Ready To Pour
Despite the unceasing heat and humidity, I finally got everything ready to pour. Because my concrete guy said he was booked through next summer, I always intended to get it to this stage myself. However, after I posted the picture of the big sand pile in the middle of the form, I got a call from him saying he had some free time the very next day if I was ready. I wasn't nor could I expect to be ready but he was willing to have his crew finish up the rest and pour it in the same day. I couldn't say no to getting it done much sooner than expected. So for the rest of the day, I busted my hump trying to get as much as I could done so I wouldn't have to pay the labor for someone else to do it. I got about half the sand leveled, much of that trying to figure out a way to hold the sand in place with temporary supports that I will move after the concrete is in place to hold the sand in place.
Unfortunately, Covid struck the concrete crew and so I got another text late that afternoon saying that it wasn't going to happen the following day. So I puttered around over the next several days (it was also a weekend now) and got the rest of the sand leveled out, picked up rerod for reinforcing the slab and got it installed and ready for the pour. So now, all that is left is for the actual pour to happen but before then, the concrete crew needs to be over Covid and they have to have a few hours of free time coming up. I'm not sure when all this will align but I'm ready so I can move onto other things until then.
One thing I have learned in the past, is that you never want to under estimate how much concrete you need, especially on a small job such as this one. Just the delivery charge alone for a small amount to make up any shortfall would really increase the costs significantly. One should order enough and a little bit extra, just in case. But then I need a place to put that extra if indeed it is extra. So I quickly built a rough form around the corner of our garage where we store our compost barrels. We fill them up gradually from our daily scraps and then when full, I use a cart to haul them down to the base of our lawn next to the trees, where they can do their decomposing thing. Eventually, we will be able to use some of that for our greenhouse. At least that is the plan. If I don't have enough extra concrete to fill the form completely, I will just fill what I can and finish the rest with sacked concrete mixed in my wheelbarrow.
You seem to have the energy of that famous bunny.
ReplyDeleteI definitely do not. But I have a lot of time which compensates for the shortage of energy. I.e. lots of frequent breaks and periods of inactivity.
DeleteWise hedging against the likelihood of extra (yes, that has always been my impression as well).
ReplyDeleteFirst, not available until next summer? That sounds crazy to me.
A 1/4 cubic yard of concrete cost me about $35 including the initial delivery charges and if I'm short, any extra trips cost me $150 more not counting the cost of the extra concrete. So there is a pretty steep financial incentive to just get more put on the truck than you think you need.
DeleteSmart on your part, Ed (that extra place for extra concrete). Ugh this brings back memories of the 6-7 yrs I worked in Home Improvements & Lumber in my twenties, we used to sell 80 lb bags of Sakrete. I'd silently curse out the customers who'd show up and ask me to load their truck with 15 sacks! Glad I'm an old man now :^)
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want to do that, more specifically, my back wouldn't want me to do that. Several people asked me why I just didn't mix the concrete myself. I'm not sure how many 80 lb bags of Sakrete 4 1/4 cubic yards equates to but it is multiples of 15 sacks!
DeleteAnytime we've gotten concrete delivered, we've always planned in advance for "leftovers". That's pretty amazing that they were booked up until next summer. Does that kind of business come to a standstill in the middle of winter there?
ReplyDeleteIt does. Whenever there is a chance of getting freezing overnight temps, essentially from mid to late October on, it stops unless you are pouring it in a climate controlled environment. I just have a private contractor so I'm pretty sure he just stops when that happens and moved onto other things until spring where a business might start up again with a few days of good weather in the forecast.
DeleteVery clever! I've never dealt with concrete but if I do, I'll have some expertise, thanks to you!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely not an expert but I have been around it most of my life.
DeleteGreat timing! The construction fairies are on your side!
ReplyDeleteSort of. They did arrive but it took a few weeks of waiting.
DeleteEd, after everything you went through with your house, you should be no stranger to delays! Excellent idea to have something for the excess. Very exciting project.
ReplyDeleteI half expected it because I am familiar to delays in general and delays with this particular contractor but I still can't help but get my hopes up, especially when they called me asking if I was ready to go. It got done and they did great work as usual and there is still a lot of fall left so I'm not going to complain too much.
DeleteAlways good to have a spot that they can dump extra! Looking good!
ReplyDeleteMy dad always had a theory that no matter where we poured the extra concrete, one day we would be busting it out because it wasn't needed in that spot. It was a pretty good theory because it happened that way multiple times. So I wanted to be prepared and put it in a more moveable form in case I did have to move it in the future.
DeleteIt looks like you're pouring a foundation around the edge of the slab at the same time. But I am curious as to the "joist" that are under the rebar and gravel. What are they for? Won't they be a way for insects to get under the project? Of course, with no other piping coming up through the concrete, maybe that's not a problem. As always, you do good work! I have been working on my basement project for the past five months!
ReplyDeleteIt really isn't a foundation as it doesn't go below frost line. It is just a barrier below ground level to prevent rodents and insects from burrowing underneath the slab and calling it home where it is inaccessible and could cause future damage. The "joists" you are referring to are just temporary blocks of wood to hold the plywood in place which holds the and in place. In one corner, there was nearly 16 inches of sand to bring the level up to where I needed it. Without those props, the sand would dry out and slump into the rat barrier trench making it difficult to scoop out and pack back in place. All this is just to minimize concrete usage by not making the slab any thicker than it needed to be. When we poured the concrete, they filled the rat barriers to the point where the concrete itself held the plywood in place and I pulled the "joists" out at that point. The plywood was just left encased in the concrete where it will eventually decay.
DeleteInteresting, thanks for the explanation
DeleteJust to let you know, Art is VERY impressed with the foundation work you've done. I sure hope you get that concrete poured after everything dries out from the rain.
ReplyDelete