It take me at least 3 hours to do anything when I do any sort of concreting. First I put on my boots and workpants, which can take me anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour. Next I find myself outside in the back garden, standing in the one spot staring at the ground, coming to realization that I have no idea what I'm doing. I eventually head back inside and argue with my wife before proceeding to go back out and stare at the area I'm going to to working at for another 45 minutes. It's hard work but I love it
Major props to you bro. The fact that you did a crazy amount of work, filmed it and managed to keep from loosing it on camera was impressive. I Worked as a laborer for a family concrete company many years ago and know first hand how hard mixing manually can be. Yes, there will be the " concrete pro's" who want to tell you the things that are not the ways they would or should do it but the bottom line is you put yourself out there as a DYI guy with a monumental project to take on solo and the end result will serve your family well for some time to come. Great job in my opinion. You're daughter is absolutely precious at the end also.
Much appreciated and thank you kindly. By the way, the power of video editing may have removed some of my less composed moments throughout this concrete project.
Concrete expert here. Overall impressive for a first time (I presume?) DIY work. Yes, no reinforcing needed for such application. Trenching and thickness in excess of 3.5” is overkill but doesn’t hurt… except the back :) The CJ siding plank was a clever move. The mixer didn’t hurt anything. Good work!
When I poured a sidewalk like this several years ago I drilled the form boards between the slabs and slid in a couple of two foot rebar about half way so that it extended from one section to the other. This kept the sections from settling separately and misaligning. Years later they are still level with each other and no "toe catching". Good (hard) job.
Kudos on your ambition: I grew up in a mason family and have poured many thousands of yards of concrete over the past 30 years. I have to say though, I have never seen or even thought about your idea of slightly thinning the CJ from the bottom. I'm going to try it on my next patio or sidewalk project, I think you are onto something there MrKistel. Thank you for sharing & I bet you slept well throughout this project. I usually run at a minimum 4 guys on a project like this.
I live in Florida. When I decided to expand my patio a few years ago I set up an oscillating sprinkler to water down the area as I filled it in. Cooled me down along the way too. I don't think I would have survived the heat without it. I was 58 years old at the time...
Not sure why your video showed up on my feed, but I’m SO glad it did!! My family and i recently moved into a ‘new’ house and I need to replace a cracked concrete patio! You definitely gave me the courage to do this myself! Awesome video! Thank you sir!👍👍👍
@PaulSAShaw It probably showed up on your feed, because your phone is not only spying on your every movement; it is also anticipating your next move!!!
@@omokaroojiire Very true! I know this for a fact! My brother and I were talking about a certain video from a long time ago and ‘miraculously’ that very video showed up on his feed!
I really appreciate your suggestions as a person that is not a pro, helping people to save money and make good use of time. I will make note of your suggestions and watch ALL of the other videos then pick the suggestions that fit my application. Thank you very much for taking the time to make your videos, I really appreciate very much. Good job.
You took on a huge task on this pour! I am a former concrete finisher grew up doing it but knew in my mid 20s that I wasn't going to be able to keep being a finisher if I liked my back! I did somethings the hard way bit for the most part good job!
Great job MrKistel! I was planning on doing a paver patio because concrete work is so hard to get done around here right now but you may have changed my mind. I think I'll probably rent a mixer though. Your daughter reminds me so much of mine just a few years ago when she was that age. So precious!
After watching your videos I decided to pour one myself similar to what you did. 122 bags, 60# each delivered into my garage from HD for $85. Approximately 11" x 14" with a small 3' x 3' step. I formed it into roughly 4' x4' sections that I knew I could handle myself. Each section was about 12 bags, roughly 3" deep. No rebar used. I mixed using a heavy drill and a mortar paddle. Mixed in a 10 gallon garbage can. I found it best to have a 55 gallon garbage can filled with water, the exact amount of water marked on a clear container, kept the hose running slowly in the 55 gallon can. Put water in first, mix as best you can with the paddle. Sitting on a stool, tilting the can at an angle, mix inside the 10 gallon can the material that didn't get mixed in. I found throwing wet concrete on the dry, then rotate the can. Used a cheap garden hand shovel. Dump it in. My can has a handle. Found it best to work in a line, screed every other bag, edge as soon as you can. Brushed finish with a small broom makes it look way better. I was a lot of back breaking work. Honestly glad I did it. I feel really strong but a few of those days got hard. Kept telling myself, get after it!
Considering the timing and resource limitations, I'd say you did pretty well. Hand-mixing usually gives you a less uniform mix than the auger you used, and especially on the low setting you probably didn't entrap too much air. Next level up would be a small drum mixer, which I'd recommend if you're taking on a project this size again single-handedly. For consolidating the thicker edges (footings) that's a sufficient depth that a stinger would be a good idea to create uniform and hole free edges that will be less likely to wear and tear due to differential expansion (friction) and freeze/ thaw cycles. The concrete fiberboard was a clever use of resources to make expansion joints. If you use them again instead of standard joint fillers, I'd recommend an embedment of no more than 30% of your slab depth on thinner slabs like that. I'm not sure how it'll hold up to rot and rain, but it would be interesting to see a 1 year later follow-up to see how you did 🤔⚡️🌐💗🤠👌
Thanks for the comment. The concrete patio is holding up well with no visible cracks or movement. When looking real closely at the control joints some are cracked, hidden in the joint, as designed.
