First Concrete Project: Tools and Technique

Common First Projects

Fence post footings: the most common first concrete project. Dig a hole, set the post, pour concrete around it. Uses pre-mixed bags (Quikrete or Sakrete), no mixing required for the fast-setting variety. Just pour the dry mix into the hole, add water, and it sets in 20 to 40 minutes.

Small pads (mailbox base, AC unit pad, garbage can pad): 2x2 to 4x4 foot pads, 4 inches thick. Requires forming (building a temporary frame), mixing concrete, placing it, and finishing the surface. This is where you learn the screeding and finishing process.

Stepping stones and path pavers: small, manageable pours that teach the finishing technique. Use a form (plastic mold or wood frame), pour, trowel smooth, and let cure.

Patching existing concrete: filling cracks, resurfacing a deteriorating patio, repairing a chipped step. Uses vinyl concrete patcher or self-leveling compound rather than standard concrete.

Tools for Post Footings

Post-hole digger or auger. For digging the hole. Footings need to be 8 to 12 inches wide and below your frost line (check local code). A clamshell post-hole digger works for a few holes. An auger is worth borrowing for 6+ holes.

Level (48-inch). For checking that the post is plumb before the concrete sets. Hold the level against two adjacent faces of the post. Adjust until both faces read plumb, brace if needed, then pour.

5-gallon bucket. For adding water to fast-set concrete. Pour the dry mix into the hole, then slowly add water per the bag instructions. A garden hose also works if you have one nearby.

Tamping rod or a length of rebar. For poking the wet concrete in the hole to eliminate air pockets. Push the rod up and down throughout the pour to consolidate the mix around the post.

Trowel or float. For smoothing the top of the footing and sloping it away from the post so water drains instead of pooling at the base.

Tools for Small Pads

Form lumber (2x4s or 2x6s). For building the frame that holds the concrete in shape while it cures. 2x4s create a 3.5-inch thick slab. 2x6s create a 5.5-inch thick slab. For most residential pads, 4 inches (a 2x4 form on its side) is standard. Stake the forms to the ground so they don't bow out under the weight of wet concrete.

Wheelbarrow and mixing hoe (or a rental mixer). For mixing bags of pre-mixed concrete. A standard wheelbarrow holds about two bags (120 pounds) per batch. A mixing hoe (the one with holes in the blade) folds the mix more efficiently than a shovel. For pads larger than 16 square feet, renting a portable mixer saves significant labor.

Screed board (a straight 2x4 longer than the form width). For leveling the concrete. Drag the screed board across the tops of the forms in a sawing motion to level the surface. This is the critical step that determines whether the pad is flat.

Magnesium float or wood float. For the first pass after screeding. The float smooths the surface and pushes aggregate (gravel) below the surface. Magnesium floats are lighter and don't leave marks. Work the float in wide arcs.

Steel finishing trowel. For the final smooth finish. Wait until the surface water (bleed water) disappears and the concrete starts to stiffen, then trowel in large arcs with light pressure. Timing is everything: too early and you trap water under the surface (which causes scaling), too late and the surface won't smooth.

Edging tool. For rounding the edges where the concrete meets the form. Rounded edges resist chipping. Run the edger along the form edge with smooth, continuous strokes.

Groover (for larger pads). For cutting control joints that dictate where the slab cracks (concrete always cracks; control joints make it crack in a straight line you chose rather than a random one). Space joints every 8 to 10 feet, or 2 to 3 times the slab thickness in feet.

Materials You Need

Pre-mixed concrete (bags). For small projects, bags are easier than ordering a truckload. One 80-pound bag makes about 0.6 cubic feet. For a 4x4 foot pad at 4 inches thick, you need about 9 bags. For a 4x8 foot pad: about 18 bags. The bags are heavy. Plan for lifting 1,500+ pounds of material for even a small pad.

Gravel (for sub-base). A 2 to 4 inch layer of compacted gravel under the slab provides drainage and prevents settling. For small pads, a few bags of crushed gravel from the hardware store are enough.

Rebar or wire mesh (for pads). Reinforces the slab against cracking. Wire mesh (6x6 W1.4/W1.4) is the standard for residential pads. Lay it on rebar chairs (small plastic supports) so it sits in the middle of the slab thickness, not on the ground.

Form release oil or cooking spray. Coat the inside of the forms before pouring so the concrete doesn't bond to the wood. Makes form removal clean. Vegetable oil works in a pinch.

Curing compound or plastic sheeting. Concrete needs to stay moist for 5 to 7 days to reach full strength. Curing compound (spray-on) seals the surface. Plastic sheeting (6-mil) traps moisture. In hot weather, misting the surface twice a day for the first 3 days helps.

Buy vs Borrow for Concrete Work

Buy: trowel, float, edger, mixing hoe, form stakes, concrete bags, gravel, rebar/mesh. These are cheap, consumable, or specific to concrete work.

Borrow: post-hole auger, concrete mixer (for pads), 48-inch level, wheelbarrow (if you don't have one), bull float (for larger pads), groover. These are used for the pour day only.

Don't buy: a concrete vibrator for small pads (hand tamping and floating is sufficient). A power trowel (for pads under 100 square feet, a hand trowel works fine). A concrete saw (control joints can be grooved while wet instead of cut after curing).

Frequently Asked Questions