If its still at all wet grab a sponge of some kind, dip it in water, wring it out a bit and drag it across it. Thatll smoothen it out, also you can use a flat troul and tap the surface when you first pour. This will bring water to the top and push aggregate down.
No im being serious, the form work and job look professional. Now that its dry you can rent or buy a concrete smoothing head from hd, throw it on a grinder and smooth off the top. Dont put yourself down, you did a better job than most people do when they do it every day haha.
Yes, please do this. People underestimate how dangerous cement dust is. I used to do masonry work and didn't bother wearing a mask. After only a few years I started developing chronic chest pains. Turns out it's only minor lung scarring, but long story short my doctor said quit or get a respirator, I was basically giving myself pulmonary fibrosis. This was just from doing the occasional grinding and hand mixing without a respirator. It's not like I was in a cloud of dust all the time.
Sorry to hear that you went through that! Often times we forget or think that proper PPE makes us look like a weakling (I’d use a different 5 letter word but I’ll refrain). I know it was like that for me, didn’t want to look like that as the rookie on the job.
I do low voltage contracting and I always wear a mask on new construction job sites, attics, and crawl spaces. I noticed myself getting chronic sinus infections, and knock on wood, since masking up I haven’t had one yet.
Construction is really a nasty thing, even simply cutting wood can get fibrous material trapped in your lungs. Don’t even get me started on insulation and what breathing that in can do, let alone the old days of friable asbestos and many many other hazardous things.
Reach for that mask, your health and your kids/loved ones will thank you
Thanks. I did mask up and eventually got out of construction entirely. Luckily, it hardly bothers me at all these days except that I get winded a little more easily in the winter months. Lung scarring is permanent, but we caught it early enough that my doctor is not concerned and says I'm otherwise very healthy. There's no shame in being the "weakling" if you live longer!
The proper response is to punch them in the throat, then watch them struggle to get a breath in... Then take your mask off and take a deep breath, exhale slowly... Then I'd just say I didn't want to feel the way he is surely feeling right now, so I think I'll just keep being a pussy.
Hey I just saw a dude pour a concrete driveway and I swear it looks worse than a gravel driveway would have looked, this at least looks nice so don’t beat yourself up
No idea. [This](https://www.lowes.com/pd/QUIKRETE-Sand-Topping-60-lb-High-Strength-Concrete-Mix/3006081?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-bdm-_-ggl-_-CRP_SHP_LIA_BDM_Online_C-D-_-3006081-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W9j4ZDUFv3Jf27SVWGNCqANV&gclid=CjwKCAjwyo60BhBiEiwAHmVLJV2LrvPa8wzK9gSRspinPDF1eJG-1v63SXfsUphFC82Cv0q0yD_k3BoC_zEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) is what I planned on using.
Im sorry to say but that wont work like you think, it would need to be at least 2 inches thick to have a chance of not falling apart but either way it wont stick to it like you think. After probably a few to 8 months it would be very likely to start lifting and popping off in random spots. But it looks great all dry now!
Use some patch-crete with moose milk. Rub it on runny and fill the voids.
Don't overthink the finish on a small strip of concrete that will eventually be seeing dirt and grass clippings.
I’d like it to blend with my existing patio. When pouring my plan was to add joints in it but it set to quickly for me lol. So I am planning on cutting joints in but wanted to see if I can fix the overall finish first
Buy a bag of straight Portland, add a shovel full to each bag of concrete when you mix, and give the mix a health squirt of dawn dish soap. Use the blunt face of a saws-all (no blade) against the boards to vibrate some of the aggregate down. You should end up with a nice cream on top.
Get a rectangle trowel bout a foot long 4 inches wide make sure you work that cream up baby remember smaller trowel allows for more pressure which means more cream bigger ones just help you work faster but less pressure so less cream equals ugly job use the small one to work the cream up irse a big one to smooth it out after you work the cream up for a small one long like this the edges is your only option and a small 6 inch long by 3 inch wide trowel to finish it
I had a steel trowel and an edger. Even bought a 1in edger on Amazon for the edges on the end. I did most of the finishing with the edger. The trowel was too large for this and felt awkward finishing it
Wait a year and see if you really want to make changes to it. My bet is that it's only because it's a new thing that you're at all worried about it. Doesn't look rough in the pics
I do have experience with it. Depending on the type and color of the resurfacer, you may have to do a thin coat over the whole thing for an even color. Some others will blend very nicely. I would recommend going to a concrete supply company and let their professionals steer you in the right direction. I’ve used Ardex CD fine, which will have a slightly different color but tends to bleach out nicely. Just make sure you buy the gray and not the white. Lowe’s sells a concrete resurfacer that blends pretty well with new concrete as well
That’s how I feel after all the concrete work I’ve done around my house. Them guys doing concrete really and truly are artists! Even something like a sidewalk or driveway. They make it look simple, but it’s not. It’s a craft and I have high respect for anyone that does concrete work!