So pleased I came across your channel,looking to do a shed base on my own so this was very helpful and insightful for me! Definitely going to subscribe to see more great work
👍Good job. When I helped my Pop w/ a shed pad we put in some steel fence but he also dug what he called gopher holes in ground said pad wouldn’t move and it’d be stronger. That was in 1985. Pad is still there, my Pops is gone (R.I.P.) the concrete never moved or even cracked. He was big on prep work. Good video. 👍🇺🇸
Whom ever told you to pour concrete directly onto a black dirt or cheap fill base had a wonderful sense of humor! An exterior concrete slab MUST be poured on top of a 2”-3” base of compacted 3/4” stone in order to facilitate proper drainage & settlement. I hope it doesn’t freeze there. Ooooof!!
My hats off to you sir. Concrete work is back breaking. To anyone thinking about a project like this, either get a concrete mixer or rent one. Even the cheap one from harbor freight. It saves a lot of time being able to mix multiple bags at a time. Time you will be glad to have for screeding and troweling.
We also0 use bagged concrete on all our basement digouts that we do and find it to be so crucial in keeping up our speed and also the versatility and transportability of it is unbeatable !
hi, just watching this video now as I research my own diy project. This is an outstanding video; I appreciate how you improvise as needed, thus not projecting fear about doing it 'the wrong way,' which is a common theme in videos made by professionals.
That came out bad ass man. I bought a 3.5 ft concrete mixer used off craigslist and have allot of concrete projects planned for this summer. Back patio and a slab in my 8x10 greenhouse are the two big ones. I also have a 24x36’ barn I’ll be pouring a slab in the next few weeks but I have a buddy coming to help with that who’s been doing concrete work for over 20 years. I’m excited to learn from him first before taking on my own projects.
I’m about to do an 80sq ft pad behind my house for a future staircase. I just got the 50 bags of concrete and plan on using a HOme Depot Mixer to hopefully do it in a day but most likely I’ll have to split it up. A little nervous about it but excited. Next time consider renting the mini excavator from a local rental. It helped me with the base. I put about half a ton of stone and plan on using chicken wire as a poor man’s rebar. You’re video gave me some ideas and helped to give me that DIY motivation to hopefully not mess this up!
You did a great job. This is a great video especially for someone like myself who has about 900 square feet to do. I work outside so I am used to the Florida heat. I'm 53 but have no issues with hard work. What is so nice about what you have done is it allows someone like myself a guide to follow what you have done. It allows me to do it in stages on a budget. Concreate companies want like 7,500 to do about 800 sq feet. I'd rather do it in stages for about 3k myself. Great video. I will film my work like you to help others as you have.
MrKistel, you did a great job for your first attempt. I’m a Concete finisher for over 35y I have done jobs at 1000sf to 50,000sf and you my friend have the first thing you need to be a good finisher, the will and the drive. Some comments,like our friend the retired GC lol is quick at pointing out what you did wrong but didn’t mention what you did right. just attempting what you did alone and without experience is impressive 👍🏻 what you think you did wrong this time, Will be right the next time. The first step in perfecting a skill, is to start. Just a tip my friend on that height transition that everyone is calling a trip hazard, fill it in with flagstone, it is the perfect height difference for mortar and stone it will give it some character. Keep it up Friend, maybe one day you can charge for your new skill.
Thanks Mike. Interesting idea regarding Flagstone, thanks for sharing. This concrete patio was constructed with a specific use intention in mind and has functioned as intended with no issues. In that regard, I feel what steps I took were appropriate enough because at the end of the day we are getting exactly what we wanted out of the build. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
I felt your pain. I filled in my inground pool 10 yards of dirt at a time. The final load I completed in one day. It's entirely possible for a 56 year old man who has spent the last 20 years in I.T. However, I suggest a two wheel wheelbarrow. Those single wheels are for the young (and maybe ignorant 😉) Great job. I think I'd go with a HF 3.5 cf mixer or equivalent, but your way worked well too.
that is awesome man, I'm sure you know about tool rental, those concrete mixers are fairly cheap to rent considering how much easier they make it to mix and dump multiple bags. You got it done though, really like your thought process as well. I can tell you put thought and research into your projects, I appreciate you sharing it
I need to take a break from watching you work. I was considering mixing an area I want to pour concrete for a patio but think I'll have concrete brought in. Btw, your little girl is pretty efficient at explaining things. :-)
Full view & big .👍 # 589 This is a project I have been putting off for some time due to several issues. Now that I watched you do it I may be putting off even longer LOL. All kidding aside you did a nice job & also videoed it well. Stay safe, Joe Z
I have to do my driveway and can't get anyone in my area to call me back with an estimate. I'm happy to do it and save some money but I've been learning and searching up different methods and ideas before I do any pouring. Thank you for furthering my research!
