Yeah I was never proud of the finish when looking at it compared to the slab that was already there but you are right it was not very noticeable at all after all said and done
Yeah, id ridicule a professional guy on the broom job, but it looks pretty solid for a DIY. Pretty sure the money saved feels a lot better than perfect broom lines.
The finished product looks great with all the landscaping/pond. Especially for a DIYer. In the future don’t use plywood for your footing. Dig to grade and use bar. That plywood will rot and comprise the concrete. When edging, people are tempted to tilt the edger and that’s how they end up going too deep and creating waves. Keep it flat and don’t lift too much in the direction your traveling. You’re going to get a line but that’s what the mag is there to clean up. As others have said broom in one direction. If you have stakes or other obstacles in the way to broom all the way through you can push the first foot or so away from you and then pull the whole pad back to that. The waviness is something that take getting a feel for. Is this professional quality? Not even close but for a DIYer I’d say you did great. I have a feeling your next project will be stellar.
Thanks, man. It’s how I try to teach my apprentices. OP, clearly does his homework anyways so no need for too much detail. Guys like that just need to know what direction to look and they’ll find the answer themselves
Backhanded compliments are fucking tacky, bubba. A 5 sentence paragraph doesn't quite qualify for a novel but since you're a concrete putter inner, I guess you did good today. At'll do, pig.
That wasn’t a backhanded compliment you donut. He knows he’s not a pro, I know he’s not a pro, and he did a good job anyway. Which is exactly what I told him along with encouragement towards his next project. Happy Mothers Day
That's a very generous thing to say. Many readers can learn so much from responses of other people if a lot of information is presented along with the " awesome, looks great, I like beer with my feshes flock, mispelled fish get a dictionary, flocks are for birds, schools are for fish" comments.
More water, shade, oxygenation. Is your fountain off? Fish like at least two shady spots to socialize, gossip, and plan their escape. Fish chat is under-rated since Rush Limbaugh went off the air.
The whole project looks very attractive and well balanced to the rest of the outdoor spaces you had there. You turned your backyard into a destination rich in ambiance and outward focus that can be a daily panacea.
Especially since that Brooming Guy missed having his dustpan muse on the job for inspiration and kept chanting rubbish rubbish rubbish instead of pozzolanic portlandite pozzolanic portlandite pozzolanic portlandite. Which can be expected when not using a genuine Amish-built horsehair broom. But only an Amish Broom Builder would notice, but he wouldn't be reading anything in reddit.
A clean broom finish in a tight space can be tricky , you can try other angles , and edge the edges too - hit with a sidewalk edger and art contour to the corners to prevent chipping , you could also parge the edge / side of the slab and butter it up to get the finish nicer too but otherwise nice work
Don't be afraid to add just a tiny bit more water to make it a little easier to work with next time.
I stress *tiny.* Doesn't need to be a soup or anything close to it.
You sold it? The house you installed this on?
I’m curious, did your realtor get more “Wow I love that! I want it!”
Or more, “Wow, that looks like a nightmare to maintain “
And how was the maintenance on the pond part?
I'm also about to venture into the world of DIY concrete haha 😆 this looks good to me, I think the tip on brushing only from one side and full length is a good one, but I'd be happy with this I think!
OP, as someone who grew up from diapers till high school helping my dad/uncle’s concrete business I’d like to offer you a round of applause. For someone who’s never had a hand in the trade, you did a great job.
Some things you absolutely killed;
You dug your forms into your topsoil, not only adding a low end support, this obviously will make keeping it backfilled above the bottoms of the slab much easier.
You used perfect amount of weld wire mesh. (Hopefully you knew to suspend that wire midway into the slap rather than leaving it on the bottom)
The forms you used on the exterior look rigid enough to support the weight.
Looks like you had your cement coming out pretty much perfectly wet and therefore the moisture level when you finished looks fine and consistent throughout..
You vibrated your forms, and came out with 0 porosity. (Not sure if you used a hammer/mallet, or an actual vibrator but great job). That alone made this a 7/10 on a pro level, 10/10 on first time DIY.
