How to Landscape Concrete Pads

Determine the size and shape of your concrete pad and measure out the area with a tape measure. Add 2 inches to every side and mark the borders with landscape paint.

Dig out 8 inches for a walkway or patio and 12 inches for a driveway or parking space. Use a shovel to make the side walls vertical and the bottom of the expanse flat. Compact the ground with a hand tamper to work out air pockets and moisture.

Fill the site with a 4- to 8-inch thick layer of 3/4-inch gravel. Tamp the rocks until they are flat and feel firm beneath your feet. The gravel foundation is flexible enough to absorb ground tension and heavy weight loads and underground moisture can escape through the crevices between rocks.

Stack 2-by-4-inch form boards around the inside border so the top sides sit level and about an inch above the ground. Add or remove gravel as needed to adjust the boards, and then screw them together with a drill.

Lay down strips of wire mesh to strengthen the concrete slab. Overlap the mesh by 3 inches on every side.

Mix concrete in a mixer or wheelbarrow with the suggested dose of water.

Pour the concrete into the site from one side to the other, spreading it with a rake. Pull a straight-edge over the boards to remove excess concrete and level out the low areas. Use a squeegee or trowel to make the surface smooth.

Draw a grid of control joints every 4 square feet over the surface with the end of a trowel. Make them half as deep as the pad is thick to help absorb tension so cracks won't develop.

Maintain consistent moisture over the surface to dry the pad slowly over seven days. Cover it with canvas or a breathable material and sprinkle it with a hose a few times daily.