Rebar reinforcement was determined not necessary for the concrete patio job shown in the video however I can not speak for your project. Much of it depends on the expected loads and use of the completed concrete area.
At first I thought you were crazy doing a small slab in 2 sections, that was until I seen you mixing by hand. You really need a concrete mixer, barrel mixer, something other than a spade and tub.
Thanks for the super helpful video! is there a reason you only used recycled chunks of concrete for the first section? Does it affect the strength at all?
I just used the blocks as filler to reduce the overall amount of new concrete needed. It worked perfectly fine for this project. Some do not recommend doing this saying it could comprise the concrete strength. I think as long as the pieces are deep enough under the new surface of poured concrete this practice is ok for light load concrete patios.
Youve inspired me to tackle my own slab, its a big space, but its not even half the work you're doing. The slab i need poured even has a roof over it! No excuses, im getting done myself!
Wow! Can’t believe you did all that work AND shot and edited a video. Impressive and entertaining. So now that it’s been a year, how is it holding up? Would you do it again the same way? We are getting ready to do the same. I’m watching videos on the topic. Yours is the best so far! Thank you 🙏
Thank you for your kind words. It is awesome to hear when someone realizes the effort that goes into making these types of DIY videos. The patio is holding up fantastically. No cracks other than one or two hidden cracks in the control joints (as designed). I likely would do it all pretty much the same way. I enjoyed the exercise benefit of mixing the concrete however I would probably use the concrete mixing drill entirely. Seemed to work fairly quickly when mixing concrete by myself. I might also remove the broom finish procedure as I think the finish after the magnesium trowel looks better and still provides plenty of friction.
When I move bulky stuff like your fill I use my 90 gallon recycle bin with wheels. Easier to load, just lay it down. With sand or gravel you can't fill it too high but usually can do 2 wheelbarrow loads per trip. Stand it up before it is too heavy and add a few more shovels. Works great for bark and compost. I have a 12 by 30 foot driveway next to my house that I will use haul it myself ready mix from a rental yard about a mile away. My plan is to first pour a 3 foot wide perimeter, then pour the center, that way I have room to work because the space has my house on one side and a retaining wall on the other.
Your pretty brave doing all that without renting a mixer. Hard work! Too late now now, but since you were mixing it yourself I would have added some fibers to the mix to make it stronger and prevent cracking. Also next time try concrete stamps. Good work!
Thanks for the concrete work and mixing tips. The plan was to construct the whole slab area with bagged concrete mix containing the reinforcing fibers. However I could only find enough supply to pour the first half of the patio with the concrete mix containing the fibers. The second half of the concrete patio was constructed using a more standard concrete bag mix. Having said that the entire concrete area poured is holding up well with no cracking outside of the control joints.
Due to my age (mid-60s) and the size of my patio project, I will either rent a stick mixer as you did or a barrel mixer. The job is ambitious enough as it is! Thanks for showing how that stick mixer worked.
@@JBM425 you can buy a mixer at Harbor Freight for like $200 these days. I paid $125 for mine about 3 years ago, used a ton, it sits out in the rain, works every time.
Oh yes, you are right man . . mixing bags of concrete yourself IS a very tiring thing. I have done that myself when I layed down a small sidewalk last year and that was with a bummed up knee. . SO, yeah, in the middle of the hot summer IT WAS WORK. BUT it came out pretty good I have to admit. I just would not recommend doing it that way again. Although I am considering putting down a 2 foot wide strip of concrete behind the house along the backside to try and keep any water from running down the foundation when there is a hard rain. SO with that said. . . sometime this summer THAT will be what Ill be doing. . mixing bags of concrete for that. FUN FUN FUN
did you construct a retaining wall to hold in the underlying dirt? (i’m always amazed by how successfully dirt, under even minuscule pressure, can migrate over time)
Your control joint board will probably work, but I think I can explain why a shallow cut on the surface works as well. Concrete shrinks as the water evaporates. The surface dries faster causing the stress to be greatest there. A similar thing happens when people cut glass. There is not a shrinkage issue, but glass can break from a relative shallow score, because it is so hard/brittle. Concrete is also hard. I compare it to tempered steel which will break before it bends. I worry about the rubble concrete chunks perhaps causing some erratic, uncontrolled shrinkage cracks for the same reason your board may cause the concrete to crack as the concrete shrinks. Loved your supervisor!
cool job - one thing that could have helped is that if you had 10 or 15 buckets, mix them all up first, then quickly pour them and screed. But I do have a small mixing machine and have done at least 3 large patios and driveways and works fine - I did have one helper with one of the jobs - but my small mixer took 3 bags at a time - its messy, but certainly possible and cheaper - the finish is dependent upon your finishing skills - my next job is to also do stamping.
You can use vegetables oil so concrete doesn't stick to the forms..also it's a good idea to connect the slabs with mesh just in case tge ground moves the will move together..
