How to Do it With Marshalltown Tools

Concrete Tips and Techniques
Concrete Made Easy

Concrete provides a durable, attractive surface for driveways, sidewalks, patios, and the like. Placing, or evenly spreading, concrete involves some hard work, but if you are a do-it-yourselfer and can enlist some capable help, the finished job should be respectable. If you plan to tackle a sizeable job, it would be best to break it into a series of smaller jobs, thus controlling the amount of concrete placed at one time. This will allow you to work a bit slower and not rush you into mistakes or maybe a lost slab.

If time is important, the area quite large, and a truly professional job required, then you may wish to call on a contractor.

On jobs, such as driveways, garage floors, and patios, it's more practical to purchase ready mixed concrete from a local source. Just tell them the width, length and thickness of the slab you intend to pour; they'll help you calculate the needed quantity. On smaller jobs, however, you may decide to mix your own.

Concrete in Cubic Yards*
Thickness in inches	Area in square feet (width x length)
	10	25	50	100	200	300
4	0.12	0.31	0.62	1.23	2.47	3.70
5	0.15	0.39	0.77	1.54	3.09	4.63
6	0.19	0.46	0.93	1.85	3.70	5.56

*Does not allow for losses due to uneven subgrade, spoilage, etc. Add 5 to 10 percent for such contingencies.

Concrete in Cubic Yards*