Wow - I watched this within days before trying my first dry pour concrete patio extension. I literally had Home Depot deliver all the materials. I immediately ran up to Home Depot and grabbed some of the mortar mix. I added about a 0.25" mortar top after watching this video and it turned out super smooth and looks great. I thank you so much for the video!! It REALLY, REALLY helped!
I have done three dry pours now since watching Cajun Country etc…This seems like a good idea and may be easier! But you can get a smooth surface using just concrete. Either screed with 2x4 until rocks go under or sift through a container with a few holes drilled to just let the powder through. Either way a smooth surface is doable as I have done a few and they turned out nice!
I’ve done a few also but the recurring issue I see in RUclips is the finish being very rough. Even the ones I’ve laid out perfect have ended up with stone spots in certain areas that I have to fix. This method pours a perfect top every time for the beginner. First time perfection zero stones. If you don’t need this method you’re doing great!! I think many will use and enjoy. Thank you!!
I like your method. I've done 2 dry pours so far and if you are getting rocks, just add more cement and screed until surface is smooth. Mine have turned out nice without mortar but i might give it a shot. Just wanted to say you can get smooth surface without it
@@marytramp5678 screeding dry pour is no guarantee of a smooth surface. I’ve done son many dry pours now for a pleather of people and rocks will surface. Also the paint roller is highly likely to fail as well. Many people failing at dry pour smooth surface. Against fence, tight areas where screeding is almost impossible. A different method is needed. That’s all I’m saying.
This guy added an addition product and an additional step to the process because he failed to follow the directions on the Cajun Living channel for dry pouring concrete.
Hello! RUclips populated your video onto our page and we looked forward to watching. We hope you take another try at the dry pour using our method that we took years to perfect on how to finish a dry pour slab using Quikcrete. We look forward to seeing the comparison!
Whoop Whoop! I’ve done 3 using your method and it’s awesome. The folks that say it’ll never hold up aren’t giving it a try. The only problem is every dry pour I see on RUclips and have done myself always end up with a few stone patches after watering. Then I have to go back over it to smooth out. It seems to be the common issue across RUclips. So I always find easier ways so there’s no going back. Done once and perfection on your first pour. The novice first timer will pour a perfect smooth top and it’ll be exciting enough to move onto another possibly larger project without dashing their hopes. Your ideas and slab pours are great. Glad you opened this idea up to RUclips. Thanks for commenting.
@@OfficialDogewarrior I get the impression you didn't watch CCL's third video (gator finish) where they answered all the questions. They go over the surfacing very carefully so you don't get a rocky surface. Why is it people have trouble with that???
I take it you’re not watching all the recent RUclips videos where average folks are showing their results and they all have surface stones in random unsightly areas along with discoloring due to improper roller and screeding? One try you get it right with my method. Perfection for the beginner. You can’t argue what’s being displayed on RUclips also the amount of people telling me they screwed up and wished they had seen my video before hand. I’m not knocking the Cajun couple. What they’re doing is great.
Thanks so much. I just learned this was possible for me to do on my own thanks to videos like this one. The pros wanted to charge me 4k, another 6k, for a driveway job. I'm an only parent to my kid. I can't afford to fatten some other guy's pockets. Gonna' dry pour myself for around $120 and see what happens.
I like it! It's very smart to top dry-pour with a little high-strength mortar that finishes better! However, you can get a much, much better finish on pure Quickcrete. (you were making a point, I get it!) As someone who has used dry pour many, many times, it needs lots of moisture to set quickly and strongly. The ground should be wet or at least very damp. In a plastic tote, it will take forever to cure through and through and end up weaker unless you start with an inch of water. (still, no mixing needed!) Dry-pour takes precisely the same amount of water to cure dry as it does wet, which is a fraction of what concrete companies use. But the point is, it needs moisture from every direction for a reasonably fast complete cure.
You gotta love YT! Great info! This is what happens when contractors over charge and get greedy. People find ways to do things. Sure I’m calling a contractor to build my house. No choice but not to pour my sidewalk. Not anymore. I had my asphalt driveway resurfaced last month. 3 quotes: $4000, $7600, and $14,000. This was unreal to see the price differences. Contractors will curse this method and tell you it won’t work, but it does.
I plan to try this soon but I would do two things different. I have over 30 years of experience in using refractory castables in steel mills which are similar to Portland concrete. I believe you can get almost or full strength doing dry casting. The two things different is that I would not have the mortar that thick. I would have no more than 1 inch on the top. The other thing I would do is water the base that would help hydrate the cement faster from the bottom up and that could make the difference in getting full compressive strength on the concrete. I think if you did not use mortar, you could use a hand float when the concrete is dry and before misting and pat the surface in which would drive the fine part of the matrix to the top and bury the aggregate. I am going to try it both ways. I think this method can be improved further..... I can't wait to try....
