Pouring Concrete
Concrete installation, whether it’s commercial or residential in nature, begins with concrete pouring. For any DIY enthusiasts out there, knowing how to pour concrete can certainly help you save a few bucks by doing light concrete repairs here and there around your house, but for bigger jobs, we recommend leaving the pouring to the professionals. And yes, we’ll readily admit we have a horse in this race, but it’s like your grandpa used to say, “buy it nice, or buy it twice.” We are big believers in blending quality with value here at Cesar’s Concrete.
Practically speaking, the pouring portion of the project includes basic steps like clearing the area of material or objects that might get in the way. This might be grass, old concrete, trees, rocks, or anything getting in the way. Next you’ll want to lay your sub base, which is simply the material on which you’ll pour the concrete. Most of the time, we’ll use road base or granular fill.
The next step is to construct a form, typically a temporary wooden perimeter that we’ll secure. Forms are usually rectangular and need to be constructed well to ensure a high-quality finish on your project. After that, we’ll add rebar or another material to support the concrete we are about to pour.
Finally, we’ll get to the pouring itself. In our concrete mixer we’ll add sand, gravel, water, and cement and pour it into the mold. We’ll begin at the portion of the mold that is the most “uphill,” and smooth over the wet concrete with what is known as a screeding tool. Next, we’ll float the surface to make sure the gravel-free concrete, or cream, rise to the top.
The installation process also involves creating traction using a broom, making control joints with a groover, curing the concrete, and potentially applying color or stamping your concrete to give a truly unique appearance.
Whichever way you slice it, those are some of the fundamentals regarding concrete installation in Fort Collins, or elsewhere. But keep in mind that each project is unique, and an assortment of external factors can impact how your concrete contractor goes about their work.
For instance, did you know that living in a location that experiences extreme temperatures means you’ll likely need to employ special curing practices to get ideal results? Here at Cesar’s Concrete, we don’t simply want you to be pleased with the outcome of your concrete project right after it’s complete — we want you to be thrilled with the results for a lifetime.