yourself pouring. Ensue that you never make the slab thinner than 4” for any application. If your concrete slab will sell heavy vehicle traffic, then you should keep at least 6” thickness for the concrete.
Not Using Fibers
DIYers generally don’t know about the concrete reinforcing fibers. The short and thin strands of plastic can add lots of crack resistance and strength to any concrete project. S, add some fibers to every mixing drum of concrete and blend it. The fibers will spread out in the mix and assist to bind the hard concrete together. This can result in a big difference.
Not Having The Right Tools
You should always remember that you have a small window of time to work on concrete. So, preparation is of maximum importance while installing concrete. If you don’t have the right tools available with you, it can lead to subpar installation and waste of efforts, money, and time. You will not have enough time to make a fast trip to the nearby hardware store to purchase any tools that you have forgotten. If you are DIY-ing any concrete related project, you should double check that you have every required tool in hand.
Pouring Concrete Without Preparation of Site
Pouring concrete is an exciting thing to do and it is quite tempting to rusk to this step. However, improper site preparation can lead to many headaches later on. Take your time to properly prepare your site to get the best results. Concrete should be put on a compacted, leveled, and well-drained surface to get the best outcomes. This needs clearing the land first to remove the soft soil on the top and any roots that can interfere with concrete later on. You should pour the concrete only after the area is levelled and compact.
Not Using Reinforcement When Required
Concrete may look to be a durable, everlasting, and strong material, but it has a major weakness. Concrete is prone to cracking. Concrete can be reinforced with steel because steel properties can complement the properties of steel. Moreover, both these materials are simple to work with. Concrete is competent of taking heavy loads without getting compromised and steel has a high tensile strength. Steel and concrete together make a superior material for building that is reinforced concrete.
Attempting To Do The Whole Work Alone
Concrete tends to be a time-sensitive building material. Concrete stays malleable for a limited time only. Don’t plan to pour and complete concrete yourself. Doing this will open the door for costly and time-consuming issues only. Either don’t plan to do it at all or do it right. Failure to finish concrete properly once you pour it can lead to concrete which is weaker than it is expected, lumpy, not levelled, brittle, and even prone to weather-related damages.
Using Incorrect Cement/ Water Ratio
The cement/ water ratio compare the cement weight to that of water in the whole cement mixture. The cement / water ratio affects the setting time, durability, strength, and workability of the concrete. Higher water ratio can result in cracking because of excessive shrinkage from evaporation of water, while lower water ratio can lead to concrete that is hard to maneuver and pour.
Overworking Concrete
Concrete needs a bit of additional attention once it is poured, however, if it’s overworked or moved around a lot, many issues can take place. Moreover, trying to go through the final steps very quickly can compound these issues. So, avoid touching concrete following bull floating until bleed water disappears since the following things can happen:
Too Wet Concrete
It is possibly the simplest concrete mistakes that is made because the mixed concrete appears very dry to flow. Do not get fooled. With the right mix, you should be capable to make concrete into a 4” tall and 4” diameter pile if it is mixed properly. If the concrete is sloppier than this, its strength will diminish.
Too Dry Concrete
Though this is a lesser common issue than too wet concrete, too dry concrete isn’t good as well. Cement is an active ingredient in the concrete mix and cement requires enough moisture to cure. If towelling the sample concrete pile does not make a wet, muddy, smooth surface, the concrete is too dry.
Using Old Cement
Cement is a perishable product. The stamped concrete Naperville Il experts suggest that you should not use cement or an add-water concrete. Mixture that is over a year old. Even new cement having hard lumps must not be utilized for concrete mix. Hard lumps show that the cement has become moist and has lost its capacity to harden.
Pouring Too Thin
If you want the concrete to be long lasting and strong, you should keep it thick enough. Do you want to pour concrete for a DIY patio or a shed floor? These are the most popular applications for do-it-yourself pouring. Ensue that you never make the slab thinner than 4” for any application. If your concrete slab will sell heavy vehicle traffic, then you should keep at least 6” thickness for the concrete.
Not Using Fibers
DIYers generally don’t know about the concrete reinforcing fibers. The short and thin strands of plastic can add lots of crack resistance and strength to any concrete project. S, add some fibers to every mixing drum of concrete and blend it. The fibers will spread out in the mix and assist to bind the hard concrete together. This can result in a big difference.
Not Having The Right Tools
You should always remember that you have a small window of time to work on concrete. So, preparation is of maximum importance while installing concrete. If you don’t have the right tools available with you, it can lead to subpar installation and waste of efforts, money, and time. You will not have enough time to make a fast trip to the nearby hardware store to purchase any tools that you have forgotten. If you are DIY-ing any concrete related project, you should double check that you have every required tool in hand.
Pouring Concrete Without Preparation of Site
Pouring concrete is an exciting thing to do and it is quite tempting to rusk to this step. However, improper site preparation can lead to many headaches later on. Take your time to properly prepare your site to get the best results. Concrete should be put on a compacted, leveled, and well-drained surface to get the best outcomes. This needs clearing the land first to remove the soft soil on the top and any roots that can interfere with concrete later on. You should pour the concrete only after the area is levelled and compact.
Not Using Reinforcement When Required
Concrete may look to be a durable, everlasting, and strong material, but it has a major weakness. Concrete is prone to cracking. Concrete can be reinforced with steel because steel properties can complement the properties of steel. Moreover, both these materials are simple to work with. Concrete is competent of taking heavy loads without getting compromised and steel has a high tensile strength. Steel and concrete together make a superior material for building that is reinforced concrete.
Attempting To Do The Whole Work Alone
Concrete tends to be a time-sensitive building material. Concrete stays malleable for a limited time only. Don’t plan to pour and complete concrete yourself. Doing this will open the door for costly and time-consuming issues only. Either don’t plan to do it at all or do it right. Failure to finish concrete properly once you pour it can lead to concrete which is weaker than it is expected, lumpy, not levelled, brittle, and even prone to weather-related damages.
Using Incorrect Cement/ Water Ratio
The cement/ water ratio compare the cement weight to that of water in the whole cement mixture. The cement / water ratio affects the setting time, durability, strength, and workability of the concrete. Higher water ratio can result in cracking because of excessive shrinkage from evaporation of water, while lower water ratio can lead to concrete that is hard to maneuver and pour.
Overworking Concrete
Concrete needs a bit of additional attention once it is poured, however, if it’s overworked or moved around a lot, many issues can take place. Moreover, trying to go through the final steps very quickly can compound these issues. So, avoid touching concrete following bull floating until bleed water disappears since the following things can happen:
- Overworked concrete can become cracked and dry.
- Overworked concrete can cause aggregates to separate that can lead to lots of fine materials close to the surface.
- Overworked concrete before bleed water rises to the surface could trap the additional water in the mix leading to future issues with scaling.
