Concrete patios are attractive, durable, long-lasting, and easy to clean. In fact, poured concrete can greatly reduce the cracks and gaps that can cause weed growth and sometimes ant infestations. Here is more on influencing the strength of concrete. However, creating a concrete patio is not a walk in the park and it may be challenging for someone who doesn’t know much about concreting.

If you want to pour a patio properly, then follow these steps and your concrete patio will give you years of enjoyment.

The process

There are several steps you need to follow to pour concrete on your patio effectively and this will include excavating, marking, assembling, mixing, leveling forms and finishing concrete.

• Marking your work area: It is recommended that you use spray paint to mark out your patio. You should set the area to around 18 inches longer and wider than the finished size of your patio. Keep in mind that you need to have the space required for your work.
• Excavating the area: For this task, you will need to use a shovel or rent a mini-excavator to dig up the top soil and sod in your patio area. Aim at least six to eight inches below the current soil level.
• Assemble forms: Forms are usually set by joining 2×8 or 2×6 lumber to form the outer shape of the patio. You will also need deck screws to join the corners.
• Strengthen the form: It is essential to straighten the form and you can do this by using strings along the sides of the form. It is recommended that you also place stakes every 36 inches to hold the edges of the form.
• Adding crushed stone: Level crushed stone to create a space at the bottom of the excavated area. This will serve as the drainage for water and to avoid any flooding on your patio surface. It is also essential to crush the stone to create a consistent depth down from the edge to the top of the form boards.
• Adding reinforcement: Concrete on your patio must be reinforced to minimise potential cracking. For this purpose, you will need to use reinforcing steel mesh, but to ensure durability, we recommend using a one-and-a-half rebar on a 12” x 16” grid. Placing the rebar on the bottom of the form, then lifting it up during the pour will reinforce the concrete more at the bottom.
• Pouring and finishing the concrete: Pouring and finishing concrete can be done by buying bags of just-add-water concrete mix. Try to add the concrete mix into a portable concrete mixer, but always follow the manufacturer’s recommended cement to water ratio to create a uniform blend that is essential for the consistency of your concrete patio.

Overall, building a concrete patio is a worthwhile investment, but if you want to do it right. You need to get in touch with an experienced and licensed concreting company like Bendigo Concreting. They have a team of qualified concreters that can help you with your project.