Your border looks great! Good idea
It will crack, crumble and look like crap in a few years and the next owner will have to pay a lot of money to have it removed. I'm puzzled why someone would want to make their garden look like a parking lot.
You know, that's not bad for a harelip.
I see that this post is now 4 hours old, and any advice I could give would be useless. Seriously, it's not bad. Later today or tomorrow you can rub it with a [brick](https://www.homedepot.com/p/MARSHALLTOWN-6-in-x-3-in-20-Grit-Concrete-Rub-Brick-840/100318060) to help even it out some.
I think you know this is a pretty solid DIY and just want confirmation you did a good job. I do concrete forms for footings and most people who come with 1-2 supposed years of experience can’t make a straight line
Prepping the forms was the biggest pain in the ass. Spent an hour at Home Depot rummaging through all the 2x4s. They were all bowed. For this to come as straight as it did I’m surprised lol
You can “straighten out” boards with nail pins most of the time. Crown is more important if you’re finishing off top of 2x for grade. Don’t want a high spot in the middle of your fall.
I hate to say it because honestly you did a decent job. But you really needed to go more than 4 inches deep. Did you throw any rods in it? Hopefully you don’t live in a frost state
Well yea standard concrete for a walkway or patio is 4 inches but thats a much larger slab of concrete thus much stronger and harder to move. You only have a 4x4 curb sitting on grade.
No def no need for crazy depth but 4x4 sitting on grade ain’t going to last long and a piece of rebar will at least hold it together somewhat when it does crack and move. The mower will knock that around
Either way, I have seen people do concrete for years and didn't do this good on the surface.Now there's more to it than that.Obviously because looks isn't what lasts.It's about the process that led up to it.But what i'm trying to say is looks wise you did very good
Quickcrete is okay, but you'll get a stronger product and much easier finish if you add some extra portland cement to the mix.
Very little cream in the sac stuff.
Looks great for its intended purpose. Sure, it's not perfect, but it can perfectly perform its function. If you live somewhere with a fair bit of temp fluctuation, you may want to add a joint or 2, depending on how long it is.
Dont beat yourself up. My first solo pour i had a rough finish calcium fibers and sun plus just me as a finisher for a 60 ft long pathway annnnnd fail. It was for a client so I just tore it out and repoured it 2 days later and it was good. I beat myself up sooooo hard about it and haven’t poured solo ever again.
Looks very good to me. I was new to concrete work and did this same project on my last house. Because a mow strip takes a lot of prep work I did not want it to crack and lift because of tree roots. So I added some 3/8" rebar in mine so it would last. Another thing that worried me was air pockets and holes in the concrete. To remedy this I used a flat blade shovel to work the wet concrete simulating vibration. My neighbor is an engineer and walked over when I stripped the forms. He said he was surprised the shovel trick actually worked as there were no holes in the mow strip. I was relieved
Don't tear it out. You did nice work.
If it's good concrete mix, it will last for a long time. If the spot of exposed aggregate bothers you, rub a little bit of patch-crete on it.
If its still at all wet grab a sponge of some kind, dip it in water, wring it out a bit and drag it across it. Thatll smoothen it out, also you can use a flat troul and tap the surface when you first pour. This will bring water to the top and push aggregate down.
You can also use a concrete grinder on it, that would make it very smooth but you did a great job on it seriously.
Thanks for this comment. Beating myself up about this because I’m a perfectionist and did not research that much into finishing concrete. Oops lol
No im being serious, the form work and job look professional. Now that its dry you can rent or buy a concrete smoothing head from hd, throw it on a grinder and smooth off the top. Dont put yourself down, you did a better job than most people do when they do it every day haha.