As a professional concrete worker of 30 years I’ll tell you right now …bag concrete is for posts holes and temp fixes . Bag concrete starts to fall apart when used outside on patio..unless you add air . Buy from your local dispatch…it’s actually cheaper to do it once ….
This was A great job! I'm no expert and am looking to do a slab for a 12x20 shed. How large was your total square footage and how deep did you go? Also what was the cost of the mixer. Anyway great job, how does it look now?
Thanks Rick, the concrete patio looks great still with no observable cracking outside the control joints. I believe I used around 180 80lbs of concrete for the entire project. There is a link to the mixer in the video description area. Sound like you have a pretty substantial concrete project in the works. Let me know how it goes and best of luck.
Not sure if you’ve done your pad yet, but look into renting a mixer for a day. Much, much quicker and easier on the back. I helped a buddy with his 15x15 at about 5 inch thick pad and were done just after lunchtime. We were tired but not exhausted at the end. Edit: rented mixer from HomeDepot, says two bags at a time but we did 3 and 4.
Check out my children's book, a real life tugboat story = amzn.to/3DbCNTX
How is patio looking now?
@@alejandramontejo9947 great, could use a pressure washing though
It take me at least 3 hours to do anything when I do any sort of concreting. First I put on my boots and workpants, which can take me anywhere from 40 minutes to 1 hour. Next I find myself outside in the back garden, standing in the one spot staring at the ground, coming to realization that I have no idea what I'm doing. I eventually head back inside and argue with my wife before proceeding to go back out and stare at the area I'm going to to working at for another 45 minutes. It's hard work but I love it
haha sounds like a pretty realistic timeline of events
😂😂😂😂😂
Sounds like me
Hahahah that’s me too 😂
I’ve never read anything more related in my life
Major props to you bro. The fact that you did a crazy amount of work, filmed it and managed to keep from loosing it on camera was impressive. I Worked as a laborer for a family concrete company many years ago and know first hand how hard mixing manually can be. Yes, there will be the " concrete pro's" who want to tell you the things that are not the ways they would or should do it but the bottom line is you put yourself out there as a DYI guy with a monumental project to take on solo and the end result will serve your family well for some time to come. Great job in my opinion. You're daughter is absolutely precious at the end also.
Much appreciated and thank you kindly. By the way, the power of video editing may have removed some of my less composed moments throughout this concrete project.
Pp
Concrete expert here. Overall impressive for a first time (I presume?) DIY work.
Yes, no reinforcing needed for such application. Trenching and thickness in excess of 3.5” is overkill but doesn’t hurt… except the back :) The CJ siding plank was a clever move. The mixer didn’t hurt anything.
Good work!
Thanks Stefan, I appreciate your concrete feedback and insight. Thanks for watching.
Bro you moved 18 yards of dirt using a wheelbarrow and shovel...
you sir are the man!!
Haha, I was able to eat a few more pancakes those days!! Thanks
You do that only once. The second time you rent a Bobcat. That's what I did.
When I poured a sidewalk like this several years ago I drilled the form boards between the slabs and slid in a couple of two foot rebar about half way so that it extended from one section to the other. This kept the sections from settling separately and misaligning. Years later they are still level with each other and no "toe catching". Good (hard) job.
Kudos on your ambition: I grew up in a mason family and have poured many thousands of yards of concrete over the past 30 years. I have to say though, I have never seen or even thought about your idea of slightly thinning the CJ from the bottom. I'm going to try it on my next patio or sidewalk project, I think you are onto something there MrKistel. Thank you for sharing & I bet you slept well throughout this project. I usually run at a minimum 4 guys on a project like this.
Wow I really appreciate this comment and it is nice to hear an experienced mason thought my idea was not bad. Thank you.
You are freaking crazy for doing all of this by hand and by yourself 🙂My back hurt just watching it. Thanks for the video.
Haha thanks for the supportive comment and watching.
I live in Florida. When I decided to expand my patio a few years ago I set up an oscillating sprinkler to water down the area as I filled it in. Cooled me down along the way too. I don't think I would have survived the heat without it. I was 58 years old at the time...
Great idea Jim!
What a workout! Inspiring, and definitely adds proof-of-concept for my next project!
You got this!
Love that daughter checks on Dad's work...it's already started.
This video should be Titled
"How I spent my summer vacation"!
It's coming out great, good job! 👍🏻🇺🇸
Wow, thanks! Good idea on the title change.
Being a 1st time home owner, this video is GOLDEN!!! Thanks for the information. You make is look so simple!
Thanks for watching! Congrats on the new home and best of luck on your DIY journeys.
Not sure why your video showed up on my feed, but I’m SO glad it did!! My family and i recently moved into a ‘new’ house and I need to replace a cracked concrete patio! You definitely gave me the courage to do this myself! Awesome video! Thank you sir!👍👍👍
So cool to receive comments like this, thanks for taking the time to post it. Congrats on the new house and new found DIY courage.
