Insulation under exterior concrete slab  Q. Do I need to put insulation under an exterior concrete pad for a hot tub.

A. No, it won't do any good and it will just make the concrete less ...

Removing gum from concrete  Q. How do we remove gum from stained and sealed concrete sidewalks without trace marks from the pressure washer?

A. To remove from concrete without ...

Monolithic Concrete Slab  Q. We poured a mono slab @ 4 years ago. I have not been able to build on it yet, (kids, life etc). It will eventually have a 24 X 32 shop on it. It ...

Patio Concrete Strength  Q. I want to place a fire place and kitchen from "Outdoor Living Kits" on my exisiting patio. It would weight over 40,000 pounds of additional stone....

Driveway expansion joints  Q. The black, tar-like stuff between our drivey way and garage floor is gone, what do I need to fill that gap or joint?

A. The expansion joint ...

White spots on new sealed stamped concrete  Q. I just replaced a concrete walk way with stamped colored concrete, when the sealer was applied it dried with white spots in some areas.

A. White ...

How many 80 lb bags of quickrete  Q. How many 80 lb. bags of quickrete to lay a sidewalk 15'x3'x3" thick.

A. The calculation comes out to 18.9 80lb bags of concrete. But you should ...

concrete spots  Q. I had my concrete poured yesterday. There are some spots on the concrete now that are lighter than the rest of the concrete. Is this normal?

A....

How long should I leave concrete forms  Q. How long the must the concrete forms stay after concrete is poured?

A. Those who are experienced in concrete can remove the forms the same day,...

Newly poured concrete got wet  Q. I had a patio poured yesterday and I accidently turned on a sprinkler and it got on it for about 2 min and that was this moring. It had all day to ...

Using a concrete patio to heat pool water.  Q. My question is if I run a 1 inch polyethelene pipe to run pool water through to heat it under a concrete patio slab should I provide some kind of ...

Wet spots on new concrete driveway  Q. I had my driveway poured 11 days ago and at the bottom of the driveway it looks like alot of wet spots or oil spots but when you touch it its not ...

Adding Drains to an existing concrete patio  Q. I have an existing concrete patio with 2 or 3 low spots that currently accumulate water when it rains. The patio is overlayed with thin pavers set ...

Concrete floor for basketball courtyard  Q. What material should be put under the concrete of a basketball court? Is the concrete to be reinforced with ordinary steel welded mesh

A. There ...

Concrete floor for basketball courtyard  Q. What material should be put under the concrete of a basketball court? Is the concrete to be reinforced with ordinary steel welded mesh.

A. There ...

Patching seams in concrete floors.  Q. I am trying to place vinyl tiles on a concrete floor. Along one outside wall is a foam expansion joint and a resultant gap between the edge of the ...

Exposed Aggregate Sidewalk help  Q. When using a commercial retarder how long after applying to surface should you wait before attempting to rinse off cream layer to expose aggregate?...

How soon before parking on concrete garage floor  Q. I have been told that after pouring a concrete floor for a garage, do not put a vehicle on it for 30 days, 60 days. What is the right amount of time....

White spots on concrete driveway  Q. The driveway is 15 years old. There is a section where you can spray a little water on it and white spots will appear and go away when it dries. What ...

joint filler  Q. The felt type stuff in the joints has eroded and needs to be replaced. What is the best material to use?
Silicone....tar?

A. The easiest material ...

Driveway sealer problems  Q. I just had a new concrete driveway completed by a contractor that told me he had over 20 years experience. This was varified by a neighbor who had ...

What kind of paint do you use for basketball lines on indoor concrete floors?  Q. What kind of paint do you use for basketball lines on indoor concrete floors?

We are having someone strip, then we will tape and paint it. Then ...

INSTALLING CONCRETE BACKSPLASH  Q. I have poured a simple 2" concrete countertop. It looks very good and is polished to quality shine. The sink will sit on top of the countertop, so ...

New Driveway / spider web after sealer applied  Q. I live in Colorado. I had a new driveway poured in May 2010. I waited 32 days before the driveway was professionally sealed. During those 32 days ...

