My house burned down. The only thing saved was some concrete from the driveway and the walkways. Insurance did right by us and we rebuilt from scratch, except for the walks and driveway. They don’t fit the new house. Wife is itchy for new walks to be made, and I don’t disagree, I am tired of the mud too. The problem is the job is so small no contractor around here will look at it. I figure 75 square feet. At four inches deep around a cubic yard. As best I can figure. How many 80 pound bags of premix Sackrete is that? I know I could call the lumber yard, but they are closed and for plannig purposes I would like to know sooner.
Each 80 lb bag of Sakrete concrete is 0.6 cubic feet of coverage. If you have 25 cubic feet you’d need 42 bags. I’ve done these small jobs with Sakrete and it’s a bummer. One alternative: call up the concrete guys doing big jobs and ask them if the mixer can stop by and sell you a yard on the way to a bigger job. Be totally ready to go with your site prepared and your wheelbarrow ready. Don’t forget to learn how to finish it–that’s a make or break on a DIY job.
If you are really cheap, snag one of the drivers doing a big job and buy a yard of concrete on the side. Perhaps even a quick dollar on the side for some finishers. The trick with small jobs is to have regular guys do it on the side instead of finding a contractor who will take the time.
If you can come up with a serious truck (at least 3/4 ton) truck to pull it with, there are outfits that will sell you concrete in a trailer that is a mini-version of a redi-mix truck. You pay a deposit on the trailer and bring it back empty and clean. Not sure, but I think you get about 1-1/2 yd per trip.
Minor hijack: At my last job there was a fellow who was a hard worker, but perhaps the stupidest individual I have ever met. He utilized the above service, but LOST the mixer on the way back. Somewhere in a 20 mile stretch of interstate…never did find it, and it cost him a bundle…not just the deposit. So make sure you have the correct size ball on your hitch, and maybe check your mirror every so often to make sure the trailer is still back there.
Thanks for the advise all.
When I was hauling concrete we would occasionally have guys stop in with 5 gallon buckets in the back of a pickup. I’d have to fill those buckets before I took the rest of the load to the work site. Its an option if you live near the plant.
If you don’t notice a cement mixer disconnecting from your vehicle, you are the stupidest individual EVER. Seems like there has to be more to the story.
As for the OP, you don’t want to mix that much by hand in the wheelbarrow. Another option for you is to rent the mixer. Much lighter than the preloaded one, and pretty easy to use. They hold a few bags at a time, which is probably the right amount for a homeowner to manage at one time.
On This Old House once, they ordered concrete from a company that uses a special truck carrying the dry ingredients, along with several hundred gallons of water and which can deliver a quantity of wet concrete smaller than a whole mixer’s worth. I don’t remember what it was called, but it might be an option for you.
Pretty much how I discribed him in the first place, no?
Since SDMB subscribers can never have too many opinions, let’s offer this one. Assuming your walk and drive are sound, but have an aesthetically displeasing surface, you could use a hammer scabbler to remove the upper most surface, and then float a layer of modified cement admixture atop it.