fondation pour

[MIKIPAL]

Wondering if its possible for ONE person to pour and mix a 46 bag foundation.Forms are in place with rebar and a three bag mixer is directly over fondation site.how long does it take to mix and pour?-does it make a difference how long it takes between batches within reason --total hours to screed?.I need to know if i can handle this myself as there is no one i can call to help.In fair condition and done only small patch work.appreciate any advice.thanks

[oventhusiast]

Re: fondation pour

If you can lift the bags up to feed the mixer, you CAN do this! I haven't had a chance to work on my oven for some weeks now, but I'm building an oven and an outdoor fireplace (and some cabinets out of cement block) and I'm up to 70 bags of ready mix! The mixer makes a bag or two in no time! It's hard work but I can't wait to get going on it again.
Best of luck on your build!
Rick

[RTflorida]

Re: fondation pour

Very possible to do alone. BUT......your gonna work your tail off. I mixed EVERY bag of cement and mortar from the foundation to the top of the dome by hand - no mixer. Not bragging, it was a foolish thing to do.
I consider myself to be in good shape, used to physical labor, and fairly skilled at all trades. By far, the foundation and supporting slabs were the most physically demanding work I can remember.....and I am sure contributed to the need for shoulder surgery I just had last week (the left one is slated for repair when the right one heals).

All that being said, mixing and pouring the foundation by hand took about 3 1/2 hours......continuous, non stop (except for beverages). 2 bags at a time in an extra deep wheelbarrow.....I would recommend doing one at a time (MUCH easier to mix by hand)...screeding is no big deal; didn't time myself....all I know is it was a much needed break to the mixing and pouring.

By all means, look into renting/buying/borrowing a mixer...or one of those small batch tow behind concrete haulers some concrete yards offer.
I procrastinated...weighing the benefits/costs of renting or buying and ended up mixing by hand because of work and weather conciderations.

Good luck

RT

[james]

Re: fondation pour

Is there any way to get a second set of hands?

It can be done, but you might be pretty sore, and you might want to save your energy (and pain threshold) for the later stages. I think back on some of the "one man" jobs I have done in the past, and a little help goes a long way. Some of use are not as young as we used to be.

Still, not be be a wet blanket, with your mixer sitting there, you should be fine. Each time you are really getting tired of pouring bags into the mixer, you can rest on your knees to do some screeding. :-)

Any takers on guessing how long you think it will take?

15 minutes per mix and pour??? 15 mixes, plus screeding. 4 hours?

James

[james]

Re: fondation pour

One more thing. I have more this to Getting Started.
James

[dmun]

Re: fondation pour

With a mixer, you are a lot more likely to succeed at this at ground level than at support slab level, lifting tubs of wet concrete is not a one person job. With a mixer, you get into a rhythm of how much water to put in, adding your dry ingredients, squirting at it to get it the right consistancy, dumping, and putting water in again.

My concrete mixer tutorial might help.

[MIKIPAL]

Re: fondation pour

thanks guys,,needed that info to boost my confidence.starting the fondation tomorrow with help.can taste focaccia now.

[Mojoe]

Re: fondation pour

After you get 3-4 batches down pack it well, rough finish, then continue mixing. If you just dump piles (starting from the farthest point from mixing and working back) the first few may get to hard to place correctly.

[Unofornaio]

Re: foundations pour

How big are the bags? Or what is your slab measurements. The best way to do this is to break it in 2. If you don't you are going to have a mess. A big, ugly, hard as concrete and just as heavy mess and believe me it goes in much easier than it comes out.

There is nothing wrong with breaking it up into 2 all you have to do is make a form board that will go over your rebar at the halfway point. If this is not possible, take out the steel and re do it. Just make sure you leave rebar "dowels" sticking out 18" through the form boards ready to accept the next section of steel. This may seem like a lot of fuss but its defiantly easier than TRYING to do it all at one time.

I know this is a DIY project but I'm sure if the guys and gals that have done it the bag way chime in here they will all agree if they were gonna do it again they would spend the extra money on either a yard trailer or pay the short load charge. Hands down, no doubt in my mind mixing this way does not save money or time. What is your time worth? your gonna be at the hard for several hours as apposed to having the truck come and shoot it in or having to wheel a few wheel burros. Screed it, edge it, bull float it and your done.

[maver]

Re: fondation pour

I agree with Uno, especially for the foundation which is the biggest part of the concrete project. It makes more sense to mix the hearth stand yourself. but the foundation is just a 'get it done' step. And when you mix the stand yourself, be sure to get some help! No question, either step can be done yourself and mixed by hand, but who are you trying to impress? I've poured a foundation with concrete in a trailer which had to be hauled to the back with a wheelbarrow (first foundation) and with a pump to the backyard (second) and mixed the hearth stand myself. The pump was far more satisfying, and the $400 or so it cost was painless. The trailer with wheelbarrows was $200, by the way.

[rlf5]

Re: fondation pour

Get some help or better yet have someone do it for you. I mixed and poured my hearth slab mostly by myself and I'll never do it again. I used a concrete mixer that took 3 bags at a time, but it was so low to the ground that I couldn't pour it into a wheelbarrow....so I had to shovel it out of the mixer and into the hearth form. I used 30 bags, and it wasn't until the last 10 that help arrived. I was beat.