Concrete basketball court not level...slopes?? How can we fix it? We just had it done 1 month ago.  Q. Can our basketball court be fixed without ripping out the whole slab?
It is 46 by 35 and it is not level. I am very frustrated. The contractor says ...

new concrete driveway  Q. Why is My new concrete driveway 4" above ground level and now I have to fill in all the way around. The entrance to my garage has a unsightly curb ...

Finish on Concrete Basketball Court  Q. What kind of finish would you put on a outdoor concrete basketball court. Smooth like a garage or lightly brushed?

A. For an outdoor basketball ...

Sealers that don't look milky white when wet  Q. I recently stain my garage floor and put quikrete high gloss sealer on my floor. But I hate when it gets wet because it looks like milk. Its a water ...

basement floor repair over two days  Q. I have replaced the waste pipe under my basement floor. I mixed and applied three bags of concrete into the hole only to discover my math was off ...

Vapor Barrier - Concrete Driveway  Q. Is is a good idea to install a vapor barrier (6 mil plastic) under a concrete driveway in New England?

A. You don't need a vapor barrier under ...

garage addition  Q. I live in southern michigan and i will be adding a 6x24 wood shop off of the back of my garage. There will be no access for cars in this area. My ...

staining concrete with fiber  Q. Can a concrete patio that is fiber filled concrete, and has been sealed, be stained?

If so, what is best way to remove the sealer before staining?...

concrete basketball floor  Q. How many inches thick does a cement floor of a basketball court need to be.

A. Standard residential concrete should always be a minimum of 3....

mpa  Q. What is mpa?

A. MPa stands for megapascals. It is the unit of measurement in the metric system used for concrete's compressive strength. The ...

new concrete patio  Q. I'm installing a awning on top of a new patio, and the awning requires poles to be anchored into the concrete. How soon can I drill into a newly ...

1/4 inch space between foundation and concrete patio   Q. Should I seal the 1/4 inch space between the foundation and the concrete patio?

A. It's not an absolute must but it certainly won't hurt. It ...

Discolored Concrete Driveway & Sidewalk  Q. I had a new home built 2.5 years ago. The driveway and sidewalk have discoloration because curing blankets were used which created surface condensation ...

white spots on new concrete  Q. How do I get the white spots out of my new concrete patio? I had a patio built. The concrete was colored (terra Cotta) while in the truck and it ...

high gloss concrete sealer mixed with acid stain  Q. Is it ok to mix a small portion of the concrete acid stain in the high gloss concrete sealer before applying, just enough to tint it?

A. That ...

Repainting stamped concrete  Q. I have stamped concrete(2000+ft) last finished with "Glaze N Seal" Concrete & Masonry Lacquer. It was poorly applied and is now badly peeling in sunny ...

moisture barrier around poured concrete steps and porch  Q. Concrete steps and a porch are being poured at the front of my house. Some of this concrete will abut the exterior OSB sheathing on the house and ...

How long should i wait before using concrete?  Q. How long should one wait to park/walk on a new parking pad/sidewalk?

A. Normally, you should wait 10 - 14 days to park or drive on new concrete....

Behr Concrete Stain - Slippery when wet  Q. We recently applied Behr's concrete stain to a pool surround and patio. Now we have found that it is like ice when wet. The kids are falling when ...

Standing water in section of my new driveway  Q. I had a new cement driveway installed about 6 months ago. When I wash down the driveway or it rains, there is a section where the water pools and ...

Slippery deck around pool   Q. I have painted over my cool decking and now it is very slippery when wet. I need to know what I can do?

A. The easy fix is to paint it again ...

Concrete shed foundation on a slope & cold climate  Q. I live in Toronto Canada where we have a cold winter. Sometimes it could be down to -30C. I planned to build a garden shed in the size of 12' x 8'...

Colored stamped concrete problems  Q. I stamped and colored a driveway with a london cobblestone pattern, in a few places after washing the release off there's the red color hardner showing ...

Footing needed for a 500 lb planter?  Q. Would a 500 lb planter, 17" width x 36" length x 32 inches height - need a footing?
Would 4" concrete pavement be sufficient support underneath (over ...

