DIY Concrete Paths

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kryptonjohn

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#229224 13-Feb-2018 17:05

<Sigh> didn't want to do this myself but quotes I've received for this job are way too expensive for me*, and even then it's hard to find anyone who can be bothered.

So, got to put down about 25m of 1m wide path around the house, and a 4x4 slab for a garden shed. Looking for some guidance ...

50mm depth on compacted base course and no mesh ... is that sufficient? Plan to saw-cut at 2m.

about 12m of path is on a reasonably steep slope up the side of the house - roughly 1 in 5. Is that acceptable to pour and broom finish?

Estimating materials... 75x25 boxing timber? Pegs at what spacing to avoid bowing...1m spacing? Or would it be better to get 75x50 boxing and require fewer pegs?

For the concrete... I'd prefer to do this in stages - two paths of 12.5m each then the pad, so the qtys are small... less than 1m3 at a time. Is it economic to get such qtys delivered?

I'd really like to find a concrete placer to help me with that part - anyone know of one available in Auckland City?

Thanks in advance guys.

JohnO

* $13k, and no significant excavation required - just box it up, basecourse, place concrete and finish.

tchart

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#1956536 13-Feb-2018 19:29

Not an expert by any means but if it's just you get a concrete vibrator. Even a cheap electric one off Trademe.

I poured a slab for a shed roughly the same size as you are planning and doing it solo isn't a good option. Wish I had another pair of hands or had used a concrete vibrator. The concrete was too hard to manipulate by hand. My she'd floor now has a jump in the middle!

I ordered 1m3. There was a delivery fee because they send a truck for the small amount - ie if you order a full truck there's no delivery fee but you end up with ~3m3 - think the smaller mixers take 2.7m3 from memory.

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SATTV

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#1956537 13-Feb-2018 19:30

Personally I would not go with 50mm concrete even for a path, at least 75mm preferably 100mm with mesh.

I would also recommend at least 50mm of well packed base course ( gap 7 )

As for the boxing I dont use wooden pegs, I use tent pegs ( I saw the council guys use lengths of rebarb and thought that is a lot easier, ( to put in and pull out )

Yes $13k is on the high side.

Where are you based? If you are in Auckland I can recommend someone.

John

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mattwnz

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#1956553 13-Feb-2018 19:40

If doing it yourself, you could always buy a concrete mixer and gradually pour the path in boxed stages. We did this over a period of few months in the weekends. It is pretty simple stuff, and you also get fit. There is something about laying and smoothing concrete that is quite satisfying. 13k is a lot. The other thin you could consider is pavers. Potentially can produce a nicer result, although pavers can cost more /sqm, if doing it yourself you are saving on labour.

timmmay

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#1956566 13-Feb-2018 20:00

With pavers stuff can grow between them. My driveway is 100mm commercial strength with metal re-enforcing, professionally laid. It had to be cut open to get at pipes later, took them a full day to cut out a 1.5m x 40cm section - very hard concrete. 50mm, standard, no re-enforcing sounds thin.

kryptonjohn

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#1956597 13-Feb-2018 20:55

Hi guys and thanks for the tips....

@SATTV yep am in Auckland would be keen to get your guy's contact details.

neb

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#1956633 13-Feb-2018 21:16

SATTV:
Personally I would not go with 50mm concrete even for a path, at least 75mm preferably 100mm with mesh.

One thing about putting in mesh, if you or a future owner of the property ever wants to remove or change the path, don't put in mesh, it's an absolute bitch to remove concrete with reinforcing in it. More important is the base course, put in a decent layer of Gap 20 hardfill and run a plate compactor over it, then pour the concrete on that.

elpenguino

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#1956665 13-Feb-2018 22:28

If at all possible, which depends on your site and access, it is a huge labour saver to get the concrete delivered.

It's not that much more expensive than self-mixing but soooo much easier.

Minimum delivery was 1 m3 last time I did this.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

kryptonjohn

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#1956666 13-Feb-2018 22:33

Access... Well the truck can back right up to one end of the paths but the pad is 30 yards up a moderate slope. Good time to get a concrete pump!

richms

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#1956673 13-Feb-2018 22:48

removing concrete with mesh was no problem here, digger just had it up and out in no time. Would have been slower if it was breaking up into small pieces.

Richard rich.ms

elpenguino

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#1956674 13-Feb-2018 22:54

kryptonjohn: Access... Well the truck can back right up to one end of the paths but the pad is 30 yards up a moderate slope. Good time to get a concrete pump!

Pump hire will cost mucho dollaros - (I expect many hundreds).

Better to get the boys round for beer and pizza.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

Wheelbarrow01

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#1956723 14-Feb-2018 08:16

$13k for 1 x 25 metres is ridiculous - you're talking over $500 a square metre!

I got a 115m2 driveway laid for about $14k in post earthquake Christchurch when both concreting materials and labour were in high demand.

Surely you should be able to get it done for between $115-$$130 a square metre, plus the cost of pumping it if required. The economics of it in Auckland can't be that different (5x) to Christchurch

Have you tried listing the job on www.builderscrack.co.nz ? I like this website because after you post the job you want done, keen and available tradies chase you for the job (not the other way around)

kryptonjohn

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#1956730 14-Feb-2018 08:43

Wheelbarrow01:

$13k for 1 x 25 metres is ridiculous - you're talking over $500 a square metre!

I know! Note though it is 1x25 plus a 4x4 pad.

I got a 115m2 driveway laid for about $14k in post earthquake Christchurch when both concreting materials and labour were in high demand.

Yep, and that would also require removal of the old driveway, a significant cost, Plus driveways are inherently more expensive per m2 than paths as deeper and require mesh.

Your driveway is 11.5m3 of concrete at 100mm plus mesh. My project is about 4m3 at 75mm with no mesh.

Surely you should be able to get it done for between $115-$$130 a square metre, plus the cost of pumping it if required. The economics of it in Auckland can't be that different (5x) to Christchurch

Have you tried listing the job on www.builderscrack.co.nz ? I like this website because after you post the job you want done, keen and available tradies chase you for the job (not the other way around)

What I think is happening is that the guys have so much work to do that they don't really want this job unless it is a sweet earner.

Concrete pumps cost a bit but save a lot of labour cost in barrowing and spreading the concrete.

geoffwnz

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#1956734 14-Feb-2018 08:58

I did a 12m x 1m-ish x 100mm path a few years ago by hand. I have a concrete mixer though. Did it in 4 sections, two in one day (sections 1 and 3) then the other two over two other days.

It's not difficult, just labour intensive. And I really need to work on my finishing skills.

Biggest issue for DIY is storing the raw materials. Also, while it takes the guys at Mitre 10 a couple of mins to load a trailer using the digger, it takes half an hour of solid shovelling to empty it again. :-p

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kryptonjohn

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#1956760 14-Feb-2018 09:06

Agreed. Used to do this sort of thing in my younger days incl several driveways but that was a long time ago and forgotten the details (or become overly obsessed with details).

But now in my mid 50's and in a desk job I'm not in any kind of physical shape to be shifting a few cubic metres of material in and out of a mixer and up a slope :-(

Back in the day, concrete was pretty cheap but it's expensive now. I would want to avoid the extra expense of 100mm slabs for a foot traffic only path. I hope saw cuts at 1000mm and a well compacted base course should eliminate cracking.