Backyard build. DECK/CONCRETE/POOL

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

Since you have no room to drill from the back, just make slots in the backpiece and drop it over the support beams. Or threaded bases, whatever.

Antihero said:

mr2s2000elise said:

In reply to Antihero :

I am going to change bracing to 2x4 as you recommended 

then come back and ask you for more help
 

the side steps and side is for me only. No one ever uses it and won't. Trying it here first to see if I can do it 

 

It's hard to tell but the forms might be a bit close to the side. You won't be able to move the forms forward any, because of concrete obviously, so you want to leave yourself some wiggle room so you can strip off the forms. Otherwise you can damage the concrete removing the forms.

 

Sure, let me know any questions you have

Thanks for your help. I am trying to schedule Tuesday for pour 

will need two trucks worth i believe 

yes the forms are very close to the side 

I may need more wiggle room 

NOHOME said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

Since you have no room to drill from the back, just make slots in the backpiece and drop it over the support beams. Or threaded bases, whatever.

I have about 1 feet between the bench and the fence. Just hard to tell in pics 

Great progress!

For your bench...

I don’t think those floating shelf brackets are the best idea. They bolt to the wall surface, which means you are hanging in the bolts. Works fine for a 12” wide shelf designed to hold 50 lbs. Your benches are more like 24” wide designed to hold 800 lbs or more. 

I would suggest using 1 1/2” galvanized pipe as support. Go through the block, and fill the block with concrete. 

“Slats” vs 1 pc... don’t use 1 pc.  You will have a hard time finding a 1 pc slab wide enough, and it’s gonna warp like crazy in the weather.  The pic you linked uses 4x4, and I’m pretty sure there are gaps between to shed the water. 

You can make a nice solid 1 pc “slab” out of many smaller pcs.  Just bolt through them with threaded rod. Use small blocks between them as spacers to keep gaps so the water will drain through. 

In reply to SVreX :

Yeah I like the slat look, and will do the gaps . 
 

I am going to look at the galvanized pipe idea you suggested 

thank you !!!! 

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

2 trucks is a lot of concrete, from the pics it doesn't look like anywhere near that amount. 4 inch thick concrete will do roughly 80 sqft per cubic yard. What's the dimensions on what you are pouring?

What sorts of tools do you have? How many people are helping?

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

I agree with AntiHero. 

You are not doing anything that requires a continuous or monolithic pour. Scale it back to a half a truck or less for your first pour. Just add a form at a convenient place, and pour the 2nd part at a later date. 

This is your first pour. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. 

Antihero said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

2 trucks is a lot of concrete, from the pics it doesn't look like anywhere near that amount. 4 inch thick concrete will do roughly 80 sqft per cubic yard. What's the dimensions on what you are pouring?

What sorts of tools do you have? How many people are helping?

I only hired day laborers to help me to do the pool remove plaster.

For concrete I don't have anyone I have hired. I want to do the side and stairs by myself, lets see if I can. 

Total "area" will be 800 sq feet.  4 inch will be part of the patio, rest of it closer to 6 inch to make it all level. 

SVreX said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

I agree with AntiHero. 

You are not doing anything that requires a continuous or monolithic pour. Scale it back to a half a truck or less for your first pour. Just add a form at a convenient place, and pour the 2nd part at a later date. 

This is your first pour. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. 

Yes. That is exactly the plan. I want to pour just the side part to see if I can do it without "messing up," 

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

800sq ft is roughly 10 yards of 4 inch. I won't do that much by myself and I've done thousands of pours, let alone adding in some steps. Reconsider the help or the size, preferably both.

What sorts of tools do you have? I can give you a list if you'd like

Antihero said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

800sq ft is roughly 10 yards of 4 inch. I won't do that much by myself and I've done thousands of pours, let alone adding in some steps. Reconsider the help or the size, preferably both.

 

What sorts of tools do you have? I can give you a list if you'd like

I have some spresders

some chutes and trowel. Yes I do think I need to hire help and am taking your advice to do so. I was seeing if a truck will pour me some concrete on the side/steps area that I can do myself. 
 

let me know what other tools you recommend 

Additonally started some work on the front yard 

the plants were not in order 

it was all over. I didn't like it visually 

plan is to put the plants on alll 3 sides. 12 inches of space for them. Middle all turf. Bench around the tree 

did some work today 

before and current

mr2s2000elise said:

Antihero said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

800sq ft is roughly 10 yards of 4 inch. I won't do that much by myself and I've done thousands of pours, let alone adding in some steps. Reconsider the help or the size, preferably both.