Concrete footer or concrete pads  Q. I am having a problem with my house settling. I called two foundation specialists out to take a look. One guy uses concrete pads and the other guys ...

stamped colored patio sealant dissolved by hail now staining  Q. We have a stamped concrete patio, rustic in colour, at the back and side of our home, approx. 5 years old. Despite yearly coatings of sealant, a ...

Concrete overlay that turned white after the first rain it encountered?  Q. Could someone tell me what happened to my flagstone concrete overlay. It was beautiful and sealed, then two days after the rains came, the top has ...

Acid stain application to a new driveway  Q. Just had a brand new concrete driveway installed and contractor suggested an acid application to it in a month's time. Is that recommended and what ...

White spots on new concrete  Q. On a newer broom finished concrete floor. When dry the floor looks fine, but when you get it wet white spots appear. What is causing this and is ...

Control Joints not deep enough?  Q. I just had a new driveway installed and the contractor saw cut the vertical control joints at 1/4" for a 4" deep slab. Should these control joints ...

Why does my concrete scratch so easy?  Q. We had a concrete patio poured on Tuesday, the contractor said it would be safe to use in a couple of days. On Friday afternoon I rolled my BBQ onto ...

How many holes will a bag of concrete fill?  Q. If a 60 lb. bag of concrete fills in 3 holes when building a chain link fence how many does an 80 lb. bag fill?

A. If 60 lbs fills 3 holes,...

pouring a slab  Q. How many 80# bags will it take to pour a 12'x16' slab 4" thick?

A. It will take 107 bags to pour that slab. I suggest spending a little more ...

Stamped concrete quote  Q. When contractors quote stamped concrete @ $12.00/ sq. ft. are they including excavation, stone, forming, pouring, stipping, sealing, clean up? Or ...

Gooey concrete  Q. The concrete surrounding my heating unit in the basement is cracked, raised and gooey like bubble gum. What causes this and what can I do to repair ...

broom finish on a 35 mpa weigh scale  Q. We recently poured concrete for a weigh scale on thursday... and the top layer about 1/16th of an inch is peeling off already. i was just wondering ...

Concrete measurements  Q. If a 80 pound bag of concrete covers 7 square feet one inch deep how many bags are needed to cover 50 square foot 3 inches deep.

A. This sounds ...

Self leveling concrete vs vehicle weight  Q. I want my garage to serve two purposes 1) to park in and 2) to use for a workshop but the floor is hideously uneven. My table saw is on rollers but ...

Concrete sealant  Q. What kind of concrete sealant should be used to prevent spalling and scaling from a new concrete driveway?

A. The ideal sealer for a driveway ...

number of bags to pour slab   Q. How many 80 lb. bags of concrete needed for a slab 4' 6" X 3'2" x 4" deep?

A. The calculation comes up with 8.1 bags. So you need 9 bags.

Stamped concrete pool deck - oily residue problem  Q. We had our concrete pool deck resealed with a solvent-based sealant (ACE Hardware brand), and after a week the concrete surface still has this oily ...

Lifted concrete due to cold weather.  Q. My driveway lifted during the winter and hasn't dropped back down yet. The temperature has been in the 70's and 80's. How do I fix the concrete to ...

Staining a cement pool deck  Q. I have a previously painted (with Behr 1-part epoxy/ acrylic Concrete and Garage Floor Paint). We have sanded it, washed it with tsp and etched it ...

how many bags of concrete do I need  Q. I need to know how many 80lbs bags of cement I need for 69 square feet 3 inches deep area.

A. It measures out to 29 bags, but you need to buy ...

Brick patios with concrete base  Q. Should I consider a concrete base when installing brick pavers. The concrete contractor would lay a new concrete base before installing pavers on ...

Falling driveway  Q. My home is on a slight hill. I've noticed that my driveway has dropped a bit from the garage. It's cracking in some places also. It just looks ...

White powders on the 12 inch concrete footers inside garage  Q. We are living in Ottawa, Canada and my house is 10 years old. The cement of 12 inches footers inside garage is badly damaged because of the white ...

basketball bounce on concrete  Q. Does a basketball bounce higher on white concrete or on black?

