Concrete is composed of cement, aggregate (including crushed rock and sand) and water. In homes, it's frequently seen in the foundation, driveway, sidewalk, patio, and stone walls. Note that bricks use mortar in the joints, not concrete.
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What are “concretors' nippers” for?
I came across this tool called "concretors' nippers"
I guess they are for some operations with concrete reinforcement, but can't find any details.
What operations is this tool for specifically? ...
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136 views
Does RedGard count as a rubber sealer in a shower?
In standard poured shower pan construction there is normally a rubber layer between the bottom flat layer, and the upper sloped layer.
Today I came across the following "updated" method:
(credit: ...
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377 views
How do I build a form and pour a concrete pad?
I have a new safe that I want to put out in the garage. I'd like for it to be in a specific corner, but that corner has a few quirks.
First, the slab is pretensioned. No cutting, drilling, coring, ...
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445 views
How can I fill a void in a concrete seawall?
My concrete seawall (on a freshwater lake) has a void in a bottom corner. It seems to have been created with the void -- it's not a result of trapped water freezing and pushing out a chunk. I'd like ...
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2answers
193 views
What are some good concrete and foundation books?
I've done all sorts of home repairs and projects, but never concrete work. I've been looking for a good book to help me learn how to build concrete foundations for a home, and how to pour and finish ...
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244 views
How long does radiant heat in a concrete floor last?
I am looking to purchase a home built in 1950 that has radiant heat with copper pipes inside the concrete slab foundation. The home has been vacant for a little while now too, not sure if that ...
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How to mount hooks into concrete ceiling that must be able to support several times bodyweight?
I am on the top floor of a loft apartment that used to be a factory. I want to install several hooks or some other fixture into my concrete ceiling from which I can hang gymnastic rings, a punching ...
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320 views
How many bags of concrete do I need?
I would like to make a small concrete slab of the following dimensions.
Length: 1.2m
Width: 0.86m
Depth: 0.09m
The cubic volume as i understand it is all those numbers multiplied.
result: 0.0929m2
...
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269 views
What is this burnt cement floor treatment called?
In Brazil we have a floor finish named Burnt Cement (that doesn't involve burning). Here is a description of the process
In summary, you use a mix of cement and pigment (sometimes marble powder too) ...
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2answers
373 views
Is it wise to cut a long trench in concrete slab foundation?
I've got a two-car garage (4-inch concrete slab on grade) that I'm turning into living space. I want to put a bathroom out there but I need to get plumbing through the floor. I didn't think it was ...
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3answers
2k views
Can a cheap angle grinder be used to cut concrete and ceramic tiles?
I am interested in the Black & Decker KG100 600W Angle Grinder because it is cheap enough. I will only use it occasionally for small scale do-it-yourself home improvement works. But, I really ...
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135 views
Can I use blind rivets in concrete?
Somebody told me about using blind rivets (5mm) to attach drywall steel tracks on concrete floor and ceiling. Do that really works?
How good is this compared with bushing and screw?
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What type of wall construction is shown in these pictures?
These photos were taken through a small hole in the wall of a house. They are of the inside of the cavity. The hole they were taken through is at a height of about 60cm from the internal ground floor ...
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155 views
Why are my concrete water tanks not retaining water?
I have concrete water tanks, where I grow ornamental fish.
Recently on draining the tanks to clean, I observed that they do not retain the water. The tanks drain over time, ...
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2answers
2k views
How do I prepare this exterior concrete wall for paint?
I have a an exterior concrete wall that had some loose paint and started scraping away. The paint in some sections was so loose that I went all the way to the bare concrete, peeling away over 6 layers ...
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596 views
How do I create a curved surface drain out of concrete?
I have a barn and a pump house (10x16) structure that are within 3 feet of each other, built in 1910. The barn's foundation is field-stone, mostly exposed on the side of the pump-house. There is a ...
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5answers
4k views
What is the best way to remove and prevent leaf stains on concrete pavers?
