2.) Lightly hose (dampen) the pour area with water prior to
pouring the concrete. Work as quickly as possible when placing concrete
in form work. For instructions on how to mix concrete
click here
.
Start pouring the concrete into the pour area. Fill up the trench
(footing) first to a height approximately 75mm (3") below the top of
the form work.
Lay a rod of #3 rebar (which is 10mm (3/8") thick reinforcing steel),
around the perimeter of the pour area. The rod should be at least 50mm
(2") in from the form work and at least 50mm (2") down from the top of
the form work.
Wherever the reinforcing rod joins, make an overlap of at least 400mm (16") and tie together with tie wire.
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4.) Smooth over the level concrete with a trowel or float. Hold
the blade flat against the surface and sweep it back and forth in wide
arcs.
Tip: you will probably not get it near perfect in the first
going-over, but that doesn't matter. Leave it until it dries a bit or
until all the excess surface water has evaporated and then re-trowel.
A novice may need to go over it another two or three times to get a
nice smooth finish, letting it dry a bit in between each smoothing.
NOTE 1:
The form work can be taken off the next day ONLY if it can be easily
removed. If for some reason the form work needs a lot of hammering and
knocking to remove it, then best leave it in place for three days or
so, until the concrete is hard enough to withstand the punishment.
NOTE 2: The concrete will now need to set (cure). Keep the
concrete moist for about three days by hosing with a fine mist every
now and then. This is especially crucial in warmer conditions.
NOTE 3: Concrete in direct sunlight should be covered with some
type of building wrap, roofing felt or shaded for the curing period. If
you must pour the concrete on a very hot day, then leave it till mid or
late afternoon. Concrete sets very fast on hot days in direct sunlight
and can be hard if not impossible to work with. This is especially a
concern when you're hand mixing, which requires a bit of time.
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