A. I don't know, I've never done a ball bouncing test on the different colors ...

Square feet to cubic yards  Q. How many yards of concrete do i need to cover 15 foot by 32 foot area with a 4 inch pad?

A. 32ft x 15ft = 480sq ft
480sq ft x 4inch = 160cubic ...

Two week old concerete is still wet, soft and powdery  Q. I had a contractor pour concrete for 350sq.ft. Its been good two weeks now and concrete is still wet. I'm able to easily scratch the concrete powder ...

different cement sealers  Q. Can i use a differnt brand cement sealer than the one that was originally used a few years ago to put another coat on? brickform was used originally,...

overlay on painted driveway  Q. I have a driveway that has been painted. The paint is peeling badly. I want to put a layer of concrete over the existing driveway. Is there a sealer ...

Repairing concrete steps  Q. My steps are old and are starting to crumble on the surface. Twice in the past 4 years I've used some simple patch and repair concrete to fix up ...

radiant heat under stamped cocrete in a 3 season room  Q. Can I put radiant heat under stamped concrete in a 3 season room that I am planning on putting in.

A. The simple answer to this question is "yes"...

Corroding concrete garage foundation  Q. I live in New England. I have a poured concrete foundation on my attached garage which was built in 1984. Last Fall I had an asphalt driveway installed ...

Garage spalling/scaling  Q. I live in Ottawa, Canada and had a garage slab and two outdoor porches poured in late October 2008. The concrete used was 32 mPa, air entrained, with ...

Soft Concrete in Basement  Q. This spring after the snow has melted, my basement took in some water. Water does trickle through the wall in one area after a heavy rain but now ...

Wet floor in detached garage  Q. We put in a new detached garage last fall. It is not insulated. We sealed it with a commercial grade sealant. This spring, our floor is wet--it appears ...

Pressure washing damaged exposed aggregate driveway  Q. I have an exposed aggregate driveway. Over the years, pressure washing has blown much of the cement out from between the aggregate, leaving lots ...

Removing Concrete Forms  Q. How long should you wait before removing forms after pouring a 6" slab?

A. Removing concrete forms can usually be done soon after the surface ...

Drying/curing time for poured concrete steps  Q. As I write this, a contractor is pouring a flight of concrete steps. He insists the job will be 100% complete and dry today and therefore expects ...

bags of cement  Q. How many bags of cement do i need to purchase to raise a 10x10 room 2 inches?

A.
40 lbs bags - 56 bags
60 lbs bags - 38 bags
80 lbs bags ...

garage floor too slippery  Q. I painted my garage foor with U-Coat & sealed it too, so grease won't stain the floor. But the floor is slippery at times too. I would like to make ...

concrete striping  Q. How long do you need to wait to paint fire lane strips on parking lot concrete?

A. Normally you should wait at least thirty days before applying ...

Used patio too soon...how to fix  Q. I had a concrete patio put in my backyard and a roommate decided it was fine to walk on when it was still way too early. Then, tried to wash off ...

Crack repair for laying tile floor.  Q. We are remodeling our kitchen, which required us to move one wall. When we removed the framing there is a crack in the slab that runs the length ...

Concrete Spalling  Q. I live in Atlanta, Ga. and had a new driveway and sidewalk poured on 2/11/2010. We did experience 4 inches of snow the next evening.
I was told that ...

Can you place v cuts in dried concrete slabs?  Q. We recently poured a patio slab and the guys finishing it failed to place the relief cuts before it was set. Can the v cuts still be placed in the ...

sealing older concrete driveway  Q. Concrete driveway was poured about seven years ago. Can it be sealed now to prevent further deterioration?

A. Yes, concrete can be sealed anytime....

Concrete step   Q. I love your site and find it very useful and a wealth of information.
I have a set of steps that are about 7 steps high, the first step is directly ...

Protect concrete from freeze and thaw damage  Q. What is the best protection against thaw and freeze damage?

A. The best protection is to use a proper mix with proper installation and finishing ...

shower bed poured with sandqrete mix  Q. How long before you can walk on a shower bed made with sandqrete mix, it is approx. 2" thick and sloped to the drain? It is a 4' by 5' shower bed....