@PaulSAShaw
It probably showed up on your feed, because your phone is not only spying on your every movement; it is also anticipating your next move!!!
@@omokaroojiire Very true! I know this for a fact! My brother and I were talking about a certain video from a long time ago and ‘miraculously’ that very video showed up on his feed!
I really appreciate your suggestions as a person that is not a pro, helping people to save money and make good use of time. I will make note of your suggestions and watch ALL of the other videos then pick the suggestions that fit my application. Thank you very much for taking the time to make your videos, I really appreciate very much. Good job.
Glad it was helpful!
You took on a huge task on this pour! I am a former concrete finisher grew up doing it but knew in my mid 20s that I wasn't going to be able to keep being a finisher if I liked my back! I did somethings the hard way bit for the most part good job!
Wow thanks for the supportive comment.
Great job MrKistel! I was planning on doing a paver patio because concrete work is so hard to get done around here right now but you may have changed my mind. I think I'll probably rent a mixer though. Your daughter reminds me so much of mine just a few years ago when she was that age. So precious!
Thank you kindly and best of luck with your project.
Congrats on the project. That's a massive amount of area for one guy (And one young helper!) and hand mixing! Kudos.
Thanks a bunch!
After watching your videos I decided to pour one myself similar to what you did. 122 bags, 60# each delivered into my garage from HD for $85. Approximately 11" x 14" with a small 3' x 3' step. I formed it into roughly 4' x4' sections that I knew I could handle myself. Each section was about 12 bags, roughly 3" deep. No rebar used. I mixed using a heavy drill and a mortar paddle. Mixed in a 10 gallon garbage can. I found it best to have a 55 gallon garbage can filled with water, the exact amount of water marked on a clear container, kept the hose running slowly in the 55 gallon can. Put water in first, mix as best you can with the paddle. Sitting on a stool, tilting the can at an angle, mix inside the 10 gallon can the material that didn't get mixed in. I found throwing wet concrete on the dry, then rotate the can. Used a cheap garden hand shovel. Dump it in. My can has a handle. Found it best to work in a line, screed every other bag, edge as soon as you can. Brushed finish with a small broom makes it look way better. I was a lot of back breaking work. Honestly glad I did it. I feel really strong but a few of those days got hard. Kept telling myself, get after it!
Congrats on your project and thank you for sharing your experience and your tips. Really like the big bucket tip with the hose running.
Holy cow! So much work to do on your own! Very professional, well done!
Thank you very much!
Gotta feel satisfying every time you walk across that patio. Kudos.
sure does and thanks
28:30 Wow, the little cutie summed the project so incredibly!!! Thanks!!!
I am exhausted just watching you tackle this by yourself. Great job!
Thanks!
Considering the timing and resource limitations, I'd say you did pretty well. Hand-mixing usually gives you a less uniform mix than the auger you used, and especially on the low setting you probably didn't entrap too much air. Next level up would be a small drum mixer, which I'd recommend if you're taking on a project this size again single-handedly. For consolidating the thicker edges (footings) that's a sufficient depth that a stinger would be a good idea to create uniform and hole free edges that will be less likely to wear and tear due to differential expansion (friction) and freeze/ thaw cycles. The concrete fiberboard was a clever use of resources to make expansion joints. If you use them again instead of standard joint fillers, I'd recommend an embedment of no more than 30% of your slab depth on thinner slabs like that. I'm not sure how it'll hold up to rot and rain, but it would be interesting to see a 1 year later follow-up to see how you did 🤔⚡️🌐💗🤠👌
Thanks for the comment. The concrete patio is holding up well with no visible cracks or movement. When looking real closely at the control joints some are cracked, hidden in the joint, as designed.
Great 👌 teaching my youth. I understand clearly. Now I can do my project.
Great 👍 Thanks for the comment
I like the drill idea! I plan on putting a big patio behind my house. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Best of luck with your DIY concrete project
Nice work, well thought out, well executed, enjoyed it!
Thank you kindly!
So pleased I came across your channel,looking to do a shed base on my own so this was very helpful and insightful for me! Definitely going to subscribe to see more great work
Glad it was helpful and thank you sticking around
Congratulations you did a great job 👏👏👏👏
Thank you! 😃
Thanks for posting this video, you really inspired me to do something in my home.
Your princess makes me smile.
You can do it!
Should have bough a concrete mixer, that being said, you’re a beast! I’m frugal and I even bought a mixer 😂🤣🤷♂️ Well done!
Ha Thanks and nice suggestion
You can rent them
I'm actually talking about the barrel kind
@@shantor100 You can rent them
👍Good job. When I helped my Pop w/ a shed pad we put in some steel fence but he also dug what he called gopher holes in ground said pad wouldn’t move and it’d be stronger. That was in 1985. Pad is still there, my Pops is gone (R.I.P.) the concrete never moved or even cracked. He was big on prep work. Good video. 👍🇺🇸
thanks for sharing
Whom ever told you to pour concrete directly onto a black dirt or cheap fill base had a wonderful sense of humor! An exterior concrete slab MUST be poured on top of a 2”-3” base of compacted 3/4” stone in order to facilitate proper drainage & settlement. I hope it doesn’t freeze there. Ooooof!!