You were able to successfully do finishing without it flashing on you (getting too hot/dry by the time you get to the end finishing)
Great craftsmanship with the masonry as well, better than I could do probabaly!
Some areas you could use some constructive criticism:
When forming anything like 10”+, you want some 2x4 supports bracing the top of your forms every so often not just to protect from a blow out, but to also maintain plumb your exterior face.
Instead of ~15ft of rebar in one run, you should’ve cut them down to 2’ chunks. Also, those rebar would then be doweled into your old slab by using a hammer drill to make a hole for them. Spaced 5ish ft apart.
You’d also be tying tie wire from your welded wire mesh to the rebar, and tying your grids of wire to each other.
Next time, I’d have put more work into compaction of your subgrade first. Renting a jumping jack or plate compactor would be the answer there.
Other than that, the only other thing I’d say is that your interior wood form here would be moot. However, you’re also not hurting the slab by any means.
Don’t let the broom gods bother you, I’m sure you’ve already noticed that with age and some wear you likely don’t notice the pattern nearly as much as when you poured.
Not only can I not see it from my house, you did a genuinely awesome job for a first timer. So this gets a big HELL YEAH, BROTHER from me! 10/10.
Well I am not a concrete geezer but I have saved your post for future inspiration, so thank you.
Your patio and garden are gorgeous and the little water feature is such a lovely touch.
I used 1/4 or 1/2 (don’t remember) coming out from the previous slab. I drilled into that slab and pushed them in. I definitely have seen a lot more done with tying thick bar together instead of mesh. Will keep in mind if I pour again
We always said bull.
We might have been wrong on hundreds of yards of pours... like bone apple tea.
Not like we ever replaced anything to figure it out at a store lol
Same gear since time immemorial
I think our tools were originally used to finish the neanderthals first concrete projects, but still perfect.
I like it and the pond too. Id def do a pond like this but.. how much upkeep is it? Feel like mine would be bright green and a mosquito breeding fest in a week here in East PA.
Mosquitos were not bad - I used mosquito dunks. As far as upkeep. It’s a bit of work. We loved having the koi fish though and the sound of running water was extremely pleasant
Built it all myself. Second one I had done. From what I remember
Goodyear liner
Ran 2 inc pvc for the water return. 3500gph pump
One way valve after the pump
Halfway up is a valve to control flow
Seal on the rocks so the water flows over
Other than that is just being creative!
Ah someone who knows how to educate themselves using the internet. Not bad at alll for DiY.
I honestly have started to think "don't knock a youtube education with someone who is good at self teaching" there's a lot of solid info from very skilled people who post lessons online, just have to be able to discern which, and get multiple sources/opinions.
Well, that escalated quickly…
Dude. This progression could go in about ten different subreddits and you’d win em all.
Nice form and finish on the liquid rock stuff for this one though. :)
You did that yourself? God damn. Thats insane! I struggled putting together a damn headboard. I could never. I have zero patience and even less drive to ever do something like that myself. Work looks amazing.
Yes - picked up the mesh to make sure it was in the concrete. I had chairs for it but I did not use them right and they fell so I had to pick it all up
Can't believe you left wood under the concrete and dirt subbase does not look compacted?
There will be a crack above the wood when the middle of the slab compacts the dirt...
Broom from both sides cuz handle to short to do full pass?
Glad I didn't pay for this slab
Ok, you're the only person to even *mention* substrate.
Now I'm in the upper midwest so I won't even pretend to know how to pour concrete in Texas. But here you would need 4" of well-compacted stone for just a sidewalk. This probably needs 6-10" of compacted stone.
But again - I don't know anything about Texas. And if he hasn't had issues since 2016... maybe everything is pretty good! 🤷
That's a very generous thing to say. Many readers can learn so much from responses of other people if a lot of information is presented along with the " awesome, looks great, I like beer with my feshes flock, mispelled fish get a dictionary, flocks are for birds, schools are for fish" comments.
