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| Member |
My patio is beginning to suck. It has cracks about a half inch wide, and a portion about 2x2 feet has dropped a quarter inch or so. They want 3500 bucks to remove and re-pour it, ain't gonna happen. The wife wants me to "veneer" it- that would, by my calculations, take about 65 40 pound bags of cement. Pretty much, ain't gonna happen. (She wanted me to mix it in a five gallon bucket.) Any suggestions from the hive? I am considering removing the sinking part with a sledge, shoring up that area, and re-pouring it, chiseling out and patching the cracks, and painting it when it cures. I need to seal the cracks fairly soon, winter is coming. | ||
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| Shit don't mean shit |
1-2-3. 1 part Portland cement, 2 parts sand, 3 parts gravel. Rent a mixer. | |||
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quarter MOA visionary |
No substitute for doing the job right. Remove and re-pour or deck over it. FWIW, several years ago I added to my deck with about 40 or 50 bags and it just about killed me.  Mixed it in tubs ~ should have rented a mixer. | |||
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Member |
Unless you're Thor or enjoy beating yourself to death I think it'd be worth getting a hammer drill to bust up the small section. | |||
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Get Off My Lawn |
Yep, this is what I would do. Cracks 1/2' wide, sinking sections, all screaming for a properly done pad. "I’m not going to read Time Magazine, I’m not going to read Newsweek, I’m not going to read any of these magazines; I mean, because they have too much to lose by printing the truth"- Bob Dylan, 1965 | |||
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thin skin can't win |
Sounds like the state I've moved to..... You only have integrity once. - imprezaguy02 | |||
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Nullus Anxietas |
What kind of ground does this sit upon? Reason I ask is I found out that concrete contractors often do a substandard job. (Surprise!) I learned this while watching one pour a brand new concrete driveway for a neighbour. About $10k worth. Talking to the guy running the show: "That's as far as you're going to dig out?" "Yeah." "Not much room for base." "Base?" "Yeah, packed crushed stone?" "We're not putting any crushed stone in." "You're going to pour concrete right on that?" "Yeah." What we have here is mostly clay. Clay holds water like nobody's business. Then winter comes. Water freezes. Applies uneven pressure to concrete. Eventually concrete gives up and cracks. More water gets in. More freezing and heaving. Eventually... The packed, crushed stone needs to be there for drainage. Their driveway looks real nice, right now. I give it about fifteen years to start cracking. Another five to start heaving. I got the contractor's card. So I could avoid him. Meanwhile: We had a paver patio put in about twelve years ago or so. That thing has about 6-8" of packed crushed stone, with about another 4" or so of packed grey paver base. Still flat as a board. "America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe "If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher | |||
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Member |
Photos would help. Maybe a candidate for mud jacking. Sunken slabs can be lifted for a fraction of the cost of repouring. Most foundation repair companies can do it, and give free estimates. https://youtu.be/Hs4J0Wf2X6E Collecting dust. | |||
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| Too old to run, too mean to quit! |
This is the answer! We did somewhat the same thing here at our house some years ago. Did it right, with packed crushed stone about 7-8 inches deep, troweled out level, compacted with one of those vibrator machines, and then put down the pavers. Sweep some sand into the cracks to kind of tie them together, flush with a water hose. And you are done. But then I was about 25 years younger then. Discovered that the best way to get rid of the concrete was to dig an access under the edge, run a floor jack under it, jack it up and beat hell out of it with a sledge hammer. Elk There has never been an occasion where a people gave up their weapons in the interest of peace that didn't end in their massacre. (Louis L'Amour) "To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical. " -Thomas Jefferson "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." Alexis de Tocqueville FBHO!!! The Idaho Elk Hunter | |||
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| Member |
If it's cracking that much etc. The base wasn't done right to begin with. How large of a patio (dimensions) are we talking about and how handy are you? A Concrete truck is not that expensive to have them come out and delivery fiberostic concrete......framing the area is not that big of a deal if you're handy, but tearing (breaking up the old stuff and tampering a proper base with proper materials takes a small bobcat or something and some work. To have a professional company tear up an old driveway and do a new one with concrete is about $4-4.50 a square foot, to give you an idea this is South Florida. | |||
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| Member |
It's 14x16. I've gotten 3 bids, they all want around 3500 bucks. I do think it was done properly originally, it was poured in 1963. The wife has been studying and has some ideas, which we will no doubt try first. Oh well, at least I can skip my workout for a few days. And she does pitch in, so I can't complain. | |||
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Member |
If it was installed in 1963 you got your moneys worth out of it. While it's hard to bite the bullet, have a contractor do it correctly. Make sure the ground is compacted correctly with a real compactor and not just a roller that you push like a wheelbarrow. 6" of stone also compacted correctly, a small footing maybe 12" wide X 6" deep around the edges and it should last forever. a 3500lb mix is good, you really don't need anything stronger. Even a 3,000 mix would be okay. Wire or fiber mesh also. Living the Dream | |||
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| Member |
Or build a deck over it.  | |||
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| Member |
I am not an engineer but it seems that stopping the reason that it is sinking and cracking, won't it continue to sink and crack the new surface? ( unless the new surface is 9 inches of steel reinforced madness ) why wouldn't a whole new base/foundation be needed ? Safety, Situational Awareness and proficiency. Neck Ties, Hats and ammo brass, Never ,ever touch'em w/o asking first | |||
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| Member |
A whole new base IS needed | |||
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| Member |
Sounds crazy but the best way to remove a patio or sidewalk is a pick and sledgehammer. Get underneath with the pick and hit with the sledge. It will break in big pieces. Unless there's wire in it. Consider the they have the break it out, pay to dump it, form it, fill area with stone and pour 3 yards of 3500 or 4000pound fibermesh concrete with expansion joints. It could be two days. Then they have.to pull the forms and fill the void with topsoil. I would call concrete companies and find out how they charge for deliveries. Let all Men know thee, but no man know thee thoroughly: Men freely ford that see the shallows. Benjamin Franklin | |||
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| Member |
If you are going to do it yourself, just make sure you get the pitch right so it sheds water away from the house. | |||
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| Never Go Full Retard  |
My front walk was sinking as were the front steps on it. I ended up doing PolyLevel from a local foundation company. This avoided a new walk and steps to the front porch. They don't think it be like it is, but it do. | |||
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| Member |
Many years ago (about 1986) I had a similar problem in Denver. We ended up sledgehammering up 15 tons of cement in the back yard. Having level, sandy surface. I ordered a huge case of bulbs from Breck's of Holland. When they arrived, I threw them out over the huge sandy area and ordered 15 tons of topsoil for delivery, and spread it over the bulbs. Somebody else remembered, too. I got a sledgehammer, goggles and safety boots as a "gift" today. My whole body hurts. In 1986 I was.....younger. OMG, the little girl that used to wake me by bouncing a dodgeball off me is 33 and has a 3 year old. | |||
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