Tell me about concrete...

no way can you dive into doing concrete with no experience. your only chance is to hire some good employees and learn as you go. concrete is a very unforgiving product that will even give fits to people that have years of experience, the stuff can have a mind of it's own with many different factors. once that truck comes there is no turning back.

I thought you meant as a start pad on the gate. Its fine, as long as it's not too troweled.

There’s always ideal conditions but you can definitely pour all year in PNW. I’m NOT a concrete guy but spent some time as a laborer and did curbs/sidewalk prep. We’d throw tarps down in cold temps for overnight to keep from freezing which blew my mind that it would help when I first saw it.

With the amount of guys running around doing concrete side jobs I wouldn’t let someone scare you into not getting into it. Maybe a few trial pours for friends etc to get the hang of it?

I just had 5,000 sq ft done by some pros and it still came with its issues. They warned me though if it’s concrete it’s gonna crack.

First step is by a large bottle of Motrin. 

How do Walmart floors not crack.?  In my area they are perfect.   

I'm in service so I tried my best to migitate it by getting several bids and making sure who was doing the work wasn't going to cut any corners. The estimate process was thorough and they let me know be prepared for cracks its impossible to get around. Our dirt is full of rock and packs REALLY well, added fiber to the concrete mix to try and avoid cracks as much as possible. Still happened but I was well aware of it so how could I be mad? 

I like to discuss potential issues with my customers in the same manner. When stuff does happen, they knew about it and wasn't a surprise. This is the only way to have happy customers even if something doesn't go 100% right.

As a guy who's done this for 38 years I would suggest subbing it out to a good crew . Help them about 3 or 400 times and you will realize its a shitty job and its best to sub it out. Do the prep on your own. Watch experienced crews to learn. The money is in the prep anyways.

"If you can't finish school you can finish concrete!" That's what I've always heard. 😄

Contact your local batch plants and or ask local contractors, It all depends on region and how brave someone is. Had a slab poured a few years ago in early November when it was in the 50's, we had a cold spell a few weeks later and even with it covered I had some popping. the popping was only in the area where the 2nd truck unloaded. so many variables with concrete that start out with the plant. 

good concrete, prep, and proper saw cutting at the optimal time

About it being a shitty job -  Had a local guy pour some concrete back in 2016 when we built our house. His family owned one of the local concrete companies..The guy did great work and we paid him cash. Took months to get him back each time we needed another section poured .

 Spent a few years (2017-2020) in jail after working at our place for his 7th DUI. A few months after getting out he got his 8th and has been in jail since..

Anyways, I think pouring concrete can make a guy drink..

There are lots of good youtube videos. I watch Victory Outdoor Services and 1 or 2 others. One thing you will notice is that they always have plenty of guys on even smaller jobs. I have done a fair amount in the past and I know how hectic it can get if you are short handed. 

Walkways are pretty easy but when you get into driveways, especially in the PNW, you have to know your shit when it comes to grading and proper drainage. Also, most cities have very specific requirements when you are pouring an apron. 

Not too many self taught concrete contractors. Mistakes can be very costly. Most had a fair amount of experience on the job. You may need to hire 1 guy that knows the ropes and let him direct the crew until you develop some knowledge.

As a guy who's dealt with pool decks lifting and sinking and drains and drainage and cracking and puddles in decks for 40+ years I support this post. ^^  Whatever you think you're save doing it yourself isn't worth it. Make that $ somewhere else or raise the price to cover the concrete sub. (A licensed concrete sub) Fuck it it's not worth the aggravation. I deal with a couple local concrete guys around here. I know they use 4-6 inches of road base, minimum 4" thick, schedule 40 4" drains, and water barrier footings around the perimeters. We have expansive clay soil and they're pretty anal about water. But every jobs different and theres a lot to consider... my $.02 ? Sub it out to Darrin Willis  😄

For sure. Pool decks are not for amateurs. 

I live in Washington. While laid off, I did concrete with a friend who owned his own business for about a year when I was younger. It’s not for everyone. There’s too many variables to deal with as someone new to the trade. Biggest problem was  weather. Rain leaving 1/4 X 1” dimples across the entire surface. You can’t control the weather especially after scheduling.  Concrete sitting in the truck for too long. 

I hate to be the one pissing in your Cheerios but, people who start concrete businesses, were in the trade for several years before, “Trying their hand at it”. 

It’s a good way to lose your ass if you don’t know what you’re doing. Especially when dealing with larger surfaces like, drive ways and, garages. 

I’ve been in the concrete buisness over 40years.  I’m an estimator now  but started as a laborer and worked my way up through the ranks.  It takes around 4 years as an apprentice to be competent finisher. 
Concrete is a unique trade, you only get one shot at it.  There are no do-overs that don’t involve a jackhammer 

Find a good sub to do the work. 
 

