Quote:
Originally Posted by javadog
You know, this whole "curbs have no rebar" discussion is kind of funny. He's taking out a section of curb (that likely has no rebar) and replacing it with a section of "driveway" that he intends to drive over in a car. Frankly, any concrete that has and sort of load put on it ought to have rebar in it, particularly since he's not likely to get the subgrade compacted very well, from his description of his methods.
It is easy to dowel into adjacent concrete, and this is important to prevent relative movement between two adjacent pieces of concrete, over time. Once you have a drill in your hands, this takes maybe three minutes to do.
Rebar is cheap. $10 ought to buy enough rebar. If he was local, I'd just give him what he needs.
Around here, the minimum order for concrete is either one or two yards. Less than 150 bucks, for sure. The crap that you get in a bag from home depot is not very good and you'll always need more than you think. A bag doesn't go far. They are fine, for a mailbox post. For this, no way.
Labor is free, so spend an extra hour with a shovel and do it right.
There's a right way to do this job and a cheap DIY way, like some of the idiots on TV.
JR
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FWIW, this is the best advice I saw on this thread. Further, Island is correct in that a newbie is going to be pretty clueless, probably, on where to place reinforcing. And finally, Island is also correct on the finishing matter. Finishing concrete looks easy, but some skill is involved. The last thing you want is to have the concete delivered and not have the personnel on hand to put a finish on it before it cures.
It's not rocket science, but you have to have a minimum bit of knowledge of what you're doing. And again, as I say, depending on the size of the pour, you might need finishers on hand.
With all due respect to the guys who think concrete can be used with no rebar, my personal belief is that this is ALWAYS a mistake. Well, except for mailbox posts and similar. Never......ever.....pour a slab without reinforcing. Perhaps in Southern California your earth is perma-dry compacted soil. My observation is that the ground moves. Seriously. It moves. It is moving all the time.