# How does this new concrete look?



## farmerjohn1324 (Nov 28, 2017)

The bag said 3 quarts per 80# bag.

It was too dry at 3 quarts, so I put in a whole gallon.


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## JoeD (Nov 28, 2017)

If that was a premixed bag, it looks like it wasn't mixed enough. You should not be able to see all the stones.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Nov 28, 2017)

JoeD said:


> If that was a premixed bag, it looks like it wasn't mixed enough. You should not be able to see all the stones.



It took a total of about 3.5 80# bags. On the other ones, I put about 5 quarts in and it came out good.

I don't know how the bag could get it wrong, but it seems they did.


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## tuffy (Nov 28, 2017)

I never go by the bag I go by look and feel. I guess the bag directions are just some type of guide line.


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## stuart45 (Nov 30, 2017)

Did you mix by hand or with a mixer?


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## Snoonyb (Nov 30, 2017)

Regardless of the "appearance", if this is the slab you cut in your non permitted kitchen work, how did you re-establish the slab reinforcement?


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## Chris (Dec 1, 2017)

Needed more mixing or more water or both. After you mix it and pour it, use a wood trowel/float and edge it if you care to then after letting it sit a few hit it with a metal trowel to bring the moisture up to the surface. Once it starts setting hit it with a broom for a broom finish.


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## Chris (Dec 1, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> Regardless of the "appearance", if this is the slab you cut in your non permitted kitchen work, how did you re-establish the slab reinforcement?


Should have drilled and put bar in to tie them together


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## bud16415 (Dec 1, 2017)

You have a bad habit of asking your questions after the fact. 

My suggestion is you rip all that concrete out and start again. There is no fixing it at this point and if you do not do it correct your work will be more down the road. 

As you backtrack taking this out with each shovel full think to yourself if I only would have asked first. 

Once you get it all out come back and ask for advice.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Dec 3, 2017)

bud16415 said:


> You have a bad habit of asking your questions after the fact.
> 
> My suggestion is you rip all that concrete out and start again. There is no fixing it at this point and if you do not do it correct your work will be more down the road.
> 
> ...



What's wrong with it, though?

Seems to be doing it's job as a floor.


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## Chris (Dec 4, 2017)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> What's wrong with it, though?
> 
> Seems to be doing it's job as a floor.


Take a shovel and try and dig into it. Hit it good too. You should not be able to do any more than put a scratch mark into it.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Dec 4, 2017)

Chris said:


> Take a shovel and try and dig into it. Hit it good too. You should not be able to do any more than put a scratch mark into it.



It's hard as a rock. I'm just confused why the color is so different.


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## nealtw (Dec 4, 2017)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> It's hard as a rock. I'm just confused why the color is so different.



I have had that result from one or two bags out of a bunch, for what you are doing I would not worry about it. 

I did a patch on the side of a friends driveway that looks like that. I thought it would fail and I would fix it then, 6 years later it is still ugly.:trophy:


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## zannej (Dec 4, 2017)

My concern is that it looks like the concrete is directly on top of the pipes without the pipes having some sort of rocks as a buffer.


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## JoeD (Dec 4, 2017)

It looks to me like the hole is not totally filled. I would just mix up some more concrete and pour it on top. Just make this batch a lot more watery and work it down into the voids.


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## farmerjohn1324 (Dec 8, 2017)

JoeD said:


> It looks to me like the hole is not totally filled. I would just mix up some more concrete and pour it on top. Just make this batch a lot more watery and work it down into the voids.



I'll use thinset for that when I lay the tile.


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## bud16415 (Dec 9, 2017)

farmerjohn1324 said:


> I'll use thinset for that when I lay the tile.




:thbup:sounds like a plan


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## Snoonyb (Dec 9, 2017)

Chris said:


> Should have drilled and put bar in to tie them together



In the photo in the thread, also authored by the OP, "How to properly tape this room off to spray paint the ceiling?", it appears that there is no slab reinforcement, and the dwelling was built in 54.

Interesting for Florida, the land of disappearing dwellings.


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## bud16415 (Dec 9, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> In the photo in the thread, also authored by the OP, "How to properly tape this room off to spray paint the ceiling?", it appears that there is no slab reinforcement, and the dwelling was built in 54.
> 
> Interesting for Florida, the land of disappearing dwellings.



That goes back to my comments in post #9. 

The OP clearly wants option 2 where he regrets his choice and would rather do more work down the road rather than do it right the first time. 

Nothing wrong with that as thats the decision he wants to make.


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## JoeD (Dec 9, 2017)

Thinset is not a leveler. The floor should be level before using thinset.


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## Snoonyb (Dec 9, 2017)

He probably screeded off and is just using the thinset to fill the voids in the aggregate.


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## zannej (Dec 10, 2017)

I initially misread that as screwed off instead of screeded off.. LOL.

Is screeding when you smooth the liquid cement over the area?


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## Snoonyb (Dec 10, 2017)

Yes, it's the initial leveling process, then tamping to bring up the cream, bull-float and fresno.


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## JoeD (Dec 10, 2017)

Screeding is when you take a board and lay across the concrete on the two solid surfaces on each side. Then saw it back and forth so that the concrete in the hole is level with the existing edges. The sawing action brings up the cream and works the rocks down a bit so you have a smooth surface.


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