Making a Concrete path.?

Question

Now I know that this question has been asked on here before because I looked!

But I would like to know what kind of mix will be the best kind to buy READY MADE and delivered by lorry.

The path is/will be about 4 feet wide by 20 + feet long. Everything is in place (shuttering etc) I would just like to know which is best for a path that is:
1, on a slight slope (not measured the declination) (if that is the right word!)
2, has to be non slip for a disabled person to walk and ride on.
3, what should the slump be?
4, should the area be lined with plastic ready for concrete to go in, as well as over the top when laid and tamped?

As much help as you can muster please people. I want to get this right for mum.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

get a do it yourself book

Answer 2

1. need to keep the concrete stiff or it will slide if to wet. dont add water, just use it as its delivered.

2.after screeding and floating allow it to dry slightly, because its on a slope the bleed water will slowly run.brush across the shortest distance with a soft floor brush. if it looks a mess its to wet, brush off water and wait 10-20mins, then repeat. this provides a non slip surface.after brushing pull a trowel down the outside edge keeping it tight to the shutter/form. a 4inch trowel would be recomended as a nice border width.

3.i suppose a 40newton or less even with a 20%slump will be ok, ask when your ordering it, the supplyer will advise you. but a 4;2;1 with 10 mm or less is ideal.

4.no need for plastic, it acts as a damp proofer,not really needed in the path,unless 1: your joining the path to your house or its touching a building where damp will damage the property. 2: there is a lot of weeds, likely to grow up through the path. if your worried about it drying too quick, dampen the hardcore with a hose before starting.

yes also put plastic over the top to stop the sun curing it too fast,try to have it 50mm above the path to let it breathe and spray it every couple of hours with a hose on light spray or a watering can. the longer it is curing/drying the harder it becomes.

also it is a good idea to lightly paint the forms with diesel before you start as they will come away alot easier.leave them for 2-3 days before you remove them,to ensure no damage occours to the edges of the path. add an expansion joint about every 8 feet. it is just a line cut with a pointing trowel a third the depth of the path. or you can buy special grovers to do this but this way is fine.

hope this helps you,

any more questions, just contact me.

good luck

Answer 3

Order your concrete telling them it is for a path, they will give you the best mix. Check the amount, it sounds quite a lot.

Polythene underneath is only put there to stop moisture from rising through the concrete. You will find the path has plenty of water getting to it from the rainclouds and the polythene is a waste of time. Plus there is a not very well understood physical law saying as soon as you open a sheet of polythene outside a gale will spring up, making working with it similar to fighting a tiger.

If you leave the formwork insitu it will soon move a tiny bit leaving a gap where grass/weeds/etc will grow.

the best surface in my estimation is to leave it with a screed finish, or trowel it off and later when it has started to set, gently drag a stiff brush over it from side to side forming thin lines to make it slip proof but it will also leave the path lying in wait for a fall and will give the faller severe gravel rash.

Make sure all tools are well cleaned after the operation and keep the bull mastif locked away from the path... ***** cats and birds can also mar an otherwise perfect surface.

don't walk on it for a couple of days when it's no longer "green"



A bill for this consultant's advice will follow as soon as I find your address.

Answer 4

Buying readymix means that your concrete will be consistent and have the same characteristics throughout. One issue is the depth of the concrete. 6 inches - 150mm - should be enough for most paths, but that means you will need about 1.25 cubic metres of concrete. If you can find a readymix company to deliver such a small quantity, it could be expensive. It could even be too small for some Minimix companies.

The slump depends on the slope of your path. Normal concrete should be about 80mm slump, but on a slope you can go to 50mm or on a steep slope even 20mm. But if you do go to 50mm or less, you will need mechanical compacting equipment. You can get it from any plant & tool hire shop.

The non slip surface is something you can do easily. Tamp the surface flat then draw a stiff bristle brush across it. If you need even more grip try tamping with the groove edge of a tongue and groove board.

