How to Pour a Cement Patio and Cover With Plastic

Knowing the appropriate way to pour a slab for your patio and protect it until it has hardened is key to creating the patio of your dreams. By pouring it yourself, you can create a patio to the exact size and shape you prefer and don't have to worry about someone else making a mistake.

Concrete
Wheelbarrow
Aluminum or wood straightedge
Plastic sheet

Instructions

- 1
  Place an order for concrete with a local company, which will provide it to you in a small truck. Cement is the main ingredient in concrete and must be mixed before it can be poured for a patio.
- 2
  Wet the soil or gravel lightly, just to dampen it, before pouring the concrete.
- 3
  Use wheelbarrows to transport the concrete from the truck to the area of your future patio. The amount you carry at a time is dependent only on how much or little you can carry.
- 4
  Pour the concrete into the area for your patio, starting at one end and moving toward the other side.
- 5
  Pull an aluminum or wood straightedge across the wet concrete to even it out and remove any excess. The straightedge should be at least a 2 feet longer than the width of your patio. For example, if your patio is 10 feet wide, use a 12-foot straightedge.
- 6
  Lay a plastic sheet on top of the slab of concrete to stop water from evaporating. The plastic should be larger than the slab so it falls over the sides of the patio.
- 7
  Place dirt, gravel, bricks or other heavy items on the plastic sheet to hold it down.
- 8
  Remove the plastic after about seven days, and your patio is ready for use.

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