One of my final fall projects is to pour a small concrete slab for my trashcans to sit on. Until now I have been placing them in the same spot that the slab will go but once winter comes I will need something more substantial to place them on and I will also need some type of fencing to hold them in place during the harsh winter winds.
Probably the hardest thing about this project has …
One of our friends asks about a border fence that they have in their backyard made of concrete that they believe needs repair. The wall has been in place for some time and it seems that the previous home owner has painted it and an grown ivy against the wall so the current owner is wondering if they can complete a repair on their own to clean it up and stop …
One of our friends asks about their backyard. Its spring and they recently purchased their home and they want to clean up the backyard and make it more usable. One of the projects they have in mind is an area around some concrete steps that are in disrepair and they want to connect the area between the steps and the patio so they aren’t walking on dirt to get into the backyard.
This is a …
Recently I was contacted by a friend who was performing a concrete slab pour. He needed advice on how to prepare for the pour.
The slab he is making will be used for maintaining a large rainwater tank for use in his home and garden. The tank will hold up to two thousand gallons of water with an approximate weight of 16,000 pounds. The tank is about eight feet high and eight feet in …
In this How To we will look at the difficulties of dealing with materials that are attached to concrete with Concrete Nails. It is important to deal with hardened nails of this type correctly or you could find yourself with a costly repair.
A friend asks: I have these ramps leading up to my house and I’d like to remove them, but they are held in with concrete nails.
Most likely these ramps were installed to …
Although Concrete is acceptable without a surface coating there are many times that you can benefit from applying paint or other coatings to increase its performance and appearance.
In basements you may want to apply concrete paint as a sealer if you would like to reduce humidity levels. On Garage floors you can apply an epoxy paint to protect the floor from oils and other products that can discolor the floor. Outside you …
If there are two parts of your home that are most important that would be your roof which keeps rain out which will ruin everything in your home and your foundation which supports your home.
Foundations can be built in a variety of ways
Many homes have a full basement with solid poured concrete walls which support the first floor that are set on heavy concrete perimeter footings.
Some foundations start with the same perimeter footing but …
Concrete and Cement are often thought of as the same product but actually Cement is just one part of Concrete.
Concrete is a mixture of Aggregates and Binders (Rocks and Cement).
Depending on your needs you can use larger or more aggregate to get a harder product or you can use smaller aggregate to allow the mix to flow.
This difference is easy to understand when you compare the tough but formable sandy mixture that is shot onto Swimming Pools and the much stronger …
Many people finish their basements to add a playroom for the kids a recreation room for the family or even another bedroom for family and guests.
When converting your basement to a finished living space there are many considerations including whether to put insulation in the walls, whether to drywall or add a drop ceiling and what type of flooring will make that drab underground area feel comfortable to live in.
If your home has a …
Home owners and builders may have given a thought of thanks to their building officials this week after seeing the earthquake disaster in Haiti.
Although ridged concrete and brick structures often do poorly in earthquakes the lack of building standards along with cuts in design standards due to corruption are being blamed on elevating an already bad situation.
Earthquakes are measured not only by seismic sensors but also by the damage they cause. In Haiti many structures that …