5
A socket wrench is a good tool for driving concrete screws. Your hammer-drill might do the job, but if not, don't rush out to buy an impact driver if you have a socket set handy.
Always buy the hex-head concrete screws.
5
That crack is typical of concrete. There is just minor separation with no shifting along the 2 sections.
The groove formed in the adjoining surface is a "control joint". It is there to control how a large concrete mass cracks so it occurs in a way that is not so unsightly. According to the picture, it is doing its' job very well.
4
Concrete floor paint, as used in showrooms and garages will do just fine. Different colours are available, and some mix with epoxy, giving an even harder finish.
Might be an idea to mark the edges of the treads in a lighter colour, for safety reasons.
4
In my experience it's nearly impossible to push such a concrete wall back to its original position.
The best approach is to break it up and remove it and then if you want a wall there, replace it with one that has proper drainage so that it won't get pushed over again.
3
You can purchase precured concrete cylinders used for drainage culverts or access tunnels. They're made in sections. Try searching for "precast concrete riser ring"
You might also get two cardboard sonotubes for the form: a larger one for the outer diameter and a smaller one for that inner.
You might get plywood and use a jigsaw to cut a circular ...
2
When fastening to concrete I drill with a Bosch rotary hammer and then drive the screws with a battery powered impact driver.
For a 5/32 drill it takes me perhaps 10 to 20s to drill 2..3in deep.
It then takes another 10s to drive the screw through 1.5in lumber and into the concrete.
(Numbers are very rough based on memory)
2
How about cutting the blocks in the base course? Use a full 8" high block at the low end and trim each successive block 5/16" more working your way to the high end of the project.
Trimming the blocks exactly to height isn't super critical; so long as they're within say 1/2" of the needed height the mortar bed beneath the block should fairly ...
2
The concrete plug can be easily chipped out when the need for the cleanout arises.
2
This is dependent on the type of concrete you use. With a mix that is heavy limestone (the new white stuff everyone uses for driveways) you will for sure need rebar.
If you are using a mix with a lot more aggregate it may not matter or matter enough to worry about it. I have demo'ed 60 year old steps with no rebar so many times and almost all were in ...
2
The stairs have a greater risk of cracking without the rebar. That may not be a problem if the area behind the stairs is sturdy. I would just use rebar to be sure, as in the long term stair life could be shortened by a 5 or so years.
2
For the inside of the fireplace you will use a "Stove and Fireplace Cement" or may be called a "High Temp Cement". You will need to read a few different products as some are more suitable for a skim coat and crack repair and others are more suitable for thick applications.
For the rest... Just a high quality modified (latex) thinset. ...
2
IMO, the most important feature of this slab is the transition to the ground level, which makes the slab fully wheelchair accessible. To avoid hitting by the snowplow, you can add a warning barrier, or make a strip of flower bed alongside the slab.
Place an adequate layer of coarse gravel, which shall be compacted to offer good bearing capacity, and deep ...
1
Take a metal cutting chisel and cut it flush with your wall, then patch with Portland cement. All done!
1
If the wall is hollow cinderblock, maybe you can hammer it in so it is flush with the wall.
Failing that, angle grinder.
1
Unfortunately, wedge anchors like that are intended to be permanent. It looks like there is a bit of the collar protruding; if you can manage to push the bolt into the wall and grip the collar well enough then you could possibly wiggle the collar out and then remove the bolt.
If it won't come out then you're probably looking at cutting or grinding it flush. ...
1
Get yourself a pair of vise grips and get the bolt out first. The bolt pushes the wedges out to anchor the base into the concrete. Then you should be able to wiggle the base out. Your other option is a good carbide metal cutting sawzall blade to cut it off flush with the concrete.
1
Hand mix in a wheelbarrow
Portable, electric powered mixer like this:
Towable, electric or gas powered mixer like this:
Or any similar mixer that's small enough to maneuver into your work space. Of course, you could order a truck, dispense it into a wheelbarrow at the curb and wheelbarrow it back to the work site.
Images from UnitedRentals, the first ...
1
Do not remove any coatings on top of your concrete, especially in a snowy climate.
What you are proposing will not help your situation at all. The snow/ice will bind to the paint layer the same as it does now and it will be just as slippery. However by taking away some of the protection of the concrete, it will fail faster.
You have two options:
Shovel ...
1
Above and with a slight slope so that it doesn't collect water.
answered Sep 15 at 21:16
manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
47.8k7 gold badges67 silver badges144 bronze badges
1
You'll want to research/google "self-leveling concrete". It's a special mixture of concrete and polymers that you mix up and pour onto a surface like you have and it levels itself off and dries as a smooth, level, and hard surface. Perfect for setting tile.
While it's bad form to recommend specific products here, you should be able to find a ...
1
I would agree with jwh20's answer, only differ in "it is possible but not cheap". You can hire a geotechnical engineer, who is familiar with "underpinning technics" and solving groundwater issues.
1
Tool-free method: Level it, walk on it, saturate it with low pressure water, wait an hour, walk on it again, saturate it again with low pressure water, wait a few hours, walk on it once more. If it still doesn't feel compacted, do more watering, waiting and walking. Once you can walk on the compacted soil without leaving a footprint, you're good to put stuff ...
1
The sewer and storm lines are usually deeper than few feet from the grade. If they are buried too shallow, you might need to drop them lower to receive adequate topsoil, and place thermal protection over them to act as a protection for frost. Unless you intend to place heavy items directly over the buried drain lines, no special protection is required.
...
1
If you use this as-is, I would certainly cut back or even eliminate the sand as this looks to have a lot of sand-like material in it already. Alternatively you could "screen" this and take out the fine material in favor of the larger stuff.
For your application, however, it doesn't sound like strength is a huge consideration, so you can be a bit ...
1
No sealer is going to be able to withstand the water pressure that is coming up through the slab.
Since taking the slab out and properly waterproofing below it and re-pouring it is probably a huge undertaking, your next best bet is going to be to find and eliminate the water source that is putting all this water under your slab.
Check your downspouts and ...
1
You can use self-levelling compound.
Mix it a bit thicker, so hold back some water when mixing in a bucket.
SLC nominally flows like pancake batter but you can make it thicker like peanut butter.
Make sure you scrub the concrete clean, and roll-on or brush-on a primer, mix-in a primer or get SLC containing primer (read the label).
Keep a trowel handy and ...
1
Here's a different apprach, but may be more work.
Cut a rectangle of your hardware screen approximately 1/2" longer and wider (1/4" on each side) than your opening. Slit the 4 corners on a diagonal 1/4"-1/2". This allows you to fold the edges without buckling the screen. Then, force the piece of screen into each opening. The edges ...
1
That's a solid plan. The only thing slightly easier than manhandling hardware mesh would be to purchase pre-framed ones. Obviously, that's way more expensive.
Tapcon-wise, a small hammer drill will work hard with the 3/16 drill bit, but just take your time. (Pull the bit out regularly as you drill.) A rotary hammer is nice for bigger holes, but not necessary ...
1
Minimum slope (i.e what "flat" things outdoors are sloped to by competent workers - totally flat is generally not a good practice due to not draining) is 1% - 1 cm per meter, or (close enough at 1.04%) 1/8" per foot.
If more is convenient, it won't hurt for drainage, and generally won't bother an automobile entering - 6% is not uncommon on ...
1
"There are lots of benefits of using chemical resin anchors as they are more than capable of holding massive loads and their application can be fairly quick. However, correct preparation for fitting chemical resin anchors is essential...
Chemical Resin Anchors: When To Use Them?
In short: If you did it properly, then it is proper and strong. If you are ...
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