Concrete Shower Base Finishing  Q. I have a concrete shower base that I would like to refinish. The previous paint was peeling and has been removed. What type of finish would be best?...

mystery concrete sealer resists snow build-up and promotes ice melting.  Q. My, slightly eccentric, next door neighbor applied some kind of sealer to his driveway, that resists snow build up and dries faster after being shoveled....

Concrete Driveway raises during the winter?  Q. What causes a concrete driveway to raise during the winter?

A. Standing water underneath the concrete freezes and expands causing the concrete ...

Radiant floor heat over an existing concrete pad.  Q. I want to put down 1/2" pex over an existing pad for radiant heat and pour concrete over it. In your answer to a similar question you indicated a ...

Concrete Slab  Q. I have recently had to take out some concrete in my master bathroom to reapir a drainage pipe. Now that I have replaced the pipe i need to backfill ...

pouring in the cold  Q. How do you pour concrete with temps in high 30s and low 40s.

A. Concrete is poured and finished in cold temperatures the same way it's done in ...

Removing concrete driveway forms  Q. How long should I wait before I can remove the forms from the driveway just poured?

A. You can remove the forms from a driveway the day after ...

Lowest temperature allowable for pouring concrete  Q. What is the lowest the outside temperature should be to pour a 12 foot by 26 foot by 4 inch think pad?

A. There is no set temperature because ...

time limit on concrete  Q. How long can a concrete slab last until building house step by step?

A. Depending on how fast the concrete sets, it's possible to start building ...

exterior concrete foundation  Q. We dug out 48" deep around one side of the house for a new addition that will now not take place till the spring. I have noticed that the corners ...

Hand seed face of exposed aggregate concrete steps  Q. How do you hand seed(1" to 2" stones) into the face of concrete steps???

A. The only way to do this is to seed it as you pour it. When a step ...

How much patio weighs?   Q. How much does a patio slab weigh that's 16 x 16 x 1?

A. At 4" thick, concrete weighs approximately 50 lbs per square ft. A typical 4" patio with ...

Cantilevered Concrete Pad  Q. I have a pad that is about 5.5" * 8 feet wide. It will sit on a block wall and have a cantilevered end about 1' * 5.5 ' in length.
All rebar I ...

Quality Standards  Q. Who controls the quality standards for concrete?

A. Government sets minimum requirements for strength and performance of concrete in building ...

Concrete on concrete for floor heat.  Q. I live in Ga. and have a porch that was enclosed that has a 4"Concrete slab.
I want to heat this floor with radiant heat (1/2"Pex). The floor has ...

White powder on concrete surface  Q. We had about 640 yards of concrete poured and once it was all down and bullfloating started in drizzle and then rained until the next day. So there ...

soft top layer of concrete  Q. Just recently (3-weeks ago)had a slab poured for a 300sf addition. Just noticed that the top layer is soft and comes off easily. Basically, you ...

What does my concrete slab weigh?  Q. I have to get an existing slab that my central unit sits on moved. I need an estimate of what it weighs so I know what kind of equipment I need to ...

How much does a bag of concrete weigh after drying.  Q. I am trying to figure how many bags of concrete to purchase to acheive a weight of 500 lbs. I know the bags are 80 lbs bags but what is the final ...

Pouring Concrete Driveway/Seasons  Q. I live in Atlanta, GA- It's November, should I not do a driveway job now because of the potential frost in the morning and higher temps. during the ...

Garage floor on a hill  Q. We are building a 30 x 36 garage on a hill where one end is level and the other end drops 42 inches. The garage builder wants us to build a wooden ...

"New" concrete prep for winter  Q. I had a new concrete driveway poured Spring of 2009. It looks great and has held up well. I have not put anything on it per the instructions of the ...

Efflorescence  Q. We have efflorescence that covers over 70% of our basement floor. We had to have the carpeting removed because of the efflorescence and the mold spores ...

Lower price per sq.ft.> 900 sq. ft.  Q. I am having a colored, concrete, broom-finished pool deck poured in NC,in Nov. I've read that concrete contractors will lower the price per sq. ft....

insulation for garage floor  Q. Do I put insulation under my grade beam in a heated garage or just on the outside and under the floor.