One very important thing to remember is concrete doesnt care if its lunch time,or its quitin time, you have to stay after it. Ive spent til 2 in the morning finishing slabs many times. I have also had slabs laid down by 8 am and finished by noon with lots of sweat and blisters.  Someone once asked me how I got into concrete, my one word reply was "Desperation"  Its a tough way to earn a living.

Concrere work sounds a lot like roofing.

Answers will vary on a case by case basis, but I’ll take a stab at some general information!

Typical residential patio/walkway design in my area is 4” concrete, reinforced with welded wire fabric, over a compacted 4” subbase and compacted subgrade. 

As far as selecting a mix goes, if it is not specified for the project, consult your supplier’s representative until you have an understanding of the performance of a particular mix design. Selecting a random compressive strength and dumping excessive amounts of water to achieve a desired slump or workability will not provide favorable results. Air entrainment in the mix will also play a role in durability during freeze/thaw cycles.

The plastic sheeting you are referring to is a vapor barrier, primarily associated with interior applications. Some exterior applications do have a geotextile fabric between subgrade and subbase, but it isn’t very common in my area.

There is a lot of articles highlighting ACI standards for cold weather and hot weather concrete placements. In cold weather conditions, protecting the slab during the  early stages of the curing process is extremely important for strength and durability - ranging from insulated blankets to temporary enclosures with supplemental heat sources. Insulated curing blankets are always the minimum. The concrete supplier can also provide additives for cold and warm weather conditions. Some being mandatory. All increase your cost per yard. 

As previously mentioned, concrete is susceptible to cracking and every step of the way can avoid or contribute to cracking. 1. Subgrade and subase preparation. 2. Slab construction and reinforcement. 3. Placement and finishing procedures. 4. Mix design and truck spacing. 5. Proper jointing. 6. Proper curing materials and procedures.

Finally, there are a lot of subcontractors now that only provide placement and finishing services. Utilize them and make sure you understand their pricing structure. Communicate with your subcontractor to properly incorporate their costs into your bid. I subcontract 99% of my finishing. 

Good luck! 

Commercial estimator by chance?

Structural concrete, Mostly flood control and storm drain.  Commercial, residential and public works. You ?

I'm not a concrete guy myself ( helped out a friend who is a few times) seems like if you want more concrete jobs then anyone could possibly handle do small pads . No concrete places will even bother with small pads for sheds ,gazebos type work.

Concrete has a 3% shrinkage rate, it will crack, you tell it where to crack with saw cuts or expansion joints.

Cold weather pours usually get heated water and an accelerant to speed the curing, and as mentioned insulated blankets to keep the heat in until the hydration process has begun with the ingredients.

Driveway and sidewalks get 6" crushed gravel for a base and 5-6" 3500-4000psi mix with air entrainment additive to help prevent Spalding from freeze thaw and application of ice melters like salt. 

The little I know about concrete blows my mind. Here are the two facts I know:

-The coefficient of thermal expansion is the same as that of steel. In other words, when concrete heats up, it gets bigger in the same dimensions as steel (that's why they use an iron alloy in rebar). This is why you need expansion joints between sections. 

-Concrete isn't completely dry for up to 100 years. It is gaining strength the entire time, too. After the drying is complete, only then does it begin to weaken. 

Where we are it’s all about keeping the water from getting under it, and they actually slope into the drains with no puddles obviously. If water gets underneath the dirt swells up and raises the slab, when it dries back out, it gets voids and then cracks  this one the majority of the water came from the neighbors house who sat higher, according to my guy, they should’ve known that was gonna happen and dealt with making the water go away before it went under the deck. Hindsight’s 20-20  

I’m not going to be the one, but someone will chime in and tell you that concrete doesn’t dry,,,

It cures.  Don’t get mad at me, I’m just warning you  

So back in the 70s and 80s, The white guys didn't want to do the shitty work. You could only get the mexicans to do the shoveling, mixing, clean up, shitty work in general. Over time the white guy finishers aged out and the laborers gained all the experience by actually doing the work. Over time, all the really good guys were mexican. We have a few token white guys that are good but most of the good guys around here are mexican these days. That's just the way it is.

It is, and many of them are concrete "artists".

I used to pump concrete in the 80's. The only things I know about finishing is from watching as I placed.

I've done everything from small house slabs, to huge parking lot paving, to tilt wall, to high rise floors, to fucking interstate highway bridges that had to be "0 slump" out of the ready mix truck which equals about a + 1 after it goes through 32 meters of pump, to a 200' kiln silo.

Seen heated water, heated aggregate, super plasticizers, it's nucking futz.

G.C.s telling you to try to pump 1" aggregate through a 4" reducer at 200'.

I had some good time doing that, but damn, you'll find all kinds of different opinions and possibilities.