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Do-It-Yourself Concrete Porch Forms

When building a porch out of concrete, all you're really doing is making a concrete slab. Pouring concrete slabs is much simpler than pouring a concrete foundation, which must be very deep, especially if it is to be the foundation for a large structure. A concrete slab for a porch usually only has to be about four inches thick, which means you can make your own forms out of 2-by-4 plywood planks and scrap wood.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
  • Spray paint
  • Stakes
  • String
  • Shovels
  • Tamping tool
  • Carpenter's level
  • 2-by-4 planks
  • Rubber mallet
  • Carpenter's triangle
  • Hammer
  • Nails
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure the area you plan on using for the porch. Mark the outline of the area with spray paint or stakes with string. Pull the string tight before securing it to each stake.

    • 2

      Excavate the marked area to a depth of four inches. Compress the soil with a tamping tool and check the hole with a carpenter's level. Make adjustments as necessary until the hole is perfectly level.

    • 3

      Place 2-by-4 planks all along the inside perimeter of the hole. Tap them down with a rubber mallet to help make them level. The corners should be perfect 90-degree angles -- check them with a carpenter's triangle.

    • 4

      Drive 12-inch stakes made of 1-by-2 inch boards at every corner of the hole -- the stakes should abut the 2-by-4 planks. Place additional stakes along the perimeter of the boards. There should be one stake every 12 inches along the perimeter.

    • 5

      Secure the stakes to the 2-by-4 planks with nails driven at a 45-degree angle. Check the planks frequently to ensure that they are still level and the corners form 90-degree angles. Repeat the process until all of the stakes are nailed to the planks.

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Interior Remodeling
  1. How to Make Concrete Forms in Weird Shapes
  2. How to Build Wood Concrete Forms
  3. Concrete Formwork Types
  4. Do-It-Yourself: Stepping Stones
  5. Concrete Forming Equipment
  6. Do-it-Yourself Concrete Walls
  7. Forms of Concrete Stepping Stones
  8. Do-It-Yourself Concrete Walkways
  9. Do-it-Yourself Brick Stairs
  10. Do-it-Yourself Concrete Resurface
  11. How to Make Forms for Concrete Sidewalks
  12. Do-It-Yourself Concrete Driveway

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