Building walkways using cement is becoming a popular choice for many homeowners. Walkways are meant to be strong and durable. They are outdoors so there’s a chance that they will feel the biggest effects of weather. If you use ordinary materials, you may end up with many costly repairs in the long run. But cement will not let you down. The strength of Sacramento landscaping will ensure that even the harshest days of weather are no match for your walkway. In addition to this, cement is versatile and can be easily used to create unique walkway designs.
The following is a simple DIY guide to help you build high-quality walkways using cement:
Overbuild Your Forms
The landscaping Sacramento will need reinforcement before it’s able to dry and this will be offered by the forms. You should pay special attention to forms. The forms are going to hold the cement and if they are not strong, they might lead to significant waste. As a rule of thumb, you must use one and a half inch thick boards. The stakes need to be placed to support the boards at about 3 feet from each other. Make sure you have reinforced the stakes with additional soil to increase the strength. If the walkway will have some curves, you can use hardboard to reinforce the curvy parts.
Prepare a Solid Base
The base on which the cement will sit needs to be solid. Don’t just finish the boards and begin pouring in the cement mixture. If you can find a plate compactor to help you with this, it will be great. This is simply a vibrating machine that will compact the soil on the walkway, creating a solid hard surface where the cement will be poured.
Pour the Concrete
Once the base is ready, go ahead and pour the cement. As you do this, make sure you are also packing the cement. Packing is the technique used to remove air bubbles from the cement. The air bubbles are often trapped against forms. This will significantly weaken the slab. Take care of them by using a hammer to tap the sides of the board and ensure that the cement is well settled.
Avoid Too Much Water
When you are ordering the cement right from the plant, you don’t need to add any water. This is a mistake that many homeowners do. The plant where the mixture is made knows how to mix the cement with the right amount of water. Unless the mixture is too dry to flow, there’s no need to add any water.
Finish With a Broom
Once the cement is dry, you need to clean up the excess mixture using a broom. You can use some water to do the job but it’s not always necessary. Once the walkway is clean, you are good to go.
Installing a walkway using landscape design Sacramento is easy and the benefits you get with it are quite outstanding. The simple tips listed above will help you with this project.