Concreting tips.

[Ditch clipper]

What area have u needing done in m2?

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

About 220m2

 

[S J H]

I'd personally tamp it, the brush finished looks like a pita to sweep.

 

[RWG Contracts]

Dont over vibrate concrete (tamp or poker) it will unmix the aggregates and weaken it.

I'm not convinced this is true

Would personally use a beam tamp, depending on the area split it into bays and use runners for the tamp. get it perfectly level then as well

nahh don't be mard, magic screed and one hit it

You use a poker with care, its experience that will tell you know what it was like on the last jobs you took the shutters off. In fact over pokering can break your shutters open, usually you only add 1meter deep/30 mins, so a 3m wall needs 3 "runs" along it and gently pokered together.

If your shutters are good then they shouldn't break under pokering

 

[Lincsman]

If your shutters are good then they shouldn't break under pokering

I was on a job making a 3m high 40cm thick 120m long wall, (the panels had massive clamps that hammered together, and big made up sheets of panels bolted through the gap, that can be craned onto skyscrapers according to brochure) anyway the instructions were to go round 3 times (1m deep) otherwise the 20mm through bolts could snap and not over-poker at the bottom or it may all start to lift, thats all 70 tonnes of shuttering!.
There was one scary moment after about 8 loads something went bang, but nothing could be seen to be wrong, put it down to settling.

 

[RWG Contracts]

I was on a job making a 3m high 40cm thick 120m long wall, (the panels had massive clamps that hammered together, and big made up sheets of panels bolted through the gap, that can be craned onto skyscrapers according to brochure) anyway the instructions were to go round 3 times (1m deep) otherwise the 20mm through bolts could snap and not over-poker at the bottom or it may all start to lift, thats all 70 tonnes of shuttering!.
There was one scary moment after about 8 loads something went bang, but nothing could be seen to be wrong, put it down to settling.

they always creak and make rum noises when your filling and pokering them, i just wear ear defenders and crash on

 

[BobGreen]

What sort of rate is charged for a professional power floated finish? I'm sure there are plenty of store floors that are just tamped down tho.

Man who lays concrete with laser leveler for us charges £3.50/m2 + £1.50/m2 to power float Cut & seal day after £1/m run

Can lay 30 loads easily /day

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

Man who lays concrete with laser leveler for us charges £3.50/m2 + £1.50/m2 to power float Cut & seal day after £1/m run

Can lay 30 loads easily /day

Bob, thanks for your post - care to share his contact details?

 

[RWG Contracts]

Man who lays concrete with laser leveler for us charges £3.50/m2 + £1.50/m2 to power float Cut & seal day after £1/m run

Can lay 30 loads easily /day

That's cheap! Is that Armer?

 

[BobGreen]

That's cheap! Is that Armer?

Yes

 

[BobGreen]

P

Bob, thanks for your post - care to share his contact details?

PM sent

 

[Lawless]

Man who lays concrete with laser leveler for us charges £3.50/m2 + £1.50/m2 to power float Cut & seal day after £1/m run

Can lay 30 loads easily /day

Does not sound to bad.
Who's that?

 

[Lawless]

That's cheap! Is that Armer?

Who's Armer!

 

[RWG Contracts]

Who's Armer!

A contractor round mine and bobs way that does big pours

 

[BobGreen]

Does not sound to bad.
Who's that?

Mark Armer
To avoid confusion that price does not include any preparation work or supply of concrete. Need a concrete firm with good service i.e lots of trucks

 

[Pan mixer]

Made my own power tamp, been on here before, two beams, two electric motors (one knackered with windings knocked out and a couple of nuts welded to armature) joined by belt, one forklift to tow along.

As to OP original surface wood float. I fixed a lump of marine ply over my blue bull float, with bits of batten, Works fine.

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

Does anyone poker the concrete before tamping down?

 

[RWG Contracts]

Does anyone poker the concrete before tamping down?

If you use a vibrating tamp then that knocks the air out

 

[Pan mixer]

Does anyone poker the concrete before tamping down?

We always poke round the edges before using the vibrating tamp. Sometimes we will use the poker to level the heap a bit if there is one, saves a lot of shoveling - doesn't work very well on very slopey pads though.

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

We always poke round the edges before using the vibrating tamp. Sometimes we will use the poker to level the heap a bit if there is one, saves a lot of shoveling - doesn't work very well on very slopey pads though.

Just thinking about using it around the shed columns 1st before the vibrating tamp.