 

What sorts of tools do you have? I can give you a list if you'd like

I have some spresders

some chutes and trowel. Yes I do think I need to hire help and am taking your advice to do so. I was seeing if a truck will pour me some concrete on the side/steps area that I can do myself. 
 

let me know what other tools you recommend 

The minimum would be:

Screed(straight 2x4)

Bull Float, 3ft 

Fresno

Fresno weights

Joiner(could be the clamp on ones that will fit the Fresno, but they are tougher to use)

Enough poles x2 to reach across your project

Edgers(can be a hand edger)

Hand float (magnesium since you should be using air entrained concrete)

Hand joiner( you'll need it for tight spots)

Step tools( you'll need the same radius)

Concrete rake x however many people you have helping

Square point shovel

Laydown trowel (20x5 round+square. DO NOT GET A POOL TROWEL WITH A SHORT SPINE!)

Finish trowel ( round 16x4 is what I use a lot but its personal preference)

Burner trowel (12x2 you'll use this when the concrete is very hard)

Knee boards( sheet foam wrapped in plastic and duct tape is good here)

Concrete finishing broom( if you are brooming the 800sqft)

Paintbrush(you'll need this for the steps, don't use any sort of smooth finish)

Rubber boots

Rubber gloves(concrete will chemically burn you, always wear gloves)

Safety glasses.

And that's minimum, expect.....$1000 ish for tools depending on quality and local prices. I'd add a Blue Glider and Sliders in if it was me but you can get by without

In reply to Antihero :

Much appreciate on the list !! Will gather the tools this weekend

got confirmation Tuesday will be pour. So this weekend will hit the pool store and get the tiles picked out. Coping is being cast get that Tuesday as well 

also ordered all the turf now

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

I'd recommend hiring at least 2 people that have done concrete, remember you are moving roughly 5 times the weight of all 3 cars in your user name if you are doing only 10 yards. 

You need to pour the steps first and stiff, call it a 2 or drier if your pump can move it. Ideally you want to pour the rest at a 4 but I doubt you'll like that at all. I don't know what physical shape you are in, but concrete is tough, screeding alone is basically moving tons of material with your finger tips.

You'll also need a screed rail of some sort to hold the level on the house side of your pour since wet screeding is something most professionals suck at and takes a lot of practice.

I'll be honest, I wish you the best but I give you a zero chance of making this look good and be functional. There's only so much I can tell you over the internet

For finishing you have to densify the surface to make it durable, that means you have to go over it a minimum of 3 times all at the exact amount of hardness or the finish will be terrible and weak.Youve got to groove it roughly in 10 foot sections right away, this will help prevent cracking.

Once the pour starts you won't be able to stop for any period of time. You usually get about 10 min a yard for lay down time and then they charge you. Im pretty sure you are gonna go over that figure, hopefully the company won't hammer you. The steps will probably go off first, but you have to strip them at exactly the right time.....you'll have about a 10 min window. I can't explain over the internet the exact right time because there is an art to it. You can't take very long to get these perfect because you need to be finishing the rest at exacting intervels, and because of that you need to move fast on everything. Never shoot for 100 percent, shoot for 90 percent good, because 100 percent usually means a 4 foot square is 100 percent, and the rest is 5 percent.

There's literally about 50 things to tell you, im just gonna have to update as they come to me.

To give you an idea of what I do, this is one pour, I think it was 12 steps total and 20 ish yards. So when I say that I wouldn't do what you are doing by myself, you understand.

That is not me in the picture either lol

Appreciate the advice 

I want to make sure , you know, that I am not ignoring your advice 

my goal is To do what I can before I have to hire help. 
 

your input is invaluable and I look forward to more 

your pic is amazing. I certainly can't do that. I am trying to build 2 steps so I don't fall at night taking garbage out 

Also purchased this

https://www.florida-sunseeker.com/products/pentair-16-color-led-upgrade-kit-for-amerlite-large-pool-size?variant=6448966991899

Figured while no water is in pool, I can add it

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

Note on the tools...

You will not find most of that stuff at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Those are concrete specialty tools. 

Some you can rent from a commercial construction rental supply. Some you can buy from the same place. Some you will need a concrete specialty tools supplier. 

Share your GRM tool creativity

https://twitter.com/cctv_idiots/status/1226087663717027840?s=21

SVreX said:

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

Note on the tools...

You will not find most of that stuff at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Those are concrete specialty tools. 

Some you can rent from a commercial construction rental supply. Some you can buy from the same place. Some you will need a concrete specialty tools supplier. 

Yes, we have a concrete supplier store here. They are the ones who gave me the info on the concrete truck pour. 

OHSCrifle said:

Share your GRM tool creativity

https://twitter.com/cctv_idiots/status/1226087663717027840?s=21

Nice one! Since I don't drink or have twitter, I will see if I can borrow some of my kids sippie cups with apple juice for levelers 

mr2s2000elise said:

OHSCrifle said:

Share your GRM tool creativity

https://twitter.com/cctv_idiots/status/1226087663717027840?s=21

Nice one! Since I don't drink or have twitter, I will see if I can borrow some of my kids sippie cups with apple juice for levelers 

Keep up the ambitious work man. I'm in awe. Thanks for sharing!

Sadly not much weekend work, with rain and 40-50mph winds, had to stay put 

got the bricks off under the window. Cleaned it up. Will put the stones on there to match the rest of the house