My hats off to you sir. Concrete work is back breaking. To anyone thinking about a project like this, either get a concrete mixer or rent one. Even the cheap one from harbor freight. It saves a lot of time being able to mix multiple bags at a time. Time you will be glad to have for screeding and troweling.
Well said
You gave me a great idea how to do my patio! To break it in sections.
Glad I could help!
Dude you're a beast! Bravo!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I appreciate that!
I’m glad you decided to upgrade your tools for the second half.
thanks for noticing
We also0 use bagged concrete on all our basement digouts that we do and find it to be so crucial in keeping up our speed and also the versatility and transportability of it is unbeatable !
Thank you for sharing and great to know. Keep up the good and tough work.
hi, just watching this video now as I research my own diy project. This is an outstanding video; I appreciate how you improvise as needed, thus not projecting fear about doing it 'the wrong way,' which is a common theme in videos made by professionals.
Awesome, thank you!
That's very sweet at the end 😀!!!
Just watched this video you did a great job.
Thank you! Cheers!
That came out bad ass man. I bought a 3.5 ft concrete mixer used off craigslist and have allot of concrete projects planned for this summer. Back patio and a slab in my 8x10 greenhouse are the two big ones. I also have a 24x36’ barn I’ll be pouring a slab in the next few weeks but I have a buddy coming to help with that who’s been doing concrete work for over 20 years. I’m excited to learn from him first before taking on my own projects.
Thank you. Sounds like you have some big concrete projects ahead. Best of luck and keep me posted how they are going.
I’m about to do an 80sq ft pad behind my house for a future staircase. I just got the 50 bags of concrete and plan on using a HOme Depot Mixer to hopefully do it in a day but most likely I’ll have to split it up. A little nervous about it but excited. Next time consider renting the mini excavator from a local rental. It helped me with the base. I put about half a ton of stone and plan on using chicken wire as a poor man’s rebar. You’re video gave me some ideas and helped to give me that DIY motivation to hopefully not mess this up!
Thanks for watching and sounds like you have an exciting project ahead.
You did a great job. This is a great video especially for someone like myself who has about 900 square feet to do. I work outside so I am used to the Florida heat. I'm 53 but have no issues with hard work. What is so nice about what you have done is it allows someone like myself a guide to follow what you have done. It allows me to do it in stages on a budget. Concreate companies want like 7,500 to do about 800 sq feet. I'd rather do it in stages for about 3k myself. Great video. I will film my work like you to help others as you have.
Jimmy, thank you. Have fun with your project.
awesome! and the little one at the end is adorable!
Thank you! 😊
Looks like you have a little helper!
MrKistel, you did a great job for your first attempt. I’m a Concete finisher for over 35y I have done jobs at 1000sf to 50,000sf and you my friend have the first thing you need to be a good finisher, the will and the drive. Some comments,like our friend the retired GC lol is quick at pointing out what you did wrong but didn’t mention what you did right. just attempting what you did alone and without experience is impressive 👍🏻 what you think you did wrong this time, Will be right the next time. The first step in perfecting a skill, is to start.
Just a tip my friend on that height transition that everyone is calling a trip hazard, fill it in with flagstone, it is the perfect height difference for mortar and stone it will give it some character. Keep it up Friend, maybe one day you can charge for your new skill.
Thanks Mike. Interesting idea regarding Flagstone, thanks for sharing. This concrete patio was constructed with a specific use intention in mind and has functioned as intended with no issues. In that regard, I feel what steps I took were appropriate enough because at the end of the day we are getting exactly what we wanted out of the build. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
I felt your pain. I filled in my inground pool 10 yards of dirt at a time. The final load I completed in one day.
It's entirely possible for a 56 year old man who has spent the last 20 years in I.T.
However, I suggest a two wheel wheelbarrow. Those single wheels are for the young (and maybe ignorant 😉)
Great job. I think I'd go with a HF 3.5 cf mixer or equivalent, but your way worked well too.
Haha, thanks. Ya a two wheeled set up sounds ideal for sure.
Everyone needs to like and share this guy he shows you how to do stuff the correct way and no dry poor stuff from Cajun crazy
Great job...best part the little girl 👧
After watching your video I’m going to plant a garden.
haha fair enough and perhaps a wise consideration
Quite the project, nice work.
Thanks!
Good for you, you did great! Admire your work ethic! Reminds me of my son!
Thank you! 😊
great job dude!
Thanks!
Nice work... Not a fan of the tripping hazards you created, but you're giving me the confidence to pour my own parking pad...
Best of luck with your DIY concrete project, thanks for watching
She’s adorable!!!!
Great work!
Thank you! Cheers!
Great video I don't know if I have the guts to tackle this but I am going to try. Awesome work.
Thank you and best of luck with your project. It is not too bad if you are able to break up into smaller sections.