A. You only need to put insulation around ...

Vertical concrete patch  Q./b> On my home's foundation wall (near the soil line), the concrete's aggregate (the rocks) is showing. The foundation is 36 years old but still in ...

Laying concrete in the winter  Q. Is it a problem to excavate and lay cement during the winter months?
The construction will be done inside a garage?

A. The only problem with ...

Best concrete for freeze and thaw  Q. Which concrete would be best to protect against freeze and thaw damage.

A. You should be using concrete with at least 4000 psi strength. If you ...

rebar, cold weather and chloride  Q. I'm concerned about re-bar corrosion and slab integrity with my contractors concrete cold weather precautions. My contractor mixed 1% CaChloride,hot ...

Concrete dusting and water seepage  Q. We recently had a sunroom put on our existing patio that is 3 years old. The concrete people dug under the edges from the sides to pour 32 inch footers....

Fill concrete seams on basketball court  Q. I have a basketball court that has 10x10 concrete sections. The seams are so deep and wide that the ball won't bounce regularly. Can I fill these ...

Concrete slab drift sealing  Q. I have a poured concrete slab that butts up against my home and foundation. It has drifted about 3/4" away from the house (perhaps caused by shrinkage ...

Concrete raising durring winter freeze  Q. I have a concrete driveway, and patio in the back. Inevitably, every winter, water will get underneath, freeze, and raise the concrete up a few inches ...

Adding Slip Resistance to Pool Deck  Q. A contractor repaired our pool deck this year including sealing cracks, adding relief saw cuts, and applying a colored texture to the entire surface....

Thin layer of concrete over existing concrete  Q. My driveway which is about 20 years old is scaling badly in area, mainly from water runoff which is corrected now. There are no major visible cracks....

Concrete Patio Is Slippery When Wet  Q. My concrete patio is very slippery when wet. The finish on the patio is smooth (no broom finish) - like an interior slab. How can I treat the concrete ...

Measuring for concrete  Q. Is there a magic formula to measure how many cubic yards of concrete I will need.

A. Click here to get your answer.

Concrete slab vs. Decorative Concrete  Q. In general, for a 15 foot x 15 foot block, how much more does decorative conrete cost compared to a plain concrete slab?

A. You can usually count ...

garage drain  Q. I poured a concrete garage slab with drain, but when the concrete dried the drain lifted. Now what do I do to fix this problem? The water doesn't ...

concrete patio around above ground pool  Q. Is there a way to make a concrete patio/deck around an above ground pool. The back of my home has a concrete patio. Behind that, the ground slopes ...

How to fix porous cement garage floor  Q. The sealant was completely worn of a large portion of our cement garage floor (this was a brand new floor poured in 1993). Sealants we purchased ...

Pool deck settling  Q. I had a pool built 3 yrs ago. I pour the concrete in 2 pours. I formed around the perimeter of the pool 2'. I poured the entire pad in 1 pour and ...

spots in concrete  Q. I poured my own patio, bullfloated it, fresnoed it, then put a broom finish on it. I looked at it the next day and it looks like water spots in concrete....

badly pitted original 40 yr old slab - how to replace  Q. We have a double garage floor (23' x 21') that is clearly the original slab poured when the house was built in 1960. It was badly pitted when we ...

How to fix a bad seal job?  Q. I hired a landscape contractor who subcontracted a stamped concrete walk. The concrete was colored and a lighter top coat was applied for highlights....

Concrete set up time  Q. How long should new concrete set before driving on it?

A. The answer depends on the outside temperatures and what kind of mix is used. Obviously,...

elevated slab over existing wooden deck  Q. Can one pour a slab over an existing wooden deck? I would assume that the slab would have to be a minimum 4" thickness? Perhaps a thick vapor barrier ...

does water add weight to concrete?  Q. If I mix a 50 lb. bag of concrete with 20 lbs. of water, allow to dry, will the concrete weight more then 50 lbs.?