Make sure the sub-base - that's the ground or better still hardcore - under the concrete is well compacted. Laying poly sheet under a path isn't always necessary. It depends if the ground is wet. If you decide to use poly, you need to lay about 1 inch of sand on top of the sub-base to protect the poly sheet. You shouldn't need to use poly sheet on top of the new concrete unless its really hot weather - wet hessian sheet is the norm.

Answer 5

For a path that small, concrete pavers would give you a much better walk , at about the same price, or slightly more . It would look better , & would never have to be replaced (like concrete ).

If you go with concrete:

Don't use plastic underneath .Never heard of anything under concrete . With other materials, geotextile fabric is used . It is a heavier type of landscape fabric. Regular landscape fabric can be used , if need be.

The non-slip part , is just a matter of texturing the concrete , before it sets up, or in some cases, just not smoothing it. . In part , the composition of the mix can help, but if you are having it delivered , you'll have to take what you get .

The slope is normally 1:8 with most surfaces, that don't have to be steeper. That is for every 8ft of distance, it should drop 1 inch in elevation. (Convert if you must .)



Here's example of concrete pavers :http://www.pavestone.com/

You don't have to get that fancy, but it gives an idea of what is possible . That's a Canadian company , that operates in N. America, but there must be similar in the land of "lorries" & "mums" ;D

Answer 6

1. yes you need a slope to make sure that water runs off...

2. use a broom and pull, not push, in one direction only. this will make a textured finish that is non-slip...

3. I have to agree with the 421...

4. no plastic, it will make the slab float and promote cracks, just wet the ground well with a hose before pouring. also make sure that you are putting in expansion joints about every 5 to 8 feet...

5. USE RE-BAR or better yet for that small of a job they make re-wire, it looks like cattle wire fencing...



and most sidewalks in the US are about 4 inches thick. with an 8 in thick walk you could drive a truck on it...

Answer 7

The slope of the walk should not be more than 1/4" per foot side to side, or it will be hard to maintain your balance. If you order it, just tell them standard slump. You can add water as needed, but, not remove it, if too much. No plastic under it but, you can keep it from drying too quickly (and cracking) and protect it from rain if you cover it with plastic. Brush the finished concrete with a broom to get a non slip surface after it has set up, but not dried.

Answer 8

For a walkway you need first of all to be approx 8" deep, 4" of hardcore/crusher run, whacked down 2" at a time with a GOOD whacker plate, then 4" concrete of which the supplier will tell you the best mix and quantity, also, it is a good idea to have a run off or some drainage. For underneath i would use landscaping fibre, lets moisture through to ground but you will never get weed up through it and it wont crack!

Answer 9

Ever thought about pouring it exposed aggregate. Its pretty easy and is non-slip. Order a 4000 pound pea gravel mix. Pour it like normal Screed it bull float it edge and crease it trowel it. Then spray it with reterder. I use sugar water . Mix About a half a bag of sugar and the rest with water in a sprayer. Spray the hole area till it gets nice and wet. Then wait till you can walk on it without making a deep imprint with your shoes. then just hose it off It will look awesome. seal it the next day with pebblesheen thats when it will really look good. Im sure i am leaving some stuff out any questions e-mail me.

Answer 10

Hi, best mix is 4.2.1. That's 4 ballast, 2 sand, 1 cement. Once it,s laid, wait an hour then very lightly sprinkle surface with water.Use a hard bristle brush and score the surface with horizontal lines. However as it is a disabled person I would recommend you employ a builder. Your council should be liable for the costs. Even if it is a bought house. You won,t need damp proof course (plastic) that's just for shed bases etc regards...

Answer 11

your mums a clever woman then..????

1. slight fall away..

2. heavy brush finish..

3 .20% slump .........(hard to move from drop off to required though)

4. plastic .... not under ...your not doing an oversite ..

5.plastic ....over the top if thats all you have if its a hot day .....dont let the concrete dry out to fast ... can always water it..!!!!!

Answer 12

i'd be very interested to know how you are going to keep the local cats off it they can smell it from miles away and love leaving paw prints!!!