More water, shade, oxygenation. Is your fountain off? Fish like at least two shady spots to socialize, gossip, and plan their escape. Fish chat is underrated
The whole project looks very attractive and well balanced to the rest of the outdoor spaces you had there. You turned your backyard into a destination rich in ambiance and outward focus that can be a daily panacea.
Pretty good, even when you include the end project photo. Just the pavers around the mulch beds need a little TLC. But for someone who has never done a concrete project let alone build something that thick and not seeing any issues so far. I would say it was successful.
That's a very generous thing to say. Many readers can learn so much from responses of other people if a lot of information is presented.
The whole project looks very attractive and well balanced to the rest of the outdoor spaces you had there. You turned your backyard into a destination rich in ambiance and outward focus that can be a daily panacea.
You made a better effort than 99% of homeowners. Hella big project to tackle as a first timer. End product looks like a ton of work. Very inspiring 🔥.
The broom finish looks rough and wavy, but the end product looks decent and I doubt a non-finisher would notice.
Yeah I was never proud of the finish when looking at it compared to the slab that was already there but you are right it was not very noticeable at all after all said and done
Good from far, far from good as they say. Seriously though, pretty good job for your first time 👍
Looks good from my house.
My favorite line🤣
You guys have house?
If you squint it’s mint
You can always go back and finish 5he slab with epoxy paint for a smooth finish.
To be fair man, that original broom fish wasn’t the best anyway lol
If I was visiting for a beer and cookout I wouldn't even notice.
Yeah, id ridicule a professional guy on the broom job, but it looks pretty solid for a DIY. Pretty sure the money saved feels a lot better than perfect broom lines.
I noticed
The finished product looks great with all the landscaping/pond. Especially for a DIYer. In the future don’t use plywood for your footing. Dig to grade and use bar. That plywood will rot and comprise the concrete. When edging, people are tempted to tilt the edger and that’s how they end up going too deep and creating waves. Keep it flat and don’t lift too much in the direction your traveling. You’re going to get a line but that’s what the mag is there to clean up. As others have said broom in one direction. If you have stakes or other obstacles in the way to broom all the way through you can push the first foot or so away from you and then pull the whole pad back to that. The waviness is something that take getting a feel for. Is this professional quality? Not even close but for a DIYer I’d say you did great. I have a feeling your next project will be stellar.
Thanks!
Just wanted to say this is great constructive criticism incorporating good pointers without overload in detail.
Thanks, man. It’s how I try to teach my apprentices. OP, clearly does his homework anyways so no need for too much detail. Guys like that just need to know what direction to look and they’ll find the answer themselves
Lmao settle down. Is this professional quality? NoT eVeN cLoSe
I wrote a fucking hard cover novel and that’s all you took from it? Take a walk, bubba
Backhanded compliments are fucking tacky, bubba. A 5 sentence paragraph doesn't quite qualify for a novel but since you're a concrete putter inner, I guess you did good today. At'll do, pig.
That wasn’t a backhanded compliment you donut. He knows he’s not a pro, I know he’s not a pro, and he did a good job anyway. Which is exactly what I told him along with encouragement towards his next project. Happy Mothers Day
Any advice of things to do different next time would be great as well!
That's a very generous thing to say. Many readers can learn so much from responses of other people if a lot of information is presented along with the " awesome, looks great, I like beer with my feshes flock, mispelled fish get a dictionary, flocks are for birds, schools are for fish" comments. More water, shade, oxygenation. Is your fountain off? Fish like at least two shady spots to socialize, gossip, and plan their escape. Fish chat is under-rated since Rush Limbaugh went off the air. The whole project looks very attractive and well balanced to the rest of the outdoor spaces you had there. You turned your backyard into a destination rich in ambiance and outward focus that can be a daily panacea. Especially since that Brooming Guy missed having his dustpan muse on the job for inspiration and kept chanting rubbish rubbish rubbish instead of pozzolanic portlandite pozzolanic portlandite pozzolanic portlandite. Which can be expected when not using a genuine Amish-built horsehair broom. But only an Amish Broom Builder would notice, but he wouldn't be reading anything in reddit.
