How to Do Cement Work Yourself

Set up the area where you wish to lay cement with framing lumber, like 2 by 4s or 2 by 6s. Use a handsaw or power saw to cut the lumber to length and place it in your desired configuration. A simple patio might require a square form, while a walkway or customized slab might require curves, using bender board. Stake the lumber on edge on both sides of the form and nail the stakes to the lumber with a hammer. Make sure that your ground surface is level within the form.

Use a long plank of wood to bridge the edges of the form and measure the horizontal angle with a carpenter's level. Rake the dirt surface within the form to achieve the proper level. Remove all grass, twigs and organic matter from inside the form. If you need to lay down reinforcing mesh, cut the mesh to size with a orbital drill and a metal cutting disk. Calculate the number of square feet that you will cover with cement by multiplying the length times the width.

Refer to an online chart, such as Dulley.com, for the proper volume amount (cubic yards) needed for your project. If you purchase cement in sack form, you can read the volume directions to determine the amount. For ready-mix cement that must be trucked in for a larger project, the precise mixture will be included in the delivery. If the project is small to medium in size, use two to three wheelbarrows and some assistants to help with the transport. Rent a concrete mixing machine if you wish to mix your own blend for a larger project.

Mix your concrete according to the sack directions. Place the mix in a wheelbarrow or into your rental machine. Larger foundations such as walls and structure slabs might require more water to the mix, possibly up to 6 1/4 gallons per sack, while smaller slabs, walkways, sidewalks and stepping stones will use 5 3/4 gallons. After mixing, the concrete should have a muddy, thick consistency--not runny or overly lumpy. Add more water for a higher ambient temperature.

Spray a light mist of water inside the form. Pour the cement, once thoroughly mixed, from a wheelbarrow directly into the form. Have an assistant or two rake the cement over the inside of the form, spreading it out evenly to all ends of the form. Use two mixing wheelbarrows to keep up the production and two assistants for raking for a larger job.

Fill the form to your desired depth--no less than four inches deep for smaller jobs, or from six to 12 inches deep for larger slab and foundation structures. Once the proper depth has been achieved, use the required number of assistants to tamp down the aggregate stones, gravel and rocks with tamper tools. This will help settle and even out the mixture to attain a smooth top surface.

Use two assistants to pull a 2-inch by 4-inch piece of lumber over the top surface in sawing motions to achieve a uniform top surface level. The assistants should level from one end to the other over the longest length of the form. Wait for the cement to set up to semi-rigid consistency. For large areas, place a 2-inch by 6-inch plank of wood face down over the form edges and use a groover tool to inscribe contraction grooves in the drying cement. Place the grooves every four to six feet in each direction for large slabs and patio foundations.

Use a stiff fiber brush to stroke either swirls or straight lines in the cement surface if you wish a textured or friction-base finish. A long-handled mobile home or big-rig cleaning brush will work fine for reaching over extended areas. Use a trowel and float to achieve a slick or very smooth finish over the cement surface.

Wet the cement with a light, fine mist of water twice a day. The curing process will take about three days for the average foundation and up to five days for a depth over eight inches. Keep a large piece of builder's paper or burlap over the surface during the curing process and raise it when you need to mist the cement. Cordon off the area with structural guardrails or heavy pieces of tape to keep foot traffic or animals away from the area. Don't touch or walk on the cement until it has fully cured.