How to Start Laying Cement

Construction of a concrete slab starts with the proper preparations of the job site and the construction of forms. Both steps are crucial to a smooth and long-lasting concrete product. In some situations a do-it-yourselfer may accomplish some of the planning and preparation work that starts the concrete project while leaving the actual concrete construction to professional builders.

Shovels
Wheelbarrows
2-by-4 lumber
Wood stakes
4-foot carpenter's level

Instructions

- 1
  Excavate the sod and any necessary topsoil from the project site. The organic material in the sod decays if left under the concrete, leaving voids that can cause cracks. Excavate enough topsoil to allow a gravel subgrade under the planned concrete.
- 2
  Pack the gravel using a vibrating plate tamper. This tool, often available from rental outlets, uses a gas engine to vibrate a heavy metal plate, tamping the gravel bed.
- 3
  Build the forms out of dimensional lumber. Use 2-by-4 inch boards for 4-inch thick concrete slabs or wider boards for thicker slabs. Place the form boards around the perimeter of the planned concrete slab. Drive stakes into the ground around the outside of the form.
- 4
  Level the forms using a 4-foot carpenter’s level. Fasten the form boards to the stakes using nails driven through the stake into the form board. Make sure the point of the nail doesn’t extend through the form board into the area where the concrete will be placed or poured.

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