Questions tagged [concrete]
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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Why are there square holes in the stem wall on either side of my sliding door? I'd like to seal them to prevent pests inside my house
We just bought this house in January, and while touring we noticed a small square hole on each side of the basement sliding door. I figured I'd come back and seal it up at some point. Well, we just ...
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How can I cover my basement floor & waterproof it?
I have about 420 SF of basement flooring I need to do something with. Backstory: We bought our home in 2019 and very shortly thereafter found out our basement gets water. Our house is a tri-level, so ...
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Vapor barrier (sheet) over concrete pad below ground level deck?
I've just finished the framing for a low deck that's partially over a concrete slab (see pics below). As you can see, there is minimal clearance under the deck for air circulation.
I'm now thinking I ...
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bathroom concrete floor patch type?
This old floor has some spalling but main concern is an area that looks like someone started jack hammering for about 3 feet long, 4 inches wide, uneven depth (max depth around 2").
Looking for ...
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How to best fix a crack in concrete balcony corner?
So I was recently pondering a problem with a crack in a corner of a balcony made of concrete as shown below in the picture. I am not a builder (rather an amateur handyman) but would like to educate ...
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Pressure-treated wood truly necessary for basement furring strips?
Best practice described everywhere is to use pressure-treated wood when the wood will be in contact with concrete. In general, that makes great sense, especially when framing to finish a basement with ...
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pouring concrete platform on existing concrete foundation
In preparation for installing a heat pump, we need to expand the existing platform on which the current heating unit sits by at least 6 cm. The room itself is long-ish and narrow. Our washer and dryer ...
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Is it normal for ground to settle like this, and how can fix it?
Before we bought this house, they repaired/replaced the sewer line out front. Refilling the dirt and replacing part of the sidewalk. They didn't really leave a mound of dirt, but I also don't know how ...
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Concrete base for summer house
I need to make a concrete base for a summer house/office. How much sand and cement will I need for 3.5m x 3.5m area to a depth of 10cms?
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How can I prevent basement slab moisture from causing mold in flooring?
I live in a residential community built in the late 80s. I believe no vapor barrier was put under the concrete because when we switched from carpet to wood floors mold starting coming through after a ...
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Will a second layer of landscape fabric impede water drainage?
We bought a small wooden sandbox. It has no bottom and the entire thing sits on landscape liner.
My questions is:
1. Should I buy another layer of landscape fabric and staple it to the inside of the ...
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How to install a curtain rod with a perpendicular wall on one side
I have an extremely awkward window configuration that I have no idea how to handle. It seems like most curtain rods want to have a bit of space on both ends of the window to install flat onto the wall ...
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Concrete self leveling problems
So.. I have made a big mistake.
2 years ago we put down lvp and we did not ensure the concrete slab was flat. Over the past 2 years the floors in my kitchen and dining room have cracked and split.
So ...
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What weights of the components of concrete do I need for my project?
We need to mix 0.73 cubic metres of concrete for our shed slab.
We plan to mix C30 concrete as follows:
1 part cement
2 parts sand
3 parts coarse aggregate
I have tried to work out the quantity (in ...
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Basement tie rods leaking after repair
I'm preparing the basement concrete walls before finishing the basement. I will be gluing XPS insulation and building a drywall wall without added vapor barrier.
The previous owners appear to have had ...
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How to best seal a concrete hole patch in basement slab?
I’ve got multiple large trenches busted up in my 1911 basement floor where new drains were put in. It’s time to fill them back in with concrete but I’m concerned about water coming up through the seam ...
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How can I replace a washed out foundation for a sidewalk?
The city recently replaced the sidewalk in the picture shown. A few days later we had a heavy rain that flooded the street and washed out the gravel from under the sections shown in the picture below....
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What is this concrete compartment outside my foundation?
I’m planning to run some PVC conduit through foundation wall (LB body above grade and then down to 12-18” below grade) and some PVC water pipe through foundation wall (below grade).
However, there’s a ...
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Insect hole in concrete floor
2 months after it's clear top coat application, these holes appeared with something cotton on the surface. It's very hard to pull it out. And there's like a something black that comes out of the hole ...
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Cleaning black mold off a concrete floor - good advice or bunk?
I was about to spray some bleach/water on my concrete floor, then scrub it with a nylon brush. Then I saw this article.
Is this person correct that bleach won't actually penetrate far enough to kill ...
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How to secure a post for a garden standpipe -- concrete around pipes?
We're replacing our 70 year old garden standpipe/water column with a new one, which needs to be bolted into concrete. Any suggestions on how to do this without surrounding the new PVC connectors with ...
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How to address crumbling garage floor?
I bought this house about a year ago and noticed these boards on the garage floor covering an area where the concrete is crumbled, it's in the corner of the garage. Based on the condition of the ...
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Concrete Steps with Top Wooden Riser
I recently purchased a home and am working through some deferred maintenance issues. One issue is the front steps. There is a set of concrete stairs leading to a concrete landing and the issue is the ...
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Need advice on underlayment for finished / converted garage floor
We recently bought a split level ranch in New England that we are renovating to make safe for our family. The previous owner had vinyl tiles in a converted garage, that is about halfway under grade ...
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Pergola on concrete patio
I'm looking to add some shade and character to our backyard patio and was thinking of adding a pergola and have some questions about proper anchoring.
I was thinking of using 4x4 or 6x6 lumber for the ...
