How to Set Rebar in a Concrete Basement Wall

Position your premade aluminum form in place. The form should have a front and back side, with space in between for the concrete, and a left and right side. You can adjust the space using clamps to get the wall thickness you desire. Loosen or tighten the clamps as needed.

Assemble a rebar grid that can slide into the form, using 1/2-inch rebar. Rebar comes in 20-foot long sections you can cut using a metal-cutting blade in a circular saw. For example, if your wall is 10 feet long, cut a 20-foot section of rebar in half to get two 10-foot-long sections. Place one section on the floor and the other 4 feet above it. Cut another 20-foot section of rebar in half. Place the two pieces of rebar perpendicular to the horizontal pieces, again spacing them 4 feet apart. Use tie wires to secure the intersections and form the grid, twisting the tie wires with a tie wire twister. Work like this until you have a large grid that can float inside the wall. A 10-foot wall would need three pieces of rebar going horizontally and three vertically to form an 8-foot-by-8-foot grid of support. Because the grid will rest in the center of the wall, it's large enough.

Insert the rebar grid into the form. If you can drop it gently in from the top, which is open so you can pour concrete, do so. If you do not have the space to insert it vertically, open the side of your form to insert the rebar, then close the side of the form. For now, the grid will rest on the bottom of the form.

Brace the form every 2 feet using wooden or metal stakes. This keeps the form upright. Otherwise, wet concrete can push the form.

Pull the rebar up into the center of the form with a hook as you pour concrete, so that the rebar floats in the center of the wall both vertically and horizontally. Have a friend help you. It takes two to pour concrete and position the rebar.