Enjoy Your Home With
A Concrete Patio
Whether you are looking to expand upon your entertainment space or tie in your entire backyard, there is no better option than to install a concrete patio. Concrete patios are one of the best investments a property owner can make, providing usable space while you own the home and increasing the value of the home when it’s time to sell.
Ever wonder about what it would take to install a new concrete patio in Austin? Well, down below you will find what the professionals do to install perfect patios every time as well as what is done when repairs are needed!
Down below, you will learn everything about concrete patios or contact us today for a QUOTE!.
Benefits of Patio
How To Install A Concrete Patio
When it comes to installing your very own concrete patio, there are steps that you need to take to make sure the patio is structurally sound, able to endure foot traffic and most of all, able to stand the test of time. To make sure your patio is able to do all of these things, the pros take certain steps to make sure the ground beneath the patio is ready to hold your patio for the years to come. Down below, you will find all of the steps the true professionals take to make sure your patio is built correctly.
Compacting The Soils
The first step of the process is to excavate the area to clear up any large rocks and the topsoil to create a strong foundation for your patio. After excavation, layout your first set of lines for your patio. Next, you will want to rent a compactor to compact the dirt after you have removed the topsoil. This is where marking after excavation comes into play, layout a second layer of makers on stakes, offset to the width of the forms you are using.
Laying Forms
When you are sure the area has been properly laid out and compacted, it’s time to start laying your forms. Stakes should be placed at the corners and every 2 feet in between with marks on where you want to finished patio’s height to be. Use a 2×4 and place it up against the height of the finished patio and nail it into place with 2 duplex nails. cut off the remainder of the wooden stake to make smoothing out the poured concrete easier.
Pouring The Concrete
Before you pour the concrete, you will need to place a metal “mesh”, 6-inch metal squares of 10 gauge metal, supported by wire supports to make sure the mesh is at least halfway up the desired height of the patio. Now it’s time to pour the concrete, start in the corner and work your way out. It will help to have a helper that can help push the concrete into the corners and spread. Once the forms are filled, use a large board and floats to smooth out the surface.
Concrete Repairs
Just because you have an existing concrete slab doesn’t mean you are out of the woods just yet. Concrete is a building material that is susceptible to cracking. Thankfully, there are dozens of materials on the market to help repair cracks on your concrete and a few of these options include epoxy injection, cementitious crack filler and for larger cases of cracking, concrete resurfacing. Besides epoxy injection, these are all methods of repair that you can do yourself. But to make sure that your concrete is worth the repair, it is always worth it to ask the opinion of a professional concrete contractor.
Why Use Concrete?
Even though concrete is susceptible to cracking, it is one of the best building materials that you can use today, even though it has been used since ancient years. Concrete is known to be one of the strongest materials on the market, being able to withstand upwards of 3500 PSI depending on the type of concrete you use. Concrete is also incredibly long-lasting with some examples lasting upwards of 30 years with minor repairs or resurfacing. Not to mention, concrete is very safe, its natural texture makes its surface slip and skid resistant which is perfect for the outdoor setting of the patio.