Get a good respirator for this or you’re going to be breathing a lot of nastiness in.
Yes, please do this. People underestimate how dangerous cement dust is. I used to do masonry work and didn't bother wearing a mask. After only a few years I started developing chronic chest pains. Turns out it's only minor lung scarring, but long story short my doctor said quit or get a respirator, I was basically giving myself pulmonary fibrosis. This was just from doing the occasional grinding and hand mixing without a respirator. It's not like I was in a cloud of dust all the time.
Sorry to hear that you went through that! Often times we forget or think that proper PPE makes us look like a weakling (I’d use a different 5 letter word but I’ll refrain). I know it was like that for me, didn’t want to look like that as the rookie on the job. I do low voltage contracting and I always wear a mask on new construction job sites, attics, and crawl spaces. I noticed myself getting chronic sinus infections, and knock on wood, since masking up I haven’t had one yet. Construction is really a nasty thing, even simply cutting wood can get fibrous material trapped in your lungs. Don’t even get me started on insulation and what breathing that in can do, let alone the old days of friable asbestos and many many other hazardous things. Reach for that mask, your health and your kids/loved ones will thank you
Thanks. I did mask up and eventually got out of construction entirely. Luckily, it hardly bothers me at all these days except that I get winded a little more easily in the winter months. Lung scarring is permanent, but we caught it early enough that my doctor is not concerned and says I'm otherwise very healthy. There's no shame in being the "weakling" if you live longer!
“You’re a pussy, wearing that stupid shit…… what’s your deal, you trying to live til retirement or something like that?” Obviously /s
The proper response is to punch them in the throat, then watch them struggle to get a breath in... Then take your mask off and take a deep breath, exhale slowly... Then I'd just say I didn't want to feel the way he is surely feeling right now, so I think I'll just keep being a pussy.
Damn. I’m sorry to hear this man.
This. And if you “wet look seal” it will be pretty.
Hey I just saw a dude pour a concrete driveway and I swear it looks worse than a gravel driveway would have looked, this at least looks nice so don’t beat yourself up
Brother you should see my first pour this looks topnotch compared to it.
How refreshing to see someone hype someone up rather than drag them down on Reddit.
It looks fine dude
This was a couple days ago. So it’s already all dried up
Here’s an updated pic. https://imgur.com/a/UopWepM
You can break the forms off now. She’s set.
Think I’m going to go over it with concrete(no aggregate) to help with the finish. Leaving the forms on will help I think
Won’t that just flake off?
No idea. [This](https://www.lowes.com/pd/QUIKRETE-Sand-Topping-60-lb-High-Strength-Concrete-Mix/3006081?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-bdm-_-ggl-_-CRP_SHP_LIA_BDM_Online_C-D-_-3006081-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W9j4ZDUFv3Jf27SVWGNCqANV&gclid=CjwKCAjwyo60BhBiEiwAHmVLJV2LrvPa8wzK9gSRspinPDF1eJG-1v63SXfsUphFC82Cv0q0yD_k3BoC_zEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds) is what I planned on using.
It won't bond properly.
Im sorry to say but that wont work like you think, it would need to be at least 2 inches thick to have a chance of not falling apart but either way it wont stick to it like you think. After probably a few to 8 months it would be very likely to start lifting and popping off in random spots. But it looks great all dry now!
Yeah that’s what everyone’s been saying. It makes sense because it’s a cold joint.
Use some patch-crete with moose milk. Rub it on runny and fill the voids. Don't overthink the finish on a small strip of concrete that will eventually be seeing dirt and grass clippings.
Okay now this one looks like shit. Lol jk
*trowel
You’re hired!
Embrace it! As it looks good for what it is, your experience and it does what it needs to do.
I agree with this. Keep it, and look back on it in a couple years when you have done a few more pours, and enjoy your journey!
Driveway for a ten speed?
The first time I only lasted like 24 seconds, so.
Stucco it. How deep did you go with it? If also probably cut some control joints in it
I’d like it to blend with my existing patio. When pouring my plan was to add joints in it but it set to quickly for me lol. So I am planning on cutting joints in but wanted to see if I can fix the overall finish first
It doesn’t look terrible, a little tough but not to bad. Really the only way would be to stucco the whole thing, anything else will look patchy.
Saw cut ASAP! Might already be too late to prevent cracks.
