I've got a 12m long path in the back garden. It has a concrete base and brick sides. It used to be filled with slate chippings, which we removed a few weeks ago because too many plants were growing in them. I ordered some concrete to be delivered tomorrow - going to fill in the path and imprint it like they do with drives. The fill will be 7cm deep. Should I reinforce the concrete with anything? Rebar looks to thick. Can I use some mesh like this? Or do I not need any mesh?
Have you left the original concrete which was underneath the chippings you removed ...and you are covering it over ? If so, make sure its clean ...jet wash it so the new stuff adhere's to it . I wouldn't have thought you would need mesh just for something you will be just walking on and a wheel barrow ...and as you say it has brick sides which will stop side splay .
ohh just seen your pic ...no i wouldn't bother with mesh ..and you have it clean ...ready to go i would say .
Just remember as you stand in a heap of pre-mix while your hastily erected barricades collapse and it goes over the top of your wellies and the driver is crying through laughing at you - it burns... Not that I'd ever get in a mess like that.
We're also laying the concrete around by the shed, which has a hard core base and is surround by brick, but it is wider - 3m at its widest. Would that need some support?
If you lay the concrete in a 12m long line, at 7cm which is quite thin, without any internal support, I am concerned that you'll get cracks due to thermal expansion and contraction.
Even a simple paving slab has reinforcement, just some simple re bar 6mm needs to off the ground though, can use small concrete blocks.
Maybe a fibre mesh.? We did a concrete base for a garage, the concrete we ordered, had fibres in it to strengthen it,
What you’re asking is almost impossible. A path that length would need to be at least triple in depth if not more because as mentioned above, it’s quite long but quite thin. However if you remove the length of it by placing various pre made joints in it, it’ll look fine for many years. If you plan on starting at the far end then pouring it then screeding it off and tamping it down to your pre made shutter then possibly run a small trowel down each edge just to give it some smooth definition. Approximately every metre and a half or four or five foot, place a pre made shutter of 4X1 or similar across the path at the same height as your other brick work shutter or a little higher with just a block as a weight to hold it in place, and line with a piece of dpm or any old plastic really then when you finished the first section and trowelled across start on the next section but back fill with concrete as you remove the block and hold your shutter with your foot in a welly hopefully, then force concrete under the shutter with a trowel as you gently wiggle it out, leave the plastic in if you can. Then start on the next section with screeding and tamping for a foot or so then trowel across where the shutter came from. This will work on several fronts as the concrete may or may not move slightly at this join, if it does, it won’t notice and Is much better than some scabby old crack. The pre made ‘joins ‘will leave it looking smart for much longer, and best if the plastic stays in place at the joins but not the end of the world because the concrete will still have its main weakness right there as the aggregates are separated . This type of job is all about getting as prepared as you can, like having something for the concrete to be tipped on as the chaps don’t usually wait very long, something that’ll stop the moisture being sucked out into the ground like an old pvc tarp or sheet. As many clean shovels and barrows as you can muster and as many pairs of hands as you can bribe to participate, beer and barbies work well as do bacon sarnies. And an hour before the lorry is due, dampen the path a little but don’t soak. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,pictures please on completion please.
P.S. If you struggle getting your wooden temp / joint shutter out without it collapsing, just add extra concrete to it and drill the wooden shutter with a large blunt hammer drill in two or three places, this will have the effect of vibrating the concrete and will remove the air in that bit and strengthen it too, the shutter can the be removed fairly easily. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,I’d help if I could still bend down
As Ozzie said but make sure the mix is reasonably “ wet” in this weather the existing concrete will suck the moisture out too quickly. Make sure you have a decent rake to spread its much easier than a shovel. Main tip about an hour before they arrive dampen the whole surface with thinned down “ Unibond” upva. With an old garden brush it really helps to key in the new stuff. You will always get cracks at the depth you are laying it but the Unibond should help to ensure these are mainly cosmetic….tamp well with the flat of the rake but not too much otherwise the “ fat” of the concrete will rise to the top, this is ok for eg a garage floor but will be prone to frost damage.Also you are probably not after a polished finish .
If you are laying concrete all I can suggest is you wear an old suit jacket with a rolled up copy of the Mirror in one pocket and a flagon of cider in the other. And a pair of old shoes with no grip whatsoever.
Hi iv worked in the fun world of concrete all my life, just curious how will you pattern imprint a snake like path? iv not done this before but thought you could only do straight lines 90 degree corners etc? do you have a link to what you have ordered? id be interested to take a look. Re-bar should have 50mm cover so no water gets to it and it wont rust. FYI im guessing you have ordered 15 newton concrete? that's 1.5 million KG per m square crushing capacity it will be as strong as whatever it is laid on. its only 70mm thick this is vey thin so I don't think you will get a firm answer regarding expansion / contraction cracking in summer / winter months. As previously mentions some fiber mesh will help but as its 12m long I would be tempted to add a construction join or 2, try to tie them in with your pattern if possible. at the end of the day its a garden path I'm sure whatever you do will be fine.
