Monday - Friday
5:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Sat. 5:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
Sun. CLOSED
Site Preparation
Site Preparation is one of the most important aspects of obtaining a quality concrete job that will last. It is imperative that the sub-base be sound, compacted, and level. Soft spots, high points, loose dirt, grass, and existing concrete must be eliminated before concrete can be poured. If the desired area for your pad is water logged or has poor base quality, you must excavate down a minimum of four (4) inches below the bottom grade of the concrete, and replace the removed area with a road base material suitable for proper compaction. Poor quality gravel, dirt or large rocks are not recommended as a proper base As a general rule, most residential pads are poured at a depth of four (4) inches, or the depth of a standard 2x4 board. Those areas not abutting another pad or walled area should be formed by placing a 2x4 on edge, and securing it in place by utilizing wood or steel stakes on the outside of the form. Keeping the stakes just below the top of the 2x4 will help in the "screeding" or "striking off" of the concrete in the placement process. There are situations and conditions that require deeper base material, as well as a deeper or thicker concrete pad or wall, and such should be examined and reviewed by a professional contractor. If you have any concerns or unanswered questions, please contact our Sales Department or Dispatch.
HOMEOWNERS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What kind of mix should I use for my pour? A:
USAGE CHART
BAG MIX
P.S.I.
FOOTING FOUNDATION
5.5 Bags
3000
INSIDE SLAB
(basement floor)
5.5 Bags
3000
OUTSIDE SLAB
(Steps, Sidewalk,Driveway, patio)
6.0 Bags
4000
*Note: The following chart is an estimate of bag mix and strength, and should only be used as a general guideline. To insure the requirements for local city, county, or state specifications are met, it is recommended that you contact the appropriate agency in your area for specific requirements.
Q: How can I color concrete? A: Colored concrete is simple thanks to our integrated Davis Color System. Davis Colors are strong, durable, and last as long as the concrete. There are bold and intense premium colors, standard colors that add less than a dollar per square foot, and subtle shades for any budget. Colored concrete is a beautiful enhancement for your home. Call our dispatch, or sales office, or stop by our office for a color chart and price list. Click here to visit the Davis Color web site for color examples. Q: What are fibers and how can they improve concrete? A: Fiber reinforced concrete contains synthetic polypropylene fibers designed to significantly reduce and often eliminate plastic shrinkage and cracking. Fibers increase concrete durability and abrasion resistance. Fibers are great in flat work and curb and gutter pours. Call our dispatch office for pricing.
Q: How can I get the concrete in my backyard if I am unable to get a large mixer back there? A: The "Schwing BPA301" trailer pump is designed to pump 1" aggregate to 3/8" aggregate. It uses a 4" (diameter) line for the 1" aggregate and 2 1/2" (diameter) line for the pea gravel mixes. This pump is great for those hard to reach areas, small pours, block fill, pan stairs, and jobs that the boom pumps cannot access. Click here for Wasatch Concrete Pumping
Q: How does cold winter weather affect my pour? A: You can expect slower strength gains and delayed set. This can be remedied by using concrete accelerators. We offer two types of concrete accelerators: calcium chloride and non-chloride.
Q: How does hot weather affect my pour? A: Quick sets, loss of compressive strength and loss in durability can all be expected in hot weather. This can be remedied by using our new, state of the art concrete stabilizer known as "control set".
Q: When and how should I order or cancel my pour? A: To place an order, contact our dispatch office at least five (5) days in advance of the projected pour date to determine the availability of trucks and delivery times. Summertime and Saturdays are the busiest times for Home Projects, so be sure to call as far in advance as possible. Once the concrete delivery has been scheduled, should you need to cancel the concrete delivery for an reason, you will need to contact the dispatch office a minimum of TWO HOURS (2) prior to the scheduled delivery time. Should the order already be batched for delivery and proceeding to the job site as ordered, any cancellation at this time will result in the full amount being billed to the customer due to the perishable nature of the concrete, and the inability to direct the load to another job site.
Finishing Tips
One of the most important aspects of concrete work is the quality and expertise of the concrete finisher or sub contractor. Finishing requires the skill and artistry of a trained professional. It truly is more art than science, but it also takes training, experience and some good old common sense. Here are some practical tips to help improve your finishing experience.
SCREEDING
Screeding is the key to producing a true flat surface. It removes excess concrete and brings the top surface to proper grade. Use a piece of 2x4 lumber specially selected for its' straightness. The straight edge should be 1 to 2 feet longer than the slab is wide so that it is always resting on a form on each side.
To "screed level" the slab you pull the straight edge forward in a side-to-side sawing motion across the tops of the side forms. At the same time, tilt the top of the straight edge slightly away from the direction of travel. The sawing motion helps prevent tearing of the concrete surface and produces a relatively smooth and level surface. Tilting the straight edge produces a single cutting edge.
To fill in low spots, keep a roll of concrete about an inch high ahead of the straight edge at all times. When you reach the end of the slab, pull excess concrete into, not away from the end edge forms.
BULL FLOATING
Bull floats are used to level ridges and fill in low spots left by "screeding". They also slightly embed the large aggregate particles and work up a slight amount of paste or cream on the surface to facilitate later finishing operations. Start bull floating immediately after screeding. Pass the bull float across the slab perpendicular to the direction that the straight edge is pulled. Push the blade ahead, while holding the handle low and raising the front edge slightly. This keeps the float from digging into the concrete surface. Then pull the float back similarly, holding the back edge of the blade slightly raised to level the high spots and fill voids.
