Can I pour this concrete myself?

[MattEffinCameron]

I bought a property last year with a 24x24 post and beam horse barn. Half of the barn has a concrete floor, but the entire barn has a concrete foundation. In the other half of the barn, where the stalls were, the concrete is just under the walls (perimeter) and the stalls are open ground. As I intend to turn the horse stall area into a woodworking shop (or other shop) I would like a concrete floor in there that is level with the rest of the barn. I havent measured it yet but I would guess that the stall area is about 12x20' and once I am done shoveling out all the bedding and horse stink dirt I figure I will be down about 8-10" below the floor in the other half of the barn, which is about how thick the concrete appears to be....

Would this be an insane, unreasonable, or unreasonably expensive thing to try to do on my own with a whole bunch of quickkrete? Part of me feels like I have an advantage since the existing foundation really serves as the forms for the floor I want...but then part of me thinks thats going to be real lot of quickrete...


Additionally, and this would be a separate project...not sure which would get done first... On the outside of the barn there is a "shed" that has been built off of one side (Looks like there is a beam running down the outside of the barn, then this roof comes off of that beam and there is an outside wall and 2 end walls). It housed 2 outside horse stalls. This is about a 12x24 area with only dirt for the floor...not sure if there are even footings for the posts on the outside wall. I want to use this area to store things...like jet skis, maybe an ATV etc...and I feel like, especially for the jet skis, getting them off the dirt with some kind of floor would be a big step toward trying to keep critters out of my stuff...so for this area I was also thinking could I do a DIY concrete pad?


One of the reasons I would think of DIY is because I have concerns about the impact a concrete truck would have on my paved driveway which took a real beating this winter....and also I would have to take down some fencing I imagine for the truck to be able to get close enough to the pour areas.

Any thoughts?

 

[nybirdman]

No way would I attempt that with "quickcrete".That's about 2.5 yards of concrete.You would have an inferior pour to say the least.The over hang part could be crushed stone(fine stuff).
Wait until July/August with the ground is hardened and use delivered concrete;get a couple buddies to help and you will be done in a couple hours.
Put an expansion joint between your existing pad and the new one.You don't need 8-10ins. of concrete;a crushed stone base will allow for drainage and less concrete.

 

[MattEffinCameron]

when you say an expansion joint, in the horse stalls there is already a solid foundation perimeter all the way around them...would I need an expansion joint all the way around the pad I fill them in with? or did you mean an expansion joint between the outside pad and the barn's foundation?

A lot of crushed stone might be best for the overhang...**** maybe putting 6" of crushed stone in the horse stalls, compacting it, and then putting a raised wood floor in there would be cheaper/easier than concrete?

 

[Egon]

If you want to do yourself use interlocking cement pavers on a granular base.

 

[kiotiken]

Add clear stone so that you're only pouring a 4" thick pad. Have the cement delivered, it will actually be cheaper that way. Cut relief lines in the concrete to "direct" the cracking.

Personally, I'd contract it out since you don't want a brushed finish in a wood working shop. You could go rent the equipment and do it yourself, but I bet at the end of the day, it won't be that much cheaper.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

You 'could' do the whole floor by yourself that way, but 8 cubic yards of concrete is an awful lot to mix by hand, and too much all at once without buying or renting a powered mixer. If you do that, you may as well just order a truckload of cement delivered.

A woodworking shop doesn't sound like you're going to have any massive loads on any part of the flooring, so you probably only need 4 inches of pour on top of 6 to 8 inches of broken stone. You will want steel mesh in the flooring for strength. You could do the floor in 4 ft by 4 ft or 6 ft by 6 ft sections, with the joints between each section; which means you could take your time and mix, pour and float just a small part at a time.

 

[nybirdman]

A wood floor for your shop may not be a bad idea.Something you could do yourself at your own pace and wood sure is a lot nicer to work/walk on than concrete.

 

[Clay45]

Add clear stone so that you're only pouring a 4" thick pad. Have the cement delivered, it will actually be cheaper that way. Cut relief lines in the concrete to "direct" the cracking.

Personally, I'd contract it out since you don't want a brushed finish in a wood working shop. You could go rent the equipment and do it yourself, but I bet at the end of the day, it won't be that much cheaper.

(x 2) !

 

[Sprinklerman]

If you havent poured and finished concrete , the learning curve can be unpleasant , nothing like busting up a floor you just poured because it got away from you . A bag of concrete doesnt go far . get prices to have it done

 

[Industrial Toys]

My friend always pretends he knows this stuff. You should see his floors! Always blames someone else.

There comes a point in scale when readymix is, if not the same price, just a little more but well worth the price! Concrete has become expensive like anything else of substance. But at the same time, it will never be cheaper!

Pros make flatwork seem so easy.