DIY Cement Patio

Plans

• Plan how big you want your concrete patio to be and mark off the area. Use stakes to mark out the corners of the patio and attach string between them to give yourself an idea of the size. Once you have marked off the area, you will need to dig it out. Remove any tree stumps and dig down 6 inches throughout the entire area. After digging down, fill the area with 2 inches of gravel. Place wire mesh over the gravel. This gives the cement a better hold. For a large cement slab, you will need to add rebar, long steel rods, halfway through the pour, to reinforce the cement. Place wooden boards along the edge of the dug-out area, secured in place with wooden stakes. This will hold the form of the cement once it is poured.

Pouring Cement

• After preparation, spray the area where you will pour the cement with water from a hose. Pour the cement evenly using a wheelbarrow, spreading the cement with shovels. Add your rebar once 3" of cement has been poured along the length of the pit. Lay your bars in a crisscross pattern across the entire pit, spacing them 1' to 2' away from each other. Make sure the steel rods are suspended in cement, as rebar at the bottom of a slab does little to protect it. Fill the remainder of the pit with cement. Use a long wooden board to smooth out the top of the cement once it is at the top of your poured area. When the cement is smooth, hit the boards on the sides of your concrete with a plastic mallet. This will knock out any air pockets. When the cement begins to dry at the top and loses its wet sheen, use a trowel with a point to remove the boards from the sides of your patio. Smooth out the surface with the trowel. If you wish to add texture to the surface, lightly sweep a broom across it.

Curing

• Cover your patio with a plastic sheet to prevent rain from damaging it. Once a day lightly spray the cement with a little bit of water to keep it from drying too fast. The cement should cure for a week before you remove the plastic sheet. Once the patio has set for a month, seal it with a good cement sealer.