EDGING
Edging compacts the concrete next to the form where floating and troweling are less effective. This makes the edge of the slab more durable and less likely to scale and chip.
Hold the edging tool flat on the concrete surface and run it in a forward and backward motion. Keep the front or leading edge of the edging tool slightly raised in the forward direction and the back slightly raised in the backward direction. Do not start edging in a corner and don't raise the edges of the concrete unless the tool is in motion. Be careful not to leave an impression in the fresh concrete that is so deep it's difficult to remove in later finishing operations.
JOINTS
Concrete will nearly always crack due to shrinkage after the water evaporates and is absorbed into the cement powder, so it is imperative that you put in marks or cuts to control where the concrete will crack. Joints or cuts are put into the fresh concrete with a marking tool for the purpose of "telling" the concrete where you want it to crack. Marking tools can be rented at most rental yards, and come with eight foot length poles for reaching across a fresh concrete pad. To determine where the marks are to be made, it is a general rule that the marks must not exceed eight to ten feet apart in a four inch thick pad. Use a snap line to pre-mark your marking tool path and always run a joint off corners of buildings or steps.
HAND TROWELING
After the concrete has been poured, screeded, bull floated and edged, it must now be allowed the time to dry and "set" before the next process is performed. To determine when to begin this process is a matter of skill and timing and will determine not only the appearance, but the durability of the concrete. Generally speaking, after the above process has been completed you will notice a wet shine to the fresh concrete. The concrete must be left to "set" until the wet shine has started to disappear. Starting the hand troweling too early will result in a wet and ridged finish, which may peel at a later date, while starting too late will result in a hard to finish surface, often solved by throwing water on the concrete surface, which will also cause surface scaling in the future. Hand troweling is used to further smooth the surface and edges and is accomplished with a hand trowel called a "mag trowel", which is made from magnesium. This process causes the surface to remain "open" and also brings up a cement "cream" to the surface which aids in the finishing of the concrete. To reach the middle of the concrete pad for hand troweling, knee boards must be used to prevent deep marks in the fresh concrete.
BROOMING
Brooming the concrete before it has fully hardened produces a slip resistant finish to exterior concrete. When the surface has hardened sufficiently to retain the broom marks and texture, simply use a medium to stiff shop broom, dip in water to moisten, shake off the excess water and drag the broom across the freshly toweled concrete in the direction you wish to apply a non skid surface. Generally speaking, one pass will be sufficient to make permanent marks in the new concrete.
CURING & SEALING
Curing and sealing the concrete with a chemical additive after brooming will improve the surface durability of the concrete and retain moisture within the slab which will enable the cement particles to continue to cure at an even pace. This will add to the overall resistance to damage from outside sources. Curing compounds and sealers can be obtained at several concrete specialty stores, or at you local hardware store. Consult your local dealer for specific needs and recommendations.
After the concrete is cured and sealed, foot traffic should remain off the concrete for 24 hours: Light equipment such as bicycles, mowers, etc. should stay off the pad for a week: and vehicle traffic, light duty only, for two weeks to insure that proper strength has been achieved within the pad. Complete curing takes approximately thirty (30) days, however corners and small sections are still susceptible to breaking or cracking.
HOT WEATHER CONCRETING
Hot weather accelerates the hydration of cement and causes rapid drying. These effects can cause serious problems if work practices are not changed. You must be prepared for these hot weather conditions:
setting time and finishing time are shortened. More water is required in the mix for the same workability, which in turn weakens the concrete. At the same slump, the 28 day strength is reduced and the surface of the fresh concrete will dry more rapidly. Plastic shrinkage cracking may occur. Surface cracking is more likely in the hardened concrete. The risk of shrinkage cracking after hardening is greater. Before concrete is placed, sprinkle water on the forms, ground and any placing equipment. This helps to prevent absorption of moisture from the concrete and cools the materials that will come in contact with the concrete. Begin curing immediately after finishing.
COLD WEATHER CONCRETING
Cold weather is defined as a period when the average daily temperature falls below 40 degrees F for more than three successive days. If freshly placed concrete cools below 32 degrees F, the expansion of the water as it freezes will permanently damage the concrete. The concrete should not come in contact with any frozen surfaces, such as ice, snow, a frozen sub-grade or frost on the forms. When frost penetration is no more than about 3 inches, thaw the sub-grade by covering it for one to three days with an insulating blanket or deep straw. Concrete poured on a frozen sub-grade may settle unevenly or crack when the ground thaws.
The easiest way to protect the concrete is to cover it with insulation blankets after it is poured. Ready mix concrete does not generally do well during cold weather applications. Hot water, calcium chloride, and other additives must be added to stimulate the chemical reaction that normally takes place in warm weather. These chemicals help the concrete to make its initial set, but as temperatures drop, and the concrete cools, the rate of curing drops proportionately while the risk of freezing and surface damage increases. Should the concrete freeze during the placement process, or at any time after completion until the concrete is fully cured, which may take as long as 60 days in the winter, the surface will generally be damaged and chip and peel. Insulated blankets, straw and plastic all help to reduce the chances of freezing, but wind, humidity and many other factors continually work on the concrete during cold weather and will cause damage. It is our company policy that concrete placed after October 1st cannot be fully protected against frost and freezing damage, therefore the strength and durability of our concrete cannot be guaranteed on projects completed after this date. Plan ahead for cold weather concreting!!
