How to Cement a Front Porch

Build the form for your porch. Measure for the dimensions and cut some 2-by-6 material down to size with the circular saw. Nail the form boards together to create your perimeter. Cut some rebar down into two-foot sections with the angle grinder and drive them into the ground with a hammer along the outside of the form boards every few feet to brace the boards.

Cut some rebar to fit the dimensions of your porch and lay them down along the bottom of the porch area on top of the ground. Space them apart roughly 12 inches and overlap them so that you have a grid pattern covering your porch area.

Mix up some concrete in a wheelbarrow according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not add more water than the manufacturer recommends. The bag will tell you how much water to add, and it is different for each brand of concrete you purchase, as well as the size of the bag you buy. Read the directions before mixing.

Dump the concrete from the wheelbarrow into your form on top of the rebar. Repeat the mixing process until you fill the form at least 4 inches thick with concrete. Use a rebar hook to pull the rebar up through the concrete mixture so that it sits around halfway through the mixture, with concrete above and below.

Rough finish the surface with the screed, which is a long straightedge that you pull across the surface of the concrete to fill in any low spots and create a level surface across the entire porch. Have your friend help you by working one end of the screed while you work the other. Pull it across the top of the porch to create a level surface.

Smooth the top of the concrete with a flat trowel attached to a long handle. Work the trowel over the concrete mixture several times to smooth it off completely so that you are left with a finish surface that will cure smooth and flat. Leave the form boards in place for at least 72 hours.