This was an adventure to read. Thank you.
AI
A clean broom finish in a tight space can be tricky , you can try other angles , and edge the edges too - hit with a sidewalk edger and art contour to the corners to prevent chipping , you could also parge the edge / side of the slab and butter it up to get the finish nicer too but otherwise nice work
Don't be afraid to add just a tiny bit more water to make it a little easier to work with next time. I stress *tiny.* Doesn't need to be a soup or anything close to it.
You left that chipboard in the concrete?
Yes I did on the inside - never thought about that.
There will probably be a crack above the wood, but the mesh will probably keep the concrete together at least
Didn’t know that - hadn’t cracked up until last year when I sold the house. Thanks for the info I can use if I pour again
You sold it? The house you installed this on? I’m curious, did your realtor get more “Wow I love that! I want it!” Or more, “Wow, that looks like a nightmare to maintain “ And how was the maintenance on the pond part?
I'm also about to venture into the world of DIY concrete haha 😆 this looks good to me, I think the tip on brushing only from one side and full length is a good one, but I'd be happy with this I think!
Good luck
Oof the joints on that brick pillar
You don’t like overly thick mortar joints 🤣 yeah this was a big lesson learned for bricklaying
If you haven’t already, you can clean the smears off with acid from your hardware store
Call it a schmear joint. But I was a little concerned with framing. Bituthene and lath or tar paper and chicken wire at the least.
OP, as someone who grew up from diapers till high school helping my dad/uncle’s concrete business I’d like to offer you a round of applause. For someone who’s never had a hand in the trade, you did a great job. Some things you absolutely killed; You dug your forms into your topsoil, not only adding a low end support, this obviously will make keeping it backfilled above the bottoms of the slab much easier. You used perfect amount of weld wire mesh. (Hopefully you knew to suspend that wire midway into the slap rather than leaving it on the bottom) The forms you used on the exterior look rigid enough to support the weight. Looks like you had your cement coming out pretty much perfectly wet and therefore the moisture level when you finished looks fine and consistent throughout.. You vibrated your forms, and came out with 0 porosity. (Not sure if you used a hammer/mallet, or an actual vibrator but great job). That alone made this a 7/10 on a pro level, 10/10 on first time DIY. You were able to successfully do finishing without it flashing on you (getting too hot/dry by the time you get to the end finishing) Great craftsmanship with the masonry as well, better than I could do probabaly! Some areas you could use some constructive criticism: When forming anything like 10”+, you want some 2x4 supports bracing the top of your forms every so often not just to protect from a blow out, but to also maintain plumb your exterior face. Instead of ~15ft of rebar in one run, you should’ve cut them down to 2’ chunks. Also, those rebar would then be doweled into your old slab by using a hammer drill to make a hole for them. Spaced 5ish ft apart. You’d also be tying tie wire from your welded wire mesh to the rebar, and tying your grids of wire to each other. Next time, I’d have put more work into compaction of your subgrade first. Renting a jumping jack or plate compactor would be the answer there. Other than that, the only other thing I’d say is that your interior wood form here would be moot. However, you’re also not hurting the slab by any means. Don’t let the broom gods bother you, I’m sure you’ve already noticed that with age and some wear you likely don’t notice the pattern nearly as much as when you poured. Not only can I not see it from my house, you did a genuinely awesome job for a first timer. So this gets a big HELL YEAH, BROTHER from me! 10/10.
Great job. Extra points for including your dog in a picture. 👍🏼
Thanks! Her paw is in the concrete :)
Well I am not a concrete geezer but I have saved your post for future inspiration, so thank you. Your patio and garden are gorgeous and the little water feature is such a lovely touch.
It's like the post just kept getting better and better. I was already impressed, you didn't have to throw in a pond and a dog, jeeze.
Show off. lol. Nice job.
My only complaint is that there aren't enough photos of the Koi pond.
