Did you know that even the ancient Romans used concrete in their construction? They valued it for its strength and for its ability to be molded into different forms. They formed concrete from volcanic ash and lime, which were a bit different from the materials used today, but the substance was very similar and used for similar purposes. Today, concrete contractors carry on the ancient Roman tradition, making everything from patios to counter tops from concrete. These creations last for years and require little maintenance. We think concrete is amazing, and we hope you'll share that opinion after reading the articles provided here.
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Insight To Help You Install And Pour A New Concrete Slab For Your Yard.
Edwin Robertson
There are many ways you can improve your yard and its landscaping. From planting new vegetation, such as flowers, bushes, trees, and a lawn, you can also add in a backyard patio for a new seating area and cookout site. When you are ready to make some updates to your yard, here are some recommendations for you to use as you plan and install a new concrete patio for your backyard landscaping.
Prepare the Foundation Soil
When you are planning to add a concrete patio to your property, you want to inspect the site soil and its condition before you place the framing and pour the concrete. Take a look at the soil to determine its drainage potential. If the soil contains good drainage properties, such as a good amount of sandy soil without a large amount of clay or rock, you won't need to add in elements to help with drainage. However, if the soil contains large rocks or large clay clumps, you should consider removing it to replace it with a sand or gravel layer.
If you decide that gravel is necessary, excavate the soil from the area and add in a layer of angular gravel several inches in thickness. Compact the gravel layer to create a durable drain-promoting foundation. This will prevent your concrete from settling or cracking upon its foundation, and when the ground freezes in the winter, it can prevent the damage related to freeze-thaw heaving.
Choose a Concrete Finish
After your concrete patio has been poured into the forms and smoothed with a finished surface, you can consider a variety of different finish options. While the concrete is wet, you can imprint a faux-stone finish with a form to give the concrete the look of cobblestone, brick, or another decorative pattern. Or you can apply a top layer to cured concrete to complete the imprint appearance later.
Another way to give your concrete an improved appearance is by surface grinding the concrete. This will remove the top surface layer of the concrete and expose the aggregate contained within the concrete, giving it a pebbled surface finish. If you need the surface to be non-slip, a broom is a great tool to create rough ridges or you can sprinkle rock salt onto the surface of the still-wet concrete. When the concrete cures, the rock salt will dissolve when you spray it down, leaving the surface of the concrete rough from the rock salt.
Contact a company like Cutting Edge Concrete to learn more.
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