My man cave build

[URY914]

9:00 am? Slackers

Real pours start at 5:00 am.

[908/930]

Gives you lots of time to get a couple 10 ft lengths of 5/8 rebar and set them near where your lift pads will be, stretching from front to back.

[rfuerst911sc]

Hey Paul it's 6:45 as I'm typing this and it's still pitch black out ! But I did get a text last night stating the truck will be coming at 8:00 vs. 9:00 so that's good . Weather forecast for today/tonight is good and warmer than it has been so much less of a chance for frost . Might get a light rain tomorrow but it's under roof other than the front entry apron . Really looking forward to getting this portion of the build done !

[rfuerst911sc]

A little over 16 yards of concrete is sitting there slowly drying waiting to be finished . So far no surprises and my DIY concrete forms are holding ! I have taken some pics will try to post tonight or tomorrow .

[URY914]

You're probably poured out by now.
Hope it went will.

Pictures damnit!

[rfuerst911sc]

OK OK Here are two pics I just downloaded . Power trowel put down a nice smooth finish I will probably seal the floor this weekend before I get it dirty Relief cuts are done I think it came out great . Nice group of guys they were fun to hang out with .

[rfuerst911sc]

A few more .

[javadog]

You want to keep the moisture in the concrete, not "push it out." There are curing products that are applied like a sealer that would be a good idea at this stage. Otherwise, keep it soaking wet and keep it covered. Keep the forms in place, too.

[rfuerst911sc]

You can seal it right away if you use the correct sealer . Per the concrete dude if you use a " curing " sealer you are good to go the next day if you want to . If you use something like Thompson's water seal he said wait 30 - 45 days . Tomorrow I will breakdown the forms and go purchase the sealer and some 2 x 6's . Depending on the weather will seal on Friday and start studding walls on Saturday .

[javadog]

Do yourself a favor and get some water on the concrete. Concreted cured while remaining wet can have around a 50% increase in ultimate strength over concrete that is not cured that way. I wouldn't be in a hurry to remove the forms, they are beneficial to the curing process.

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by javadog

Do yourself a favor and get some water on the concrete. Concreted cured while remaining wet can have around a 50% increase in ultimate strength over concrete that is not cured that way. I wouldn't be in a hurry to remove the forms, they are beneficial to the curing process.

Leaving the forms on for a few days does make sense , I'm guessing it slows down the evaporation of the water allowing a harder setup . Tomorrow I am going to give it a bath with a garden hose to clean up the saw cut dust and to keep it moist .

[javadog]

Here's a little basic info on concrete curing that you might find helpful:

Role of Concrete Curing

[URY914]

Are your poles directly set in the concrete?

[MBAtarga]

I ran a sprinkler over my shop pad daily for the first week - even though the pour was in early September and temperatures were moderate. Never had the first crack show up.

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by URY914

Are your poles directly set in the concrete?

Paul when the pole barn was originally installed one bag of concrete went into each hole after the pole was put in . I nailed my 2x6 form boards directly to the outside of the poles . So the floor pour concrete encapsulates three sides of each pole .

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

I ran a sprinkler over my shop pad daily for the first week - even though the pour was in early September and temperatures were moderate. Never had the first crack show up.

Because I'm now retired ( it was official this morning ) I am dousing with garden hose every few hours . It has been raining here in Dahlonega for the past hour so that is helping also . This morning I picked up some curing sealer I think I'll water for a few more days then get the sealer down . I'm straining at the leash to get framing

[URY914]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Paul when the pole barn was originally installed one bag of concrete went into each hole after the pole was put in . I nailed my 2x6 form boards directly to the outside of the poles . So the floor pour concrete encapsulates three sides of each pole .

There's pros and cons about posts in concrete. Let Google be your friend and look it up.
But it's too late now.

[rfuerst911sc]

Yep I'm over the falls so really not an issue . Hey if I get 30 years out of it that will probably outlive me !

[rfuerst911sc]

Another step forward today I applied the " curing sealer " . Used a garden sprayer and followed the manufacturers instructions no big deal . Tomorrow I break down the forms and start the real work

[rfuerst911sc]

I'm still here guys but haven't done anything picture worthy yet I have enclosed the bottom of the laminated beams with 2x10's so I have something to nail to when I install the walls . And the end rafters at the bottom I have added two layers of 2x4's making them 4 1/2 inches thick so my wall top plates have some meat to nail to . In a few minutes I'm off to purchase the majority of 2x6's for the walls . Today is the last warm day here for a couple of days so we'll see how far I can get . I hate working outside when it's cold , yep I'm a cold wimp