Pouring cement on an angle

[maradcliff]

I have done a fair amount of cement work over the years. Mostly flat areas or very slightly pitched. But I have a section of grass between two poured slabs that gets pretty muddy at times and it leads to my barn, so I am always walking there. I want to pour a sidewalk in there, but leave part of it grass. It's only about 8 or 9 feet long, but it drops about 10 inches in this span. Because I will occasionally lead a horse thru there, I'd prefer not to make a step, not to mention I often walk out there at night and it's pretty dark back there and I know I will trip on it unless I am always carrying a flashlight (and half the time I cant find them). So, I'd prefer to just follow the slope of the soil thats there now. The problem is this: If I pour a slab with that amount of slope, wont the cement all pool to the lower end of the slope? Should I just keep working it back up until it begins to set, or should I put 2x4s every 3 feet until it sets and then pull them out and fill in the gaps? Whats the best way to do this?

One other thing. I dont want this cement smooth, or it will become real slippery in winter when it ices over. I know the trick to run a coarse broom over it after its set, but I think that is still not rought enough. How can I make it rougher? No, I dont want to pour it and not trowel it, leaving all the stones exposed. Thats too rough. I was wondering about troweling it and pulling a leaf rake across it, or something like that, Something that would make an "X" pattern would be ideal. I guess the roughness should be similar to the side of a concrete block.

Then too, there's another thought. Would I be better off using patio blocks? (I mean the 4" thick, not the 2" which crack too easily esp if a horse walks on them. I'm not sure how well they would work on a slope like that ???

Thanks

Mark

[bamboo]

[bill allemann]

As far as the slope, a fairly dry mix will not present a problem. If you are getting delivery of redimix, let them know. If you are mixing on site, make it dryer than you think it should be and it will probably be fine. You might check with the local material yard and see if they rent the forms for imprinting brick joints in the surface. You could make one if you have a welder. For doing this process, you'd probably want to pour small sections.

[Andy]

Andy writes: Well, for 8 feet long and , maybe, 4 feet wide, a single sheet of OSB nailed to the top of the side forms would make a good top of a mold....

This may be more trouble than it's worth, and I really go for the idea presented of have a really stiff mix and just working it till it starts to set.... HOWEVER.... if you pour cement into a mold and wait till it firms up and then remove the top and trowel it, that might work also....

I found the answers here very interesting as I have wondered about the same problem.....

Up to now, I have just put down black plastic and about 6 inches of gravel or base rock. It works really well, is cheap, and easy to maintain.....

Just my two cents worth,,

Andy in Eureka, Texas

[EXT]

If your concrete (not cement) is running down a 10 inch incline in 9 feet, you have WAY too much water in the mix. Unlike the stupid scenes in the movies where concrete is as watery as soup, concrete should be stiff and be difficult to spread. Too much water makes concrete weak, crumbly, easy to wear down and subject to a lot of cracking. Think of Gunite, where they spray concrete on vertical surfaces such as pools, and it stays there. If it was even slightly watery it would slide down to the bottom.

[Goedjn]

If you cover that area with an impermeable surface, you're likely to end up just moving the mudhole to the lower edge of it. I think you'd be better off plowing out the topsoil, and replacing it driveway gravel. And maybe laying some drain tile.

[bill allemann]

another concrete alternative: you could spread a thin layer of small gravel over the problem area. Grass will grow up through it. Add more from time to time until the muddiness finally goes away. You can get a pretty firm base built up (as far as foot traffic anyway) that grass will tolerate just fine. I have a parking area that's covered with pea gravel and my truck sits fine on it all year, and it looks like the rest of the lawn.

[John Hines]

Around here, they press an expanded piece of metal into the concrete at sidewalks where they slope down to the street. This leaves a diamond grid pattern, which is deeper than brooming the concrete.

I'd think you could find such a beast at a supply store or maybe a tool rental place.

Exposed aggregate concrete is done by washing the top layer of concrete off, after trowling and finishing. A smaller, decorative aggregate is used, its like large pea gravel. (I got to watch a big patio being made this way.

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[gfretwell]

Exactly right. Even at a "5" slump, about as wet as you would ever use for anything, you can hold any slope you would want to walk on.

[minder]

if you drive around and look at driveways, you can see, some are done really steep, you should be fine