Quote:
Originally Posted by tony404
my wife said the same thing lol
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good advice to have a cement finisher handle this, especially for patio.
there are certain things you should be aware of:
1. depending on outside temp you do not want to pour when it is very cold (below freezing) this can cause problem with cracking later.
2. the concrete must not dry too fast, you need to keep it a little damp first 36 hours or so for best hardness.
3. make sure the slope is correct, especially for patio, this will require very precise form work (rain water must drain away from your house).
4. make sure the finisher is using wire mesh to avoid cracking, and make sure the slap is think enough, and the sand bed is drained properly---when you bid the job get a thickness spec, and make sure the finishers pull the mesh up off the sand during the pour so it is in the concrete, not laying on the sand bed. for patio work consider using a fancy aggregate top layer or colored layer, this will add value to the home, and not cost too much extra in materials---go to home depot and buy the book on patios---you have many choices.
it could get into the finishing part, but no time now.
main reason you want this done by a pro is that it is a PATIO, not a driveway, and you will spend time sitting out there, and if the job is not good everyone will know, and it will depreciate your prop value if poor job.