A. Yes the concrete will weigh ...

Divots in concrete driveway  Q. I had a driveway put in two years ago and since then it has developed little divots about a 1/8 to 14 inch and were everyone is there is a small black ...

Slab on a Slab 
Q. I am planning to extend the kitchen pantry into garage.The floor in the garage is 3 inches lower.I would like to pour more concrete on top of the ...

Blinding Removal in Top Down Construction  Q. We are constructing a cut and cover concrete structure. In order to cast the top slab we will need to excavate to level, place blinding, fix the rebar ...

Painting and Striping a basketball court on a "indoor" concrete Floor  Q. We have just finished a new building for our church that will have a basketball court. We are getting ready to paint the stripes on the court, but ...

Wax for concrete floors  Q. What is the best method to put wax on a stained interior concrete floor? Should you mop it on or use a buffing machine with brushes? Which works ...

garage floor relevel  Q. My garage has a floor drain, however it is not in the lowest spot. Is there any way to regrade the slab to get proper drainage?

A. Applying an ...

Sharp Edges in Hand Seeded Deck  Q. I just recently had a had seeded deck layed around my pool. The deck contractor used a 3000 psi concrete (foundation) and hand seeded rainbow aggregate ...

Concrete Dusting  Q. We recently had some concrete poured in one corner of our unfinished basement. Now it has a powdery finish -- the more I sweep the more dust appears....

mpa  Q. What does mpa stand for.

A. Mpa stands for megapascals. Pascals are units of measurement used to define pressure. Pascals are used in the metric ...

Concrete Forms  Q. Do stops in a form stay or are they removed?

If I am pouring a driveway that is to receive two different stamp patterns to frame sections of the ...

Deicing  Q. What is the best way to remove snow and ice from a concrete sidewalk? We just had it poured on 10/29/08 and live in IN where it could snow any day....

Garage Floor wearing Off  Q. The concrete on my garage floor is wearing off, mainly where the vehicles tires sit. The pores of the concrete are now visable. The 3rd bay and the ...

Too cold for concrete?  Q. When is it too cold to pour concrete?

A. There is no cut and dry answer to this question. There are many factors to consider. Is the concrete ...

Timeline for concrete sidewalks  Q. We live in Michigan , 30 miles east of Flint. How late in the season can we pour a concrete sidewalk?

A. You can pour in temperatures as low ...

Wet floors  Q. I just bought a house that has a brand new detached garage/shop (1500sq ft). Unfortunately during construction of the shop,they did not lay a vapor ...

Concrete sealer that turns white  Q. We have a flagstone deck and just had it sealed by a contractor. They first painted the sealant on the mortar, which left all of the edges of the ...

Concrete over existing concrete  Q. My patio is lower than my yard which results in flooding. Two contractors have said they could raise my patio about 5" (1 inch of sand over the old,...

Sealer for stained outdoor concrete  Q. My backyard concrete has been stained w/ Behr concrete siliconized acrylic stain and I was wondering whether it is necessary to seal it w/ Behr concrete ...

concrete slab relevel  Q. Can a 100 sf concrete slab be releveled using a surface
vibrator? Prep work would include diging a 2 foot trench
on two sides to allow soil to drift....

Re-sealing a concrete driveway.  Q. A colored seal was applied to our driveway last year. The contractor only applied one coat and the sealer is fading in areas where the driveway is ...

2nd floor underlayment:  Q. I'm laying stone on an elevated wood patio and don't want water to seep through. I have a 2X6 butted floor on 16" centered joists and plan to cover ...

Stamped concrete release agent in pool  Q. I just had a stamped concrete patio installed near by above ground pool which has one end buried in the ground (on sloping hill). I took great pains ...

Concrete over asphalt over concrete !  Q. I have an interesting dilemma, perhaps someone could offer guidance on. My driveway, originally constructed in 1948ish, was poured concrete, about ...

New concrete driveway apron scalling & holes  Q. I had an new concrete driveway installed in July. Now I see tiny round holes on the apron in some places and in other areas the concrete is coming ...

Wire mesh vs fiber reinforcement  Q. I'm wondering what is better having a drive way replaced using the synthetic fiber concrete or concrete and wire?