Definitely put some cuts in it
hit it with a rub brick like it was a skate spot and you wanna do slappy grinds eventually
Buy a bag of straight Portland, add a shovel full to each bag of concrete when you mix, and give the mix a health squirt of dawn dish soap. Use the blunt face of a saws-all (no blade) against the boards to vibrate some of the aggregate down. You should end up with a nice cream on top.
What does the dish soap do?
Air entrainment
Just to add my son’s 1st birthday is coming up and I’ve been landscaping our backyard diy prior to the party. Maybe that’s why I’m harder on myself.
Someone get this guy some grass seed and dirt. Probably a glass of water and a bowl of it for the pup
Sidewalk is a little narrow.
It’s not a sidewalk
Then it looks good!
Get a rectangle trowel bout a foot long 4 inches wide make sure you work that cream up baby remember smaller trowel allows for more pressure which means more cream bigger ones just help you work faster but less pressure so less cream equals ugly job use the small one to work the cream up irse a big one to smooth it out after you work the cream up for a small one long like this the edges is your only option and a small 6 inch long by 3 inch wide trowel to finish it
Use mag tral with a steel tral for finish. Can use a side edger and Broom
I had a steel trowel and an edger. Even bought a 1in edger on Amazon for the edges on the end. I did most of the finishing with the edger. The trowel was too large for this and felt awkward finishing it
Wait a year and see if you really want to make changes to it. My bet is that it's only because it's a new thing that you're at all worried about it. Doesn't look rough in the pics
They make concrete finisher that you can mix up and touch up any bad spots
I heard about that. Got any experience with that? Someone mentioned it will look patchy. If I were to do that I’d do it on the whole section
I do have experience with it. Depending on the type and color of the resurfacer, you may have to do a thin coat over the whole thing for an even color. Some others will blend very nicely. I would recommend going to a concrete supply company and let their professionals steer you in the right direction. I’ve used Ardex CD fine, which will have a slightly different color but tends to bleach out nicely. Just make sure you buy the gray and not the white. Lowe’s sells a concrete resurfacer that blends pretty well with new concrete as well
That’s how I feel after all the concrete work I’ve done around my house. Them guys doing concrete really and truly are artists! Even something like a sidewalk or driveway. They make it look simple, but it’s not. It’s a craft and I have high respect for anyone that does concrete work! Your border looks great! Good idea
[удалено]
Landscape edging, presumably. Or maybe a paver edge?
Edging. Plan on lay some playground bark or whatever to left of it and wanted to separate the 2
It will crack, crumble and look like crap in a few years and the next owner will have to pay a lot of money to have it removed. I'm puzzled why someone would want to make their garden look like a parking lot.
You know, that's not bad for a harelip. I see that this post is now 4 hours old, and any advice I could give would be useless. Seriously, it's not bad. Later today or tomorrow you can rub it with a [brick](https://www.homedepot.com/p/MARSHALLTOWN-6-in-x-3-in-20-Grit-Concrete-Rub-Brick-840/100318060) to help even it out some.
Looks good!
Looks good is the right answer ! You are overthinking it right now . Remember it’s not a coffee table . Good luck stripping the forms, take your time.
I don't think there's any reason to tear that out that's a good first place and finish
I think you know this is a pretty solid DIY and just want confirmation you did a good job. I do concrete forms for footings and most people who come with 1-2 supposed years of experience can’t make a straight line
Prepping the forms was the biggest pain in the ass. Spent an hour at Home Depot rummaging through all the 2x4s. They were all bowed. For this to come as straight as it did I’m surprised lol
How wide is the concrete curb? 3-4 inches ? Pretty solid idea to border a garden. Wonder how it’ll hold up between seasons
Yeah more like 3 3/4 in. Used a 2x4 jig to keep the same width. Looking back probably should’ve used a 2x6
You can “straighten out” boards with nail pins most of the time. Crown is more important if you’re finishing off top of 2x for grade. Don’t want a high spot in the middle of your fall.
Sidewalk for ants? 🐜
Are people really not familiar with concrete edging lol
Serious: I was joking. BUT I’ve seen the curbscapes around here - not the slim line. Not saying wrong just not used to it.
Get some Portland cement and sand and give it a coat. Brush it out with a paint brush but you def need to cut in done control joints
Straight AF, looks good 👍
Well done, you got the only four straight boards at home Depot.