Nice work man! I know how that goes haha. I bought a used mixer online before starting my projects. Much respect.
Thanks! I appreciate the supportive comment and I bet your concrete mixer was worth every penny.
First time viewer and new subscriber. Great video and insights and awesome feedback from the pros in the comments!
Much appreciated! Thank you kindly
Awesome 👏
Thanks 🤗
Looks great😎👍✌️
Thanks 👍
that is awesome man, I'm sure you know about tool rental, those concrete mixers are fairly cheap to rent considering how much easier they make it to mix and dump multiple bags. You got it done though, really like your thought process as well. I can tell you put thought and research into your projects, I appreciate you sharing it
Thanks 👍
Great job
Thank you Stephanie
I need to take a break from watching you work. I was considering mixing an area I want to pour concrete for a patio but think I'll have concrete brought in. Btw, your little girl is pretty efficient at explaining things. :-)
thanks
Full view & big .👍 # 589 This is a project I have been putting off for some time due to several issues. Now that I watched you do it I may be putting off even longer LOL. All kidding aside you did a nice job & also videoed it well.
Stay safe, Joe Z
Thanks Joe
@@MrKistel You're welcome .👌
When I pour a slab using bag concrete I just throw the bags in to the form in a pile and mix the water on the ground.
Saves a lot of effort.
I have to do my driveway and can't get anyone in my area to call me back with an estimate. I'm happy to do it and save some money but I've been learning and searching up different methods and ideas before I do any pouring. Thank you for furthering my research!
Thanks Ben and sounds like an exciting project is ahead. Let me know how it goes.
great job with the background music!!
better than me singing that is for sure
💪🏾👍🏾 awesome bad man!!!
Appreciate it!! Happy New Year
Very good job man and you've increased your property by at least $25,000 at least! And your little helper (daughter) is so cute and speaks well!!
Thanks 👍
just found your channel and subbed due to the amount of work you put into it. Awesome job
Thank you very much! It is great to hear when the efforts produce this content are realized and appreciated.
She's the best.:)
Great video, your daughter is adorable!
Thanks for watching
Nice drone footage.
Thanks 👍
I'm late to the party ,but DAM ....you really did some serious work .....
They is a GREAT JOB!!
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you so much 😀
Great job!!!…❤️😊👍
Thank you 🤗
👍🏾nice job
Thanks for watching and the comment Tim
Great video and nice work. I want to do the same thing in my back yard. Do you need to use rebar?
Rebar reinforcement was determined not necessary for the concrete patio job shown in the video however I can not speak for your project. Much of it depends on the expected loads and use of the completed concrete area.
Hey thanks .
You bet!
Any amount of scorings in the concrete will make a stress point making the control joint tool that you had perfect for the job
Thanks for the insight
Hello, first great job and thanks for sharing. I been wanted to put some concrete on a area 10x20 but I was scare of how and where to start from.
Thanks, best of luck with your concrete project should you decide to tackle it. Let us know how it goes.
At first I thought you were crazy doing a small slab in 2 sections, that was until I seen you mixing by hand. You really need a concrete mixer, barrel mixer, something other than a spade and tub.
Thanks for the super helpful video! is there a reason you only used recycled chunks of concrete for the first section? Does it affect the strength at all?
I just used the blocks as filler to reduce the overall amount of new concrete needed. It worked perfectly fine for this project. Some do not recommend doing this saying it could comprise the concrete strength. I think as long as the pieces are deep enough under the new surface of poured concrete this practice is ok for light load concrete patios.
Youve inspired me to tackle my own slab, its a big space, but its not even half the work you're doing. The slab i need poured even has a roof over it! No excuses, im getting done myself!
Awesome and best of luck with your DIY concrete project.
1:52 White jean for prep work… applause your bravery! 😄
haha, anything I wear doing a DIY project is sacrificial so I can't be too picky on wardrobe fashion.
I wonder if adding flyash to your mix would give you a stronger mix?
Wow! Can’t believe you did all that work AND shot and edited a video. Impressive and entertaining.
So now that it’s been a year, how is it holding up? Would you do it again the same way?
We are getting ready to do the same. I’m watching videos on the topic. Yours is the best so far! Thank you 🙏
Thank you for your kind words. It is awesome to hear when someone realizes the effort that goes into making these types of DIY videos. The patio is holding up fantastically. No cracks other than one or two hidden cracks in the control joints (as designed). I likely would do it all pretty much the same way. I enjoyed the exercise benefit of mixing the concrete however I would probably use the concrete mixing drill entirely. Seemed to work fairly quickly when mixing concrete by myself. I might also remove the broom finish procedure as I think the finish after the magnesium trowel looks better and still provides plenty of friction.
@@MrKistel Okay, that is valuable information. Glad it is holding up well! Enjoying your other videos. Great work. Thanks again!
When I move bulky stuff like your fill I use my 90 gallon recycle bin with wheels. Easier to load, just lay it down. With sand or gravel you can't fill it too high but usually can do 2 wheelbarrow loads per trip. Stand it up before it is too heavy and add a few more shovels. Works great for bark and compost.