We have a brand new paver stone walkway/patio. To my dismay, I noticed that their were leaf and acorn stains from the oak tree in the front yard. I've learned my lesson and I'm going to try to keep ...
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How do you secure wood framing to a concrete basement floor?
I'm using Pressure treated lumber for the bottom plate in a basement finishing project.
What should I use to seperate the wood from the concrete?
What are ways to secure the bottom plate to the ...
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2answers
1k views
Is it possible to paint concrete pavers
I have a large paved area that I would like to replace with lawn. My plan is to use some of the pavers as a border.
They're plain concrete pavers (450x450mm) that look like this except about 20 years ...
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730 views
Can I hang a heavy weight from a concrete ceiling if I reinforce it with fiberglass?
I'm investigating the possibility of hanging a pull-up bar/ rock-climbing training board from the concrete ceiling in my apartment. The slab is 180mm (7inches) thick and the (static) weight which I ...
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2answers
294 views
How can I replace laminate with polished concrete flooring?
I'd like to investigate whether I can replace my first-level flooring - currently faux-wood laminate - with polished concrete. What do I need to know?
Is it even practical to put down polished ...
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Is it safe to drill small holes in load-bearing concrete beams for expansion bolts?
It seems to be very common to drill small holes in any kind of structural concrete for mounting fixtures without worrying too much about any kind of reduction in strength of the structure, but I ...
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1answer
203 views
How do I safely install a pole/mast on our roof?
We are installing a pole/mast for wireless communication equipment on the roof of our commercial building.
The pole will need to rise 2m above the roofline. Obviously we want the pole to be as ...
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2answers
364 views
Should I use solid concrete or cement block for an egress window well?
I am having some contractors build a window well for an egress window at my house. I have the option of doing solid concrete walls for the window well, or cement blocks (which he said he will fill ...
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384 views
How should I build an exterior door landing pad?
I've got a building with several exterior doors (all opening inward). The slab and walk-up is about 18+" from the ground. Code requires that I have a 36"x36" landing pad outside each exterior door. ...
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2answers
470 views
What cement product should I use to fix a hole in my slab?
I was removing old thinset and self-leveling cement in an area in preparation to tile it when the 6" chisel and demo hammer I was using sunk in to a specific spot. I found that this specific spot had ...
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3answers
1k views
Small Concrete Paver patio under BBQ
I have a BBQ that's currently sitting on a not so level grassy area. I'd like to create a very small base for the grill with two 2ft by 2ft concrete pavers so I have a level base, but I don't know how ...
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100 views
How can I remove ridges from a concrete shower pan?
I recently laid a new concrete shower pan, and went around the drain radially, which created some circular ridges.
I'd like to make the pan as smooth as possible, but these ridges are currently 1/8" ...
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444 views
What is the difference between fire cement and fire concrete?
I am trying to build a foundry. The Youtube video refers to 4:1 Perlite:Fire Cement. But the shop also offers Fire Concrete. I don't know what's the difference.
Could someone please explain the ...
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554 views
Is it normal to find cracks in new concrete?
I'm having a house built and they just completed pouring the slab for the foundation a few days ago. When I inspected it today I noticed several narrow (but sometimes long; one or two do them appear ...
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336 views
How do I fix an uneven cement floor prior to hard wood flooring install?
I have recently ripped up carpet and padding on a cement floor for a sixth floor condo unit. I plan on installing 3/4" Bella, 3' wide flooring on it. The problem is that there is a ridge, about 1/8", ...
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How do I hang a chair from a concrete ceiling from a single hook?
I'm putting in a "hanging chair" in the basement and it's supposed to hang from a single hook in the ceiling. The ceiling is reinforced concrete.
Now, I'm about 125 kilograms (275 lbs) so I reckon ...
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234 views
How can I stop mortar plugs from popping out of slab holes?
Our termite people plugged their dozens of chemical insertion holes using a regular grout. Needless to say the plugs are popping out left and right. (They tell me that is normal, the plugs pop out in ...
