DIY Cement Driveway

Planning and Excavating

• Draw a plan for your driveway including the measurements that you will be using. Use wooden stakes or string to mark out the area where you will be excavating. Use a shovel or other sharp digging object to dig out this area, removing all vegetation from the edges as well. Dig at least six inches deep as this will need to be filled later on. The depth that you need will depend on the thickness of your concrete. Add the thickness of the concrete to about four more inches to obtain the depth that you need.

  Level out the ground that you dig as much as possible and pour four inches of crushed stone or gravel on it. Smooth it out with a shovel or other object, filling in any uneven sections. Check to see that the surface is level. If drainage is an issue in your area, create a slope of about a quarter inch for each foot of driveway.

Pouring the Cement

• Use two square foot wood or steel frames to create the slabs of concrete. The frames or forms are made from nominal lumber with stakes attached to them and driven into the ground to reinforce the whole form. Check to make sure that you have enough cement to make all of them at the same time.

  Cut wire mesh to fit each of the cement frames. Put the frames into place in the driveway. Don't keep the mesh right on the gravel, but put them on the bottom of the frame for now. Pour motor oil over the boards to prevent the wood from soaking up the moisture in the cement. Pour the concrete over them and hook the mesh to bring it up to the center of the cement. You can also place stones in the bottom of the frame to hold the mesh up to the center while you pour the cement. Level the cement in each block with a shovel.

Finishing Up

• Drag a stick, broom, or something similar through the concrete to create some traction for the tires. This will mean that the concrete will not be as slippery when it is wet. Cover the concrete with burlap until it has cured. Keep the concrete wet for seven days.

  Remove the frames from the concrete after it has hardened and repair the edges as needed.