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Preparing an area for concreting

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  • 11-02-2008 12:46pm
    #1
    Vas_Guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 436 ✭✭


    I've a large area that I want to concrete over as a dogs area, the area itself is about 30ft x 20ft.

    At the moment the area is overgrown and the soil is fairly rocky.

    What steps do I need in order to prepare it for conctreting, do I need to get a digger and dig out the area and then smooth it over before I order the concrete (ready mix)

    When the concrete arrives I assume it will be tipped into the prepared area and then I need a gang of guys to level and smooth it out.

    Is there anything else I should know or do?


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    #2
    northdublin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 459 ✭✭northdublin


    doing the same type of thing here for my own dogs. i was going to dig down about a foot and put in some hardcore and some old bricks and blocks as a sort of a foundation then concrete over it. also ill be putting an aj in the centre of it with a 4'' waste pipe feeding into a rain ditch at the end of the garden for the purpose of washing the pen and the dogs.


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    #3
    Vas_Guy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 436 ✭✭Vas_Guy


    Would you need to put down steel reinforcing as well ?


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    #4
    niceirishfella
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,538 ✭✭✭niceirishfella


    No steel reinforcement is reqd. The dogs wills not be bearing any load.
    I did all of this last summer. I cleared the area with a mini-digger, then got a truck load of hardcore in, spread it out. Then shuttered the area with timbers, and then got the load of ready mix and poured the screed. Had 3 pals over to level it off, hard work i can tell you. Beers reqd to cool down afterwords!

    I sank in some 50mm pipes in the concrete to enable me to fit caged sections into the concrete. I also fitted 1/2 hydrodare pipe to connect a pipe and inch and a half abs waste pipe to drain away from an old belfastsink i'm using under tap for basic washing and cleaning - very handy. i'll tell you, its a gift. Just had pups from one of the dogs...........and the area is so,so good to have.


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    #5
    bauderline
    Registered Users Posts: 898 ✭✭✭bauderline


    Should be no need reinforce it unless you intend parking something very heavy on it !

    However if you do not want it to crack and subside you really need to dig out any crap and loose soil fill it with hardcore and then pack it down with an industrial vibrator....

    The drain mentioned by the other poster is also a very good idea if it is being used for animals....

    baud.


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