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How long do I have to work with the quickcrete before it starts to harden and become unworkable?
I'm doing the first step in a shower shower stall, creating the sloped base on my concrete floor in the basement.
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I've done little slabs before for stoops and what not, but I'm afraid to get it all looking nice with a nice slope it might take me a while, and for the life of me I can't find info on how long I can work with it. HELP
My google search tells me the regular type and not the fast setting type has a working time of 60 minutes....read here Quikrete 80 lb. Concrete Mix-110180 - The Home Depot
You will have about an hour to work it. I like to add a little portland cement to it to make more workable and stronger. Cut a 2x4 a lenght to fit between drain and edge to screet with then use a mag float to smooth then a steel trowel.
If you buy the 80 lb bags you better be built stout as an ox. Made that mistake once. Nothing but 40 pounders for me. Lol
Thanks guys. That home depot link is the first place where I seen 60 minute working time documented anywhere. It's not even on the bag
.
Concreteman is right on. I like to add a shovel of Portland cement to each 80 pound bag for added strength, on a shower floor I would go even stronger with the Portland cement.....maybe two shovels. Working time is about one hour but you will feel it getting hot as your working time nears the end.
Easy peasy. Took less than 45 minutes, and done!
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so easy even a gewber can do it
I used 63 80 lb bags to do a walkway. Couldn't get a truck close to it and cheaper too. Mixed 2 bags at a time in a wheel barrow.
I replaced the bathroom vanity in my house. The new vanity was the same size but wouldn't fit in the hole in the floor. I used the quick set Sac Crete to fill the hole. Barely had enough time to work it in before heating up and hardening.
Where in Florida do you have a BASEMENT??????? :dono :yikes :banghead Devil Icon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slab
Salt is what speeds up the time curing. Add salt to your regular mix - same thing. It's what we do in the oil and gas business.Quote:
Originally Posted by canebreaker
This is in the home in IL that I'm gonna sell. It's only taking me 25 years to finish it!Quote:
Originally Posted by flycaster
Nothing like moving to get those home improvement projects completed. Seems to be the Gewber way.
I am getting my home improvement projects done before I retire. Ain't gonna spend my retirement working on the house. I'd rather be fishing. Labor day weekend I laid about 100 sq' new tile on the back entrance, grouted it yesterday. Who am I kidding, it took me all of 5 hours on Friday morning to lay the tile. That includes the 1/2 hr. each way to rent a tile cutter and return it and 1hr farting around getting set up to work. Saturday I stripped the old finish off the wood outside door, patched up some rough spot stained and put on two coats of polyurethane on the inside, and two coats of paint on the outside. Had it hung by dinner. This week I remodel the front wood door. Next week I dig out a stump, and build a new fire pit in its place. Then I want to build a light house next to the driveway. Something about 8-10' tall and 3-4' in diameter at the base. Plus I have 3 weekend campouts and a 2 day tournament in the middle of all that, and I still have to put in my 40hrs at work.
Slab, you did put down a rubber liner under that shower pad right? Eventually that concrete will crack and leak. Without that rubber it will have to be ripped out and done again.
I looked into this project lots. It's concrete first, to get the slope. Then the rubber liner. Then about an inch of grout over the liner, and then the tiles. I'm no expert but I did hear about this Internet thing. And then I got my friends here too that always got good advice as you can see above.
Hmm, what the heck do I care, I'm outa here anyway! I should just put the tiles down on this concrete and let it be the next guys problem. Yeah but can't do that and have a clean conscious! Just ain't right. It'd be like selling a guy a boat with a rotten transom! Don't think anyone would like that, especially an IL guber! lol
You are right Slab doing the job right the first time.
That`s why we like you Slab, you have a sense of fair play; hate to say it but many persons would have barely patched it up and figured "It`s the next owner`s problem...' Am preparing to pour a 18"X 13`X 8" deep rebar reenforced footer to support a 3 block wall with a formerly soft corner that has leaked into our basement since she bought the house 9 years ago. Tamped the ever loving (deleted) out of it, particularly the `soft corner, formed it, and am awaiting the arrival of a mixer, approx. 30 80 pd bags of Quik-Crete and 6 friends who should by now know better than to `volunteer` for projects that take on. Am certain at least the mixer and bags of cement will show up...
I hear ya. Do it right the first time. Funny how there is never enough time or money the first time, yet there is always time and money to do it again the way it should have been done the first time. I prefer to do it right the first time, I don't have time of money to do it again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slab
When I buy something, I look for something that needs to be remodeled and make it into what I want. Take the boat I bought off you. Didn't really care about any wood in it, transom included. I liked the hull dimensions, 40hp Evinrude and huge live-well with bait-well. That's all I wanted. I could tell previous owners took good care of her for most of her life. I found only one spot with wood rot, and that was no big deal. Transom was/is solid. Yep, checked it out. If I suspected any rot, it was coming out and getting replaced. I can get 5/4 solid mahogany or white oak at a good price and have the woodworking joinery skills to make a solid piece to replace the old transom. Thanks for a great deal, and I really love that roller trailer. You can check it out at fall camp.
IF I was buying your house, I would have told you to save your money, time and effort. I'll save some coin and make it the way I want it. However I understand I am the exception and not the rule. Most buyers today can't work with their hands and want something move-in ready. They are willing to pay extra for it, and should pay a premium. Hope you sell quickly at the price you want...