I have a 12 by 30 foot driveway next to my house that I will use haul it myself ready mix from a rental yard about a mile away. My plan is to first pour a 3 foot wide perimeter, then pour the center, that way I have room to work because the space has my house on one side and a retaining wall on the other.
great tip!
Great job. You are very tenacious! Is there a follow-up so we can see how it's faired over a year?
Holding up great. No visible cracks and has been serving flawlessly for its intended patio purposes.
Your pretty brave doing all that without renting a mixer. Hard work! Too late now now, but since you were mixing it yourself I would have added some fibers to the mix to make it stronger and prevent cracking. Also next time try concrete stamps. Good work!
Thanks for the concrete work and mixing tips. The plan was to construct the whole slab area with bagged concrete mix containing the reinforcing fibers. However I could only find enough supply to pour the first half of the patio with the concrete mix containing the fibers. The second half of the concrete patio was constructed using a more standard concrete bag mix. Having said that the entire concrete area poured is holding up well with no cracking outside of the control joints.
Due to my age (mid-60s) and the size of my patio project, I will either rent a stick mixer as you did or a barrel mixer. The job is ambitious enough as it is! Thanks for showing how that stick mixer worked.
@@JBM425 you can buy a mixer at Harbor Freight for like $200 these days. I paid $125 for mine about 3 years ago, used a ton, it sits out in the rain, works every time.
@@RandomStuff-zt6qf, This!
Also, I rented one from Home Depot.
Oh yes, you are right man . . mixing bags of concrete yourself IS a very tiring thing. I have done that myself when I layed down a small sidewalk last year and that was with a bummed up knee. . SO, yeah, in the middle of the hot summer IT WAS WORK. BUT it came out pretty good I have to admit. I just would not recommend doing it that way again. Although I am considering putting down a 2 foot wide strip of concrete behind the house along the backside to try and keep any water from running down the foundation when there is a hard rain. SO with that said. . . sometime this summer THAT will be what Ill be doing. . mixing bags of concrete for that. FUN FUN FUN
sounds like a fun project ahead. Stay hydrated!
did you construct a retaining wall to hold in the underlying dirt? (i’m always amazed by how successfully dirt, under even minuscule pressure, can migrate over time)
As a matter of fact I did... Here is the video czcams.com/video/gfYY-_vNA3w/video.html
SOLID 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯 💯
thanks
Your control joint board will probably work, but I think I can explain why a shallow cut on the surface works as well. Concrete shrinks as the water evaporates. The surface dries faster causing the stress to be greatest there. A similar thing happens when people cut glass. There is not a shrinkage issue, but glass can break from a relative shallow score, because it is so hard/brittle. Concrete is also hard. I compare it to tempered steel which will break before it bends.
I worry about the rubble concrete chunks perhaps causing some erratic, uncontrolled shrinkage cracks for the same reason your board may cause the concrete to crack as the concrete shrinks.
Loved your supervisor!
thanks for the insight
cool job - one thing that could have helped is that if you had 10 or 15 buckets, mix them all up first, then quickly pour them and screed. But I do have a small mixing machine and have done at least 3 large patios and driveways and works fine - I did have one helper with one of the jobs - but my small mixer took 3 bags at a time - its messy, but certainly possible and cheaper - the finish is dependent upon your finishing skills - my next job is to also do stamping.
Thanks. Ya the multiple buckets could be a good idea for drill mixing concrete. Wishing the best with your concrete stamping project.
You can use vegetables oil so concrete doesn't stick to the forms..also it's a good idea to connect the slabs with mesh just in case tge ground moves the will move together..
After all that you're ready for either... the crossfit games or a SPA day.
lets just say it was not the crossfit games. haha
As a professional concrete worker of 30 years I’ll tell you right now …bag concrete is for posts holes and temp fixes . Bag concrete starts to fall apart when used outside on patio..unless you add air . Buy from your local dispatch…it’s actually cheaper to do it once ….
.... and how would you store concrete from dispatch to avoid getting wet if it should rain?
This was A great job! I'm no expert and am looking to do a slab for a 12x20 shed. How large was your total square footage and how deep did you go? Also what was the cost of the mixer. Anyway great job, how does it look now?
Thanks Rick, the concrete patio looks great still with no observable cracking outside the control joints. I believe I used around 180 80lbs of concrete for the entire project. There is a link to the mixer in the video description area. Sound like you have a pretty substantial concrete project in the works. Let me know how it goes and best of luck.
Not sure if you’ve done your pad yet, but look into renting a mixer for a day. Much, much quicker and easier on the back. I helped a buddy with his 15x15 at about 5 inch thick pad and were done just after lunchtime. We were tired but not exhausted at the end.
Edit: rented mixer from HomeDepot, says two bags at a time but we did 3 and 4.
A 12×20 slab wud be just as expensive with bagged concrete as it wud be with a concrete truck. Definitely wud not do that with bagged concrete