Pouring your own concrete doesn’t have to be intimidating. Whether it’s a simple sidewalk or a small backyard patio, these tips can help you prepare to tackle the project yourself!
Prepping the Area
For most concrete projects, you’ll need a base of 4-5 inches of 3/4″ minus crushed quarry rock. Compact the rock with a plate compactor whenever possible. Be sure that your gravel base is as close to perfectly level as possible so that your concrete calculation will be accurate.
Calculating Concrete
To determine how much concrete is required for your project, you will need to calculate the square footage of the area (Length x Width), divide that number by 324 (constant number), then multiply that by the total number of inches in height of the pour (thickness).
Example: 6′ x 9′ area that is 4″ thick
(6×9) divided by 324, then multiply by 4 = .67 yard
We recommend always getting a little more than you need. So, in this case, you’d want to order 3/4 of a yard of concrete.
Concrete Strength
So what are “sacks”, and how many do you need? It’s actually pretty simple. For most cement, the term “sack” refers to the amount of cement in a bulk volume of one square foot. The number of sacks used determines the strength of your concrete, or the PSI. Of course, the amount of PSI necessary depends on the job you’re doing. Here’s a handy chart to help you determine how many sacks you need:
4 Sack concrete (2500 psi)- fence posts, mailboxes, etc
5 Sack concrete (3000 psi) – kennels, utility slabs, garbage can use area
6 Sack concrete (3500 psi) – footings, sidewalks, small garden shed floors
7 Sack concrete (4000 psi) – driveways, equipment sheds
8 Sack concrete (4500 psi) – garage, large shop floors, under heavy equipment
Now that you’re ready to start your small concrete project, contact us today at (503) 769-6291 to schedule U-Cart Rental. For more information, visit our U-Cart page.