Hi,
we want to order our paving stones and terrace slabs today and complete the work this year.
For the pathways, the splash guard (30cm (12 inches) wide filled with gravel), and the terrace, we are using a 6x20/25x100 deep curb stone.
That’s the plan, at least.
For the driveway, we are using an 8cm (3 inches) deep curb stone.
In total, there are about 70m (230 feet) of deep curb stones.
My wife’s uncle, who is helping us and works in road construction at the city, said it’s enough to set only the joints in concrete.
I’m a bit skeptical about that.
What do you think? How much concrete would we approximately need if we want to do it properly?
And which type of concrete should we use exactly?
Portland cement concrete, screed concrete, mortar, or fast-setting concrete?
Are these 30kg (66 pounds) bags suitable for this?
Thanks in advance!
we want to order our paving stones and terrace slabs today and complete the work this year.
For the pathways, the splash guard (30cm (12 inches) wide filled with gravel), and the terrace, we are using a 6x20/25x100 deep curb stone.
That’s the plan, at least.
For the driveway, we are using an 8cm (3 inches) deep curb stone.
In total, there are about 70m (230 feet) of deep curb stones.
My wife’s uncle, who is helping us and works in road construction at the city, said it’s enough to set only the joints in concrete.
I’m a bit skeptical about that.
What do you think? How much concrete would we approximately need if we want to do it properly?
And which type of concrete should we use exactly?
Portland cement concrete, screed concrete, mortar, or fast-setting concrete?
Are these 30kg (66 pounds) bags suitable for this?
Thanks in advance!
I would start by using 8 cm (3 inches) thick stones with a depth of 25 cm (10 inches) everywhere. The price difference is negligible, and they are significantly more robust.
Regarding the terrace, your uncle is probably right; joint connections should be sufficient there. For the driveway, I would definitely pour a continuous fillet (concave joint) in concrete. What is the soil like? If it is quite clayey, that will provide good support, but if it is very fine sand, I would recommend pouring concrete continuously everywhere.
For a continuous fillet, you can expect about 20 kg (44 lbs) of concrete (dry mass) per meter, while for just joints, it would be about one-third to half of that.
It’s best to make the concrete yourself by ordering a bulk bag of gravel (grain size up to 32 mm (1¼ inches)) and mixing it with cement in a mixer.
The mix ratio is approximately 4:1, meaning you will need about 12-13 bags of cement per cubic meter (35 cubic feet) of gravel.
Alternatively, you can use ready-mix concrete in 40 kg (88 lbs) bags, but the first option is definitely cheaper, especially since you will also need to order crushed stone and other materials for the base layer as well as for the slabs and stones.
A concrete mixer is absolutely essential; otherwise, after two buckets of concrete, your arms will be very tired.
A suitable gripping tool for the curbstones could also be helpful; maybe your uncle can arrange one. Handling them by hand is possible, but quite tough over time. For the slabs, a slab lifter would be recommended.
It’s also important to monitor the heights and slopes early on, as many mistakes can happen here.
A laser level is excellent, but it is also doable with a leveling rod and string plus a spirit level.
For cutting stones, a large angle grinder with a good diamond blade is recommended, along with mandatory ear and eye protection.
I personally designed my terrace and garden in a similar scope, with about 75 meters (246 feet) of curbstone. It took two people about a week, working over 10 hours each day. Afterward, I temporarily developed carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands and had forearms like Popeye.
But it turned out really well and was an enjoyable task overall; I would definitely do it again.
If you want to get it done this year, start soon—once it freezes, the fun is over.
Regarding the terrace, your uncle is probably right; joint connections should be sufficient there. For the driveway, I would definitely pour a continuous fillet (concave joint) in concrete. What is the soil like? If it is quite clayey, that will provide good support, but if it is very fine sand, I would recommend pouring concrete continuously everywhere.
For a continuous fillet, you can expect about 20 kg (44 lbs) of concrete (dry mass) per meter, while for just joints, it would be about one-third to half of that.
It’s best to make the concrete yourself by ordering a bulk bag of gravel (grain size up to 32 mm (1¼ inches)) and mixing it with cement in a mixer.
The mix ratio is approximately 4:1, meaning you will need about 12-13 bags of cement per cubic meter (35 cubic feet) of gravel.
Alternatively, you can use ready-mix concrete in 40 kg (88 lbs) bags, but the first option is definitely cheaper, especially since you will also need to order crushed stone and other materials for the base layer as well as for the slabs and stones.
A concrete mixer is absolutely essential; otherwise, after two buckets of concrete, your arms will be very tired.
A suitable gripping tool for the curbstones could also be helpful; maybe your uncle can arrange one. Handling them by hand is possible, but quite tough over time. For the slabs, a slab lifter would be recommended.
It’s also important to monitor the heights and slopes early on, as many mistakes can happen here.
A laser level is excellent, but it is also doable with a leveling rod and string plus a spirit level.
For cutting stones, a large angle grinder with a good diamond blade is recommended, along with mandatory ear and eye protection.
I personally designed my terrace and garden in a similar scope, with about 75 meters (246 feet) of curbstone. It took two people about a week, working over 10 hours each day. Afterward, I temporarily developed carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands and had forearms like Popeye.
But it turned out really well and was an enjoyable task overall; I would definitely do it again.
If you want to get it done this year, start soon—once it freezes, the fun is over.
Hi, thanks for the detailed response. We wanted the 6cm (2.4 inches) so the curb doesn’t stand out too much. Apparently, the 5cm (2 inches) ones are only available with rounded edges on top; otherwise, we would have chosen those.
Regarding making the concrete ourselves, I need to find out how much all the materials would cost.
Regarding making the concrete ourselves, I need to find out how much all the materials would cost.
As mentioned, you can’t mix the quantities by hand, not even with a mixing paddle like the one tile fitters often use. You can also have ready-mix concrete delivered, but that doesn’t make sense because the amount is very small and you would take too long to work with it. Used mixers are available at low cost in classified ads.
Hi, I quickly checked.
Rheinkies 0/16 (gravel) would cost me €27.73 per ton at the soil processing facility. 1m³ (1.6 tons).
They don’t have cement.
At Bauhaus, the cheapest cement, 25kg (55 lbs) bag, low chromate, would cost me €2.69 (€0.11/kg).
The concrete screed would cost €3.29 for a 40kg (88 lbs) bag with 0/8 (mm) aggregate (€0.08/kg).
So with ready-made concrete, I would already be cheaper there.
I’ll keep looking for places where I can get cement cheaper. Although €0.08/kg for concrete doesn’t seem too expensive, does it?
I only know that our local building materials supplier, who sells us the slabs and paving, charges €3.20 net for a 30kg (66 lbs) bag of concrete, so €3.80 including tax.
Rheinkies 0/16 (gravel) would cost me €27.73 per ton at the soil processing facility. 1m³ (1.6 tons).
They don’t have cement.
At Bauhaus, the cheapest cement, 25kg (55 lbs) bag, low chromate, would cost me €2.69 (€0.11/kg).
The concrete screed would cost €3.29 for a 40kg (88 lbs) bag with 0/8 (mm) aggregate (€0.08/kg).
So with ready-made concrete, I would already be cheaper there.
I’ll keep looking for places where I can get cement cheaper. Although €0.08/kg for concrete doesn’t seem too expensive, does it?
I only know that our local building materials supplier, who sells us the slabs and paving, charges €3.20 net for a 30kg (66 lbs) bag of concrete, so €3.80 including tax.
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