How to Pour Concrete at Home
- 1). Measure the length and width of the sidewalk to figure out how many bags of concrete are needed. Multiply the length in feet by the width in feet by the depth in feet and divide that total by 27. That will give you the cubic yards.
- 2). Lay out the walk using pieces of hardboard siding. Attach them to stakes above the ground and outline the area for the sidewalk. Attach boards running across. Mark these spots with paint. They will be used as control joints or different sections of concrete. These will be equally spread out and will serve as the concrete forms. Dig up the entire area inside the outline to a depth of 6 inches.
- 3). Pound in stakes 1 foot from the end of the form every 3 feet down the path where the sidewalk will be. Calculate how much gravel will be needed. The gravel will be 4 inches deep covering the entire area of the sidewalk under the concrete.
- 4). Pour the gravel, making sure it is 4 inches deep. Spread the gravel equally across the entire area. Spread the concrete wire mesh on top of the gravel and pour the concrete into the forms. Make sure to have at least three people for this job. Level it with the smooth side of the gauge rake every few feet. Fill the concrete up 4 inches above the gravel and use the bull float right after pouring to smooth out the surface.
- 5). Once the water in the concrete has dried and the concrete has hardened a little, hand float the surface with a magnesium float. Start at the beginning of the pour and use sweeping motions lifting the front of the float slightly with each motion. Edge the concrete at the marked spots to form the control joints.
Source...