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Remove old carpet underlay stuck to concrete floor
I am trying to remove the carpet and its underlay from the living room because it is very old (over 20 years I guess).
The underlay is terribly stuck to the concrete floor. It looks like it has been ...
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Best way to replace sealant where concrete driveway meets foundation?
We purchased our house in 2022, it had been previously used as a rental. There are plenty of other examples of your typical "Landlord's Special" around the house — over-caulking in the ...
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How can I repair this concrete driveway [closed]
I just noticed this spot on my driveway near an expansion joint, where the edge has fragmented (almost like something heavy was dropped.) How could I repair it so that it is a straight edge again?
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How do I fix mismatched stained, stamped concrete?
I have a stained concrete walkway surrounding my newly built house. The problem is that right in front of the entrance the walkway changes color. The builder did the project at 2 different times and ...
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Raising floor in bathroom from concrete subfloor for vinyl sheet finish
I have a concrete bathroom floor where I want to install new fully waterproof vinyl at a finished height of 1/2 inch to bring it level with the hall floor and make it feel less like walking directly ...
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What is needed to repair a garage drain cover in concrete?
Our garage is a concrete slab on grade with a floor drain in the center. I intend to use this space as a workshop with a desk and need to repair the rusted out drain / drain cover to be flush with the ...
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Concrete Pier/Footing design question
I'm designing a post and beam shed with a pier/footing foundation. I have access to an endless supply of free 2x4 and 2x6 dunnage, so I'm designing the forms with that rather than plywood. Does ...
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Type of contractor for basement egress doors?
I'm interested in getting some quotes to have Bilco-style doors installed in an existing house. I have checked the Bilco website, and no listed contractors in my area (Wisconsin).
I can find ...
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How can I prepare concrete walls with tile mortar for new tile?
I plan on removing the tub and change the window in in my bathroom.
The tiles started falling off this 23 year old house, so I removed the remaining ones. I tried to remove the mortar, but it is on ...
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Is it safe to excavate soil next to concrete slab?
I'm looking to regrade the soil around my shed so water doesn't continue to damage the sill plate. The concrete slab is barely above grade, so I'm looking to remove soil to expose it another 2-3 ...
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Cracked and sunk concrete - Lift or fill?
I have a shed that is 90+ years old. The shed structure itself is in great condition (someone actually replaced a bunch of the framing), however, the slab is a mess. It was built before rebar was used ...
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What type of adhesive should I use to reattach cap stones on a sea wall?
I need to re-affix the stones. The flat-topped concrete flat-stone-capped seawall is in the atmospheric zone, but it takes a beating from waves during storms. It has no rebars protruding. I'm ...
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Is framing a basement floor with treated lumber code compliant? [duplicate]
Just finished framing a basement with a concrete floor. The floor plates are framed with treated lumber.
A carpenter that was quoting out other work made a comment that treated lumber indoors wouldn’t ...
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How to spot-fill low spots in concrete self leveler for shower pan?
I am attempting a shower renovation. I poured self leveler in the shower area to smooth out the surface for installation of a Schluter foam pan. I ended up with some low areas, and I'm looking for ...
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Cannot drill into ceiling above window
I tried drilling small holes in the ceiling above my window to hang Ikea curtain tracks, but when drilling, after 2mm of plaster, the drill is hitting something really hard (looks like concrete but ...
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Does tar need to be removed from concrete before an overlay is poured?
We're doing a 1 3/4” concrete leveling layer over an existing slab as prep for LVP flooring. Does the tar need to be removed completely for new concrete to bond? And do I need to seal existing cracks ...
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Can I stain interior concrete block foundation walls?
I was planning on painting our basement block walls until I just recently learned of the problems painting concrete invites (mainly mold) from basement waterproofing professionals (Crawl Space Ninja, ...
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How can I prevent staining of adjacent concrete when etching my garage slab?
I plan to etch my garage floor with citric acid. I am concerned that once rinsed, the citric acid will change the color of the common area driveway outside my garage. I live in a condo, and the ...
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Why is there efflorescence and spalling several feet up on an interior column in my basement?
Just purchased a century home last fall. The unfinished basement sees a decent amount of water ingress, but the floor drain has kept it from flooding. However, in the middle of the basement is a ...
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Do I need to repour my concrete pier for my deck?
Good Afternoon,
I spent Sunday digging getting a concrete pier ready for a second story deck I'm putting in. This is my first time pouring concrete and I mixed it to the specifications on the bag. ...
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How to fix a concrete crack on interior wall?
Help! Concrete crack on interior wall.
Situation:
bedroom
poured concrete walls (40 years old)
high rise building in a high humid climate, high floor.
no issue or threat of water damage
crack is ...
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Concrete Driveway Traction
I park my vehicle on a steep portion of the driveway and recently it slipped trying to go back up the driveway. Ended up needing a tug from another vehicle in order to regain traction. The driveway ...
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What is this material behind the stucco?
The yellow material in the picture is stucco on my house. What is the gray material below it? Is it also stucco or is it mortar or concrete? It seems harder than stucco, but I am not sure. I have nail ...
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Wood Information Podium/Lectern Footing Re-build using Concrete and Post Bases [closed]
I am working on charity project for a local historical site. They have information signs that are on 6x6 wood that of course is rotting since they were set into the ground. The plan is to keep the ...
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Wondering about the need for a vapor barrier
My home is on a slab. There is a vapor barrier under the concrete. One bedroom is about 18 inches lower than the remainder of the rooms (the original owner/builder designed it that way). I am ...