Also what questions should I ...

slip resistance  Q. My pool deck has a light broom finish, I sealed the deck with Behr concrete sealer and added a product called Shark Grip to the sealer during application....

crazy spider webs patterns on concrete surface  Q. How do I repair crazy spider web patterns on my concrete. These are visible after it rains. I'm concerned about water and freezing in the winter....

Slip resistant sealer for pool deck  Q. Is there a clear or semi-clear sealer that will give a brushed concrete pool deck a non-slip finish. I would like to stay away from knock-down, etc,...

Concrete and VOCs  Q. How can I neutralize/remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs, or off gases) that may have been absorbed into my concrete floor?

I have a concrete ...

Powdery concrete?  Q. Hi, our fraternity house's landlord had our backyard pool filled in and replaced with a large amount of concrete. Now, all but one section of the ...

previously stained concrete  Q. This is a great site but I couldn't find this answer anywhere. We previously stained out concrete patio with Behr stain. I can't remember if it was ...

concrete sealers  Q. When is the best time to apply the sealer - when the concrete is wet or dry?
What kind of sealer is best for a driveway to get that glazed look?...

white concrete  Q. Why do some new concrete driveways appear whiter than others?

A. There are a few reasons for this. The main reason is the different type of concrete ...

Fibermesh vs. wiremesh  Q. Is fibermesh as good as wiremesh? Should you use both?

A. It depends on who you ask. Some contractors say wire is better while other say fiber ...

cleaning concrete floors  Q. I just moved into my new house with acid stained concrete floors. Every single footprint leaves a white mark on the floor and will not come off. Do ...

Churting ?  Q. Last year we had a large concrete patio poured, when we returned from a six month trip there are divots in the concrete exposing "white". I called ...

concrete statue  Q. My friend bought a concrete statue that she wants me to paint- will artist quality oil paint last or chip?

A. If the statue stays inside it will ...

Concrete surface condition  Q. A concrete slab for garage was completed in November and the garage built soon after. There is Thermofoil insulation barrier under the slab laid according ...

rebars inserted into garage floor to connect new cement drive  Q. We live in a 3 year old home . Now we are ready to pave our driveway with concrete . The contractor wants to drill into our garage floor and insert ...

Drying Time for Concrete  Q. How long do you have to wait for concrete to dry before installing tile over it?

A. I assume you want the floor to be completely dry before installing ...

discolored spots on sealed concrete less than a year old  Q. I had a colored stamped concrete patio put in last spring. I was told it was sealed and to reseal every 2-3 years.

Problem #1. There are a number ...

Measuring concrete  Q. How do i figure out how many yards of concrete i will need for flatwork, is there some kind of mathematical formula?

A. You must find the volume ...

Sanding Concrete  Q. I have a concrete planter and pedestal that I plan to stain and seal. They have some rough edges at the seams. What can I use to "sand" them down?...

Faux Painting over Siliconized Acrylic Concrete Stain  Q. We have an indoor textured concrete patio floor that has a light color siliconized acrylic concrete stain on it (about 4 years old). We would like ...

concrete cracks  Q. I have an interior concrete slab that has cracked where my vinyl floor is to be installed, how can I prevent the crack from continuing after I membrane ...

Do deicers really cause spalling?  Q. I am finding all kinds of conflicting information about whether deicers can cause spalling on concrete driveways. What is the real answer? We have ...

Applying a second coat of sealer  Q. When my house was built (3 yrs ago) sealer was applied to the garage floor. It has not held up well and I would like to put another coat. What prep ...

price  Q. What is the ball park price for demo and haul away of an existing driveway and front walkway and then the ball park price for installing a new concrete ...

Oily residue on garage floor  Q. I had a concrete floor poured in my garage last august and now my floor always has an oily residue coming up through the floor. Makes the floor always ...

Garage floor constantly wet  Q. I have a garage with a concrete floor. During the winter months and into the spring the floor is constantly wet. Is there a product to seal moisture ...

Scoring Lines Against the Wall   Q. I have a slab I would like to score, but how do you get all the way to the walls with the cut?

A. Unfortunately you use a round blade to score lines ...