Concrete is so in style these days. From building a concrete home to having a beautiful walkway up to your home installed. Although these are beautiful and Montreal Concrete Contractor takes great pride in assisting homeowners and businesses achieve their dream look, there are also things that can go wrong in the installation process. We wanted to compile a list for readers and talk about top mistakes people make when installing concrete. This may save you a headache and a lot of money if the future. Keep reading to find out what they are!
The first thing to keep in mind is that installing concrete is not actually as easy as you may think. There are quite a few steps that need to be done and need to be done properly in order for it to proud properly. Even if the weather is not great, this may throw everything off. If everything works out though, you will be so happy you went with the concrete option.
The first mistake that people make when installing concrete is that they do not know how much concrete they will need. This means that they either think they need way more than needed, which will result in overspending and need to throw it out (or putting too much out) or not having enough. First, you need to know what the concrete will be supporting. Is it simply humans? If so, the concrete does not need to be very thick. If you are creating a driveway, it will need to support a car resulting in a lot thicker concrete. If you want to create a sidewalk, it should be four inches. If you are creating a driveway for commercial purposes, you will want it as much as ten inches. This shows you how much it will vary depending on your needs. In order to calculate the exact amount of thickness out it is important to connect with a professional.
Did you know that there are many different kinds of concrete? The kind of concrete that you need to use will be determined by the project you are looking to complete. This is our next mistake that people make – purchasing and using the wrong type on concrete. Although concrete has the same three ingredients, there is still more than one type of option to each for each project.
When you begin the installation process of concrete it is important to be fully prepared. One of the mistakes that people make it not having all of the tools they will need. By not preparing, this can cause the installation process to go terribly wrong. This will not only cost you time but money as well. Don’t assume you have everything or think that one tool will make due for it and another, make sure you go to the hardware store ahead of time and get everything you will need to get the job done.
The next mistake that we want to share also has to do with preparation. Are you noticing a trend? It’s important to be fully prepared when installing concrete. Many people rush in the pouring process without preparing the site. They get so excited that they can finally pour and this is actually 10 steps ahead of what they should be focusing on. This can end up once again costing them money and even time because they need to backtrack. Take your time to prepare your entire site and you will end up being much happier with the results. When the area is level as well as the compact is when you can finally move onto the next step of creating the concrete forms.
The next mistake is about using reinforcement. If you can guess, concrete is very strong. It is meant to last through almost all temperatures. It is not weak. It is important to reinforce the concrete with steel. This will allow whatever you are creating to be reinforced into the concrete much better.
Unfortunately, installing concrete is one a one person job. There is only so much time the concrete can be used and is malleable. When doing it alone, this can take a lot of time and can be a lot more experience. Try and plan to either have a group of friends come over and help you or ask the experts.
We talked either about how the weather conditions can be a huge mistake when installing concrete. Rain will be your worst enemy when pouring the concrete. The warmer weather is much better for the process. Once the concrete is installing, it’s important that it is not too cold out. This can actually weaken it. Try and plan the installation process during warmer months of the year and check out the forecast ahead of time so that you are prepared and avoid this mistake.
The last mistake we are going to share is what you do after you pour the concrete. Some people think of the task as complete and they simply leave the area. It’s important to use a concrete rake to lightly spread the concrete so that it is completely flat. Even if your surface is flat before, it probably is not perfect still. Use the rake to do this so that it is even. Make sure to not overdo it though. This will cause issues with the concrete.
As you can see, the main mistake that people make is to not prepare enough for the installation process. It’s critical to the outcome for you to not only have everything you need before the process starts, but not stopping just because the concrete is poured. Do every single step and you will be so happy with the result. It will make a huge difference! If you have any questions about installing concrete or to find out more mistakes people make, contact us today!