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How can I get windshield wiper fluid stains out of my garage floor?
My car's windshield wiper fluid reservoir had a leak and quite a bit of it soaked into my garage floor (which is a light concrete). It happened over night, so it soaked quite a bit. Now the floor is ...
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Should I use concrete, or some other method to fix this entry area?
I have an entry walkway that's 9ft x 4ft by my front door that I need to fix so it is solid ground. I was thinking of putting concrete down and then laying tile on top of the concrete. I have some ...
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Do they make a non-liquid concrete/mortar color additive?
I've been trying to find a cement additive to change the color of some mortar, but only seem to be able to find it in liquid form at my local big-box hardware store.
I'm looking for a similar ...
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How to make 3“ concrete ”legs" via reusable casting structure?
I have a design for a (set of) planter(s) I'm trying to make, and to make the design I have in mind, I need an 18" long 3" OD leg with a bit of rebar in them. (let's say 100 of these bad boys in ...
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Can I use landscaping lava rock as a concrete slab base?
The side of our house if continually overrun with weeds. I'm thinking of fencing it in and laying some concrete to prevent the weeds and provide some storage area. Currently there is red lava rock ...
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Driveway expansion joints are rotting wood: What to replace the wood?
My driveway was poured in sections with lengths of 2x4 which remained between the slabs as expansion joints. Due to heaving and moisture many of these are in poor shape. I replaced one once by ...
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4answers
576 views
How can I remove water-based emulsion paint from paving slabs?
On painting the bedrooms in our new house, we've gotten some (mainly) water-based paint on some of the paving slabs on the patio. A little of it may be oil-based gloss we used for skirting boards, but ...
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5answers
2k views
Would wrapping a wood fence post in plastic help protect it?
I'm geting ready to install a couple new wooden privacy fence gates on the sides of our house. One of my co-workers suggested to wrap the 4"x4" with plastic stretch wrap around the 2' part that will ...
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2answers
465 views
How can I level concrete pavement for an above-ground pool?
I want to set up an above-ground pool (14' round) on my back yard. There is a relatively good place for it, where there are concrete slabs, however, there are two problems:
The slabs are not level. ...
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2answers
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How do I patch these sections of concrete driveway meeting the house?
Where my driveway meets my house there were two sections of loose concrete that were deteriorating and making a mess. I removed the loose concrete and discovered that those sections were placed on ...
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1answer
207 views
Will this floor tile break?
So, I've got some 12"x12"x1/4" tile laid over a concrete floor. I'm cleaning up between the tiles getting ready to grout and I notice I can see some concrete between and underneath (the small amount i ...
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1answer
303 views
What type of concrete sealer to use to prevent frost heaves in my driveway?
I am about to put concrete sealer on a driveway and inside a garage. What sealer should I apply, if I am specifically interested in preventing water from getting in cracks and causing frost heaves ...
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How can I make these concrete columns?
I want to make a narrow concrete, decorative column like the ones found in this garden..
What is used as a mold for these types of columns?
What gives the concrete those subtle color changes (the ...
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4answers
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What is the best way to remove pet odor from concrete?
The concrete floor in my garage had been home to a large dog for several years. There is a visible stain and strong smell in one area of the garage floor. The concrete does not appear to be sealed ...
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510 views
how do i get rust stains off driveway
I used fertilizer with iron and, unfortunately, didn't sweep adequately afterwards. Afterwards I ran my sprinklers and now my driveway and sidewalk are peppered with unsightly rust stains. What are ...
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2answers
642 views
What is the best way to fill a 3 inch gap under my concrete front porch?
I'm in need of some help with my concrete foundation. As I was leaving the house this morning I discovered two or three skunks crawling into a gap under my porch. The hole is on the bottom of the ...
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Should gloves be worn when working with concrete to prevent it from coming in contact with skin?
I was told recently that concrete is slightly corrosive.
Should gloves be worn when using concrete or is it fine to handle concrete as long as its not done on a regular basis?
