Concrete basics for Beginners from top to bottom, ground prep, rebar, sealing & protecting

All concrete is basically created equal, but what you do underneath it is not. Today, we're going to talk about what you can do to make your concrete look like this instead of like this. So, let's get going. So, now would be a good time to subscribe. Step and one of the most important steps before you begin pouring any concrete is to make sure that your ground is ready. Any soft, questionable, or organic material needs to be removed. This then gets replaced with structural fill soil. But let me show you exactly what I mean when we talk about the base material. I want to show you guys something here. This is known as class 5. In your area, it may be known as 57 stone or something else. But this is basically has 3/4 in rock with just enough reraining binding material in it. This was just rained on recently. And you can tell this material is not hyper saturated. It's not holding water. And the important fact is that when this goes through a freeze thaw cycle and the ground starts to flex, it's not going to transmit that to the concrete. That means that your concrete is going to last that much longer if it's got a stable, non-moving soil beneath it. Once all the questionable materials have been removed, the subbase or raw dirt gets compacted. In this case, we're using a,000lb plate packer. Now, this particular site utilizes fabric to separate the base material from the subbase materials. This is a heavyduty roadbased fabric, not to be confused with the material, the fabric that you typically use underneath your landscape mulch beds. We're using fabric because this site has heavy wet clay on it. And that fabric separates the base material from the subbase material and keeps it from mitigating down. It creates one even platform for that concrete driveway to rest on. It's cheap insurance, but it adds an extra layer of protection and gives it a lot more strength in the long run. So, here's the problem with fabric. You can't turn on it. You got to turn outside of the fabric, come straight on, then back straight off. And once he knows he's outside of the fabric, then he can turn. If he turns on it and tear it up. Before you pour, you have a choice to make in the concrete itself. Do you use mesh reinforced concrete or rebar embedded into the concrete? On this particular project, it uses number four rebar 24 in on center suspended off the ground. Now, here's a pro tip. As you pour the wet concrete, it's okay to walk on it. That'll help get it worked into all of the spaces equally. Then use a 2x4 to get the rough top screed off and a bull float to level and smooth out any imperfections. Concrete gets very slippery when wet, so a broom finish adds just enough texture to keep it safe. So, now that your base is set and your driveway is poured, we're going to go to another site to show you the last but most important step, and that's sealing and protecting your new concrete surface. When I finally find something I like, I tend to stick with it. Now, whether I've just finished up a PA patio, a retaining wall, or another concrete surface, I always protect it with Sakrete's concrete pa sealer because this stuff resists oil, grease. One of the biggest things that destroys concrete faster than anything else, salt. This helps protect your surface against salt corrosion. So, one interesting point to note, the more dense the material, the less likely it is to soak it in. This has all been sprayed at the same time. And you can see where these retaining wall blocks are more porous. They soak the material in. The brick pavers are denser and the material sticks to the top. It's going to take longer for that to soak in. Now, on coat number two, this material isn't going to soak in quite as fast because the protectant will start to already be in place. This is the stuff that goes on after everything else is complete. Now, this product gets initially sprayed on and then back rolled in. Two coats just add to the durability and strength with this product. Now, whether you go with natural or wet look, both of these are going to alter the appearance of the surface you apply them to. Natural you can think of as flat paint. Wet look, well, that's gloss. Now, on this site, we're using the sealer not only to protect, but also change the color. You can see the original color here, and then the first coat of wet look has been applied. after the second coat is applied. That will actually deepen that color and make it pop even more. Now, in our next video, we're going to be rebuilding this patio step by step, reusing all of the existing materials and showing you guys how to do the exact same thing. If videos like today's or like this help you guys out, let me know in the comments down below. And also, let me know what you guys would like to see in a next series of videos. God bless. Go get them. [Music]