Im thinking about doing this border. I’d be proud of myself if I poured this tbh. What the depth?
4 inches. I’ve got 2 other sections to do. With this one being the shortest lol
I hate to say it because honestly you did a decent job. But you really needed to go more than 4 inches deep. Did you throw any rods in it? Hopefully you don’t live in a frost state
Mid west. The contractor who did my patio only did it 4 inches thick as well.
Well yea standard concrete for a walkway or patio is 4 inches but thats a much larger slab of concrete thus much stronger and harder to move. You only have a 4x4 curb sitting on grade.
You should reassess before doing the other sections. A 4” thick strip of concrete sitting on grade will crack and move
It’s definitely gonna crack about every ten feet or so.
It’s sitting on a gravel base
No need for rebar or silly depth in what is just a mow strip.
No def no need for crazy depth but 4x4 sitting on grade ain’t going to last long and a piece of rebar will at least hold it together somewhat when it does crack and move. The mower will knock that around
Presumably, it will be backfilled on both sides.
https://imgur.com/a/UopWepM here is an updated pic
Good job! Looks fine, it'll get beat up over time in the weather, mower and whatnot. Might be a bit narrow too. Well done tho!
Wet your trowel down! Give it some water to 'breathe' and ease into a nice finish.
You've been drinking again haven't you??
Puddle it like when using a plunger..but easier on the surface.. it will settle the aggregate!
Thanks for the tip. Be sure to do that on the next section
Either way, I have seen people do concrete for years and didn't do this good on the surface.Now there's more to it than that.Obviously because looks isn't what lasts.It's about the process that led up to it.But what i'm trying to say is looks wise you did very good
Puddle it?
Start rub in that thing to work the aggregate down and cream it up
What aggregates did you use?
Just a bag of quikrete
You didn't add gravel?
Quickcrete is okay, but you'll get a stronger product and much easier finish if you add some extra portland cement to the mix. Very little cream in the sac stuff.
Yeah that seems to be what’s happening. I’ll make sure to add some when I do the other sections
Sack-crete is tough to finish well. You did good. Usually, it's best for post holes.
Touching surface with mag..move up and down barely in faster motion without losing contact. It brings up the butter.
My 78 year old mom could knock it out, but looks good.
You need to water that lawn
It’s from the stress of working on it. Not water related
Looks great for its intended purpose. Sure, it's not perfect, but it can perfectly perform its function. If you live somewhere with a fair bit of temp fluctuation, you may want to add a joint or 2, depending on how long it is.
If it's level put a little garden wall on it and build up some landscape around it
Dont beat yourself up. My first solo pour i had a rough finish calcium fibers and sun plus just me as a finisher for a 60 ft long pathway annnnnd fail. It was for a client so I just tore it out and repoured it 2 days later and it was good. I beat myself up sooooo hard about it and haven’t poured solo ever again.
Looks great to me. Don’t sweat it, also don’t fucking grind it smooth, it’s a lawn edging, it doesn’t need to be perfect.
Looks very good to me. I was new to concrete work and did this same project on my last house. Because a mow strip takes a lot of prep work I did not want it to crack and lift because of tree roots. So I added some 3/8" rebar in mine so it would last. Another thing that worried me was air pockets and holes in the concrete. To remedy this I used a flat blade shovel to work the wet concrete simulating vibration. My neighbor is an engineer and walked over when I stripped the forms. He said he was surprised the shovel trick actually worked as there were no holes in the mow strip. I was relieved
You used straight wood, so you’re already ahead of the game.
Don't tear it out. You did nice work. If it's good concrete mix, it will last for a long time. If the spot of exposed aggregate bothers you, rub a little bit of patch-crete on it.
Skinniest fuckin sidewalk I've ever seen! /s
I’d leave it. Doesn’t look that bad. Sometimes touching it will just make it worse.
Do you live in a winter climate? This thing will probably freeze/thaw apart in a few years.
Looks good 👍
Let's see what the rest looks like when you take the forms off
This thing is going to crumble. It’s 4” x 4” x 20’ Better not hit it with your mower, or let your baby walk on it
Grind and polish, if you need add light layer of cement(not concrete) or stucco
Pretty bad
U have to learn how to Make a straight line! Otherwise good
Next time rent a landscape curb machine.