Thanks Dale, I'll be forming and mixing myself, I though thicker was better, if not how thick. Floating does this require a special tool. What is spalling. Thanks for your patience.
Archie --- In [email protected], "Dale Leavens" <dleav...@...> wrote: > > Are you mixing the concrete yourself? > > Are you forming it up yourself? > > 6 inches thick is pretty hefty but with luck it shouldn't crack. If the > concrete is being delivered the extra cost for that thickness isn't > significant. > > If you are working the concrete the only thing to know really is to keep > working a trowel up and down into it and along the edges to work out any > voids or unnecessary bubbles. Once it is thickening up screed it off flat > with the top of the forms then float it smooth. as it begins to really harden > you can vigorously float the surface to bring up the cream for a really > smooth surface and you should go around the edges with an edging trowel to > make a nice finish. Some people like to then broom it vigorously for a more > roughened surface good for traction and less slippery. > > If you can and particularly if it is a sunny day but if it rains too, > particularly at all hard you should cover it but at intervals, three or four > hours a light spray of water to dampen the surface will help to cure the > concrete more evenly and should reduce the formation of spalling later. > Concrete cures best if it cures slowly so, a light sprinkling of water, not > so much to wash away the salts but enough to slowly soak into the cement will > produce much better concrete. > > Well that is about it for my lunch brake.