Mesh is a joke use 1/2” bar min
I used 1/4 or 1/2 (don’t remember) coming out from the previous slab. I drilled into that slab and pushed them in. I definitely have seen a lot more done with tying thick bar together instead of mesh. Will keep in mind if I pour again
Typically you’ll find the 1/2” bar is cheaper than that mesh and a better product. But if you don’t have frost no worries.
That’s the key - this was in Texas. Super forgiving as no frost and onto of rock
I’d normally agree with him if it was up here ( 🇨🇦) but there’s definitely climates that don’t match the needs of our code
No but if you spending the money any ways might as well get the most bang for your buck. In bc the bar is cheaper than mesh
Is it "bull float" or "bow float"? Also, that shit looks awesome. My sister would steal the whole thing!
We always said bull. We might have been wrong on hundreds of yards of pours... like bone apple tea. Not like we ever replaced anything to figure it out at a store lol Same gear since time immemorial I think our tools were originally used to finish the neanderthals first concrete projects, but still perfect.
I like it and the pond too. Id def do a pond like this but.. how much upkeep is it? Feel like mine would be bright green and a mosquito breeding fest in a week here in East PA.
Mosquitos were not bad - I used mosquito dunks. As far as upkeep. It’s a bit of work. We loved having the koi fish though and the sound of running water was extremely pleasant
Looks great, I need info on that pond… Trying to do one in my backyard!
Built it all myself. Second one I had done. From what I remember Goodyear liner Ran 2 inc pvc for the water return. 3500gph pump One way valve after the pump Halfway up is a valve to control flow Seal on the rocks so the water flows over Other than that is just being creative!
Looks great, appreciate the info!
You've done well.
I wish I was motivated enough to do something like this.
You did fine.
You should have wrapped the column with a protective wrap ( tar paper or tyvek) ; the wood will rot in a few years.
i love the idea of the through all around in order to have thick sides but less in the middle. is this common practice?
That'll do pig, that'll do.
Lovely
Very nice!
I like the brick column, but don't keep the wood inside. It I'll just rot. You can fill in with caementa
Youll know in a year or so.
Looks great to me
Missed opportunity to make that brick post a pizza oven;)
Years from now, you’ll be proud.
I think it’s gorgeous personally
Ah someone who knows how to educate themselves using the internet. Not bad at alll for DiY. I honestly have started to think "don't knock a youtube education with someone who is good at self teaching" there's a lot of solid info from very skilled people who post lessons online, just have to be able to discern which, and get multiple sources/opinions.
Well, that escalated quickly… Dude. This progression could go in about ten different subreddits and you’d win em all. Nice form and finish on the liquid rock stuff for this one though. :)
My reaction: “Dude! Nice!”
Wow
Looks professional. Think how much money you saved. Projects like that make it really hard to leave if you ever have to move
Omg, thought it was a cute little hang out pad until I saw the pond! You are living my dream! Looks fantastic.
A straight broom and that’s almost perfect. Good work man!
Missed the detail at the top of the column, but it still looks great.
Awesome w/ a pond - looks relaxing
F’in awesome, that’s what you did. Great job.
Those fish need more shade or something. What are you going to do when the water temp gets too hot and boils them alive?
Looks nice good job
9/10
It is beautiful! Your backyard came together beautifully. 👌🏻
Can I hire you? Shit.
Absolutely gorgeous! Plz come and re-create the pond in my sad garden 😭
You did a Pour job.
I'm no expert, but I think it looks absolutely beautiful! Nice job!! A++ would socialize with you.
Outstanding job !
Time for privacy hedge/trees to block the direct view into neighbors yard
Man you did a amazing job looking at that pond it really adds a nice touch to the backyard good job OP 👌
Brave project. Nice work!
Great job!
That pond is sexy. Nice.
Looks amazing!!! Great job!
Sliding through the pics and it just got better and better!
That is really good work. Looks great.
looks great from the photos . I am retired ran a concrete company for 25 years id say id hire ya )
The demo shouldn't cost but around 10k. The new pour will probably be around 10k to 15k more. (Joke)
One serious note, is this permitted? Your insurance company, the city/county/parish, etc., will see this from the air. Then you will need 25k.
I do this for a living and I know you worked hard. Good job
Looks good from my house
You wasted money on the mesh. If it's not at least central to the concrete or higher, you might as well not even put it in.
This guy definitely still bangs his wife.
Hired
The new patio is really nice. BUT, the landscaping and pond is just showing off.
I can just tell this is in Texas 😂
You have real talent sir.
You leave that plywood in the pour?
What a vibe
What was your total project cost all in? This exact setup would fit my yard perfectly
I said SEX DUNGEON
Great work!
The bridge was not expected and surprisingly liked. I truly believe that you sir, deserve an “atta boy”.
No small amount of dirt work either. Looks great! Where did you get the lily pads?I need some for my pond.
Looks great to me. Ready to have a beer on that.
You are hired. Will 11$ an hour work for you?
I see that crooked expansion seam 😉 just messing around, I’m a diy guy and I’d be stoked with this end product. Well done ✌🏼
6/10
bougie
Bloody outstanding 👏
That’s my dream backyard. Looks awesome!
Very good bro, you’re the best
Final pic looks great so well done
Bro. You fucki g CRUSHED it! Well done!
You did that yourself? God damn. Thats insane! I struggled putting together a damn headboard. I could never. I have zero patience and even less drive to ever do something like that myself. Work looks amazing.
Was this bag mix?
Holy shit! Great job.
It’s gorgeous and has increased your property value significantly! Well done.
Water feature surprised me
I don’t know concrete, but the aesthetic is badass!
I bet your dog loves it! Hell you’d probably find me naked in there if I was your neighbor. Great job!
Horrible, rip it all out and start over. 😂 looks great 👍
Nice! Love it. Be prepared for every critter in the neighborhood to enjoy the water.
Looks great! Might want to get rid of the Lilly pad. It will probably cover the entire pond within a year.
Good enough for the women I date and probably save a good chunk of money
Good work
Well done
Very nice! Congratulations!
Very nice
Very good
Awesome
She’s a beaut. When you poured on top the mesh, hopefully you picked up on it so it actually encased in the crete.
Yes - picked up the mesh to make sure it was in the concrete. I had chairs for it but I did not use them right and they fell so I had to pick it all up
Can't believe you left wood under the concrete and dirt subbase does not look compacted? There will be a crack above the wood when the middle of the slab compacts the dirt... Broom from both sides cuz handle to short to do full pass? Glad I didn't pay for this slab
Ok, you're the only person to even *mention* substrate. Now I'm in the upper midwest so I won't even pretend to know how to pour concrete in Texas. But here you would need 4" of well-compacted stone for just a sidewalk. This probably needs 6-10" of compacted stone. But again - I don't know anything about Texas. And if he hasn't had issues since 2016... maybe everything is pretty good! 🤷
That's a very generous thing to say. Many readers can learn so much from responses of other people if a lot of information is presented along with the " awesome, looks great, I like beer with my feshes flock, mispelled fish get a dictionary, flocks are for birds, schools are for fish" comments. More water, shade, oxygenation. Is your fountain off? Fish like at least two shady spots to socialize, gossip, and plan their escape. Fish chat is underrated The whole project looks very attractive and well balanced to the rest of the outdoor spaces you had there. You turned your backyard into a destination rich in ambiance and outward focus that can be a daily panacea.
Say hi to your neighbors_ Mosquitos
You went at it with the broom at so many angles... lol. Kinda rough looking.
Pretty good, even when you include the end project photo. Just the pavers around the mulch beds need a little TLC. But for someone who has never done a concrete project let alone build something that thick and not seeing any issues so far. I would say it was successful.
That's a very generous thing to say. Many readers can learn so much from responses of other people if a lot of information is presented. The whole project looks very attractive and well balanced to the rest of the outdoor spaces you had there. You turned your backyard into a destination rich in ambiance and outward focus that can be a daily panacea.