@@jeremyrock9305 It would and the fines would come to the top. Real fine dry bulk cements are hauled on tank trucks and unloaded with compressed air in pipe. With some vibration and a little air, fines in concrete will act like a liquid. They are said to be thixotropic.
I'm about to do a dry pour and I've decided to use mortar mix. Just as strong as concrete mix and no rocks. Seems pretty obvious to me??? Also the new fiberglass rebar seems perfect.
THAAAAANK YOU! I was just thinking about this, because I am going to do a dry pour coming off my deck. I recently filled a hole where I installed a pole light in my front yard, and noticed the rocks are definitely obvious on top. So I was just thinking of what I need to do to keep the rocks from not showing on top of my dry pour slab.
That looks really good. I used sand mix to finish the top of mine it came out better and easier than any wet pour I have done. A year later no cracks I drive my van on it no problem. If I do another one I will give the motor mix a go😊 Nice video.
Love your video. As someone who works with concrete a lot and does dry pouring, what I usually do when I'm making something is I fill 3/4 of Quikcrete to a level of what I'm making. Then I finely sift and separate all rocks and put that powder layer on top, smooth out and mist. I eliminate 2 separate bags...
Your method also avoids the problem of imperfect bonding between a concrete layer and mortar layer because of differences in pressure and expansion. Good contribution & method thanks for sharing. May I ask what kind of screen you use to sift and if you have noticed any difference in surface finish between different sieves?
I appreciate your suggestion to use the mortar and will look into doing it that way, but I have been watching a LOT of dry pour videos and NONE of them look like your cement pour only side. One guy even shows how to do a similar pour as yours by sifting the cement to remove the rocks and use the leftover for screeding the top. I don't know what the PSI would be with this method but I would think it would be enough as long as your not driving on it or putting a lot of weight on it. Thank you for your suggestion with the 6000 PSI mortar, it might be the best way to go for the best finish.
I agree, even with the rocky finish... its my sweat and tears, I extended my driveway 7ft on one side and 2.5 ft on the other and it cost me about 900 bucks and I have leftover materials... saved about 4k
Ahhhhh I wish I had seen this before I did my slab! I somewhat did this but I only put it on certain parts that showed more rock. I should have done the entire top layer! Lesson learned. Thanks for posting
OMG! Thanks for that tip. I'm totally finishing my 4' x 2' stepping stone path this way. I got so may rocks on my stones I was wondering what I was doing wrong. Maybe it's was because I'm using 1 x 2 firing strips for my forms. I got so tired trying to screen it smooth I gave up an left the rocks on top and thought I'd grind them down for a terrazzo look later. Now I think I'll just put the forms back on those and fill it in with the mortar powered. Excited to try the remaining stones with this new mixture. Thanks :)
Very nice! I asked the Cajun couple a question about their technique but never got an answer so maybe you can give me an answer. I have an existing sidewalk in front of my house that is cracked and uneven in places but good in other spots. Would it be possible to use your technique to resurface this walkway and if so what you think the depth of the mix would need to be? And if possible how could I anchor it to the existing surface?
Thanks for the Video I kept wondering why the concrete I put down kept having Rocks pointing out. I'll definitely try and add some mortar to the next bag I lay down.
Love your videos!! Question: At $19 for a 55lb bag, I am curious whether it's necessary to get the "Fastset," "rapid set" or otherwise named quick-dry mortar mix you used for this process, because regular Quikrete-brand mortar mix is much closer in price to the Quikrete-brand concrete mix. All the options make one's head spin, but my basic question is whether there is any benefit to paying extra for the quick-drying stuff when the whole point here is to take your time and water it slowly?🤔
Stay tuned for the video where I used exactly the brand you’re mentioning. It’s $7 and rated 1800 lbs. the top came out really nice. It has sand that surfaces but can be sprayed off. Overall it’s not as good but will definitely still work.
It might help if you used the correct terminology. Cement is just... cement without the aggregate (rocks). Concrete is cement with aggregate (sand and gravel). Some people mix their own concrete by combining cement with sand and gravel. I notice you have a tendency to say cement when you mean concrete, and they are not the same thing. You could get the same effect by topping your concrete with pure cement instead of using mortar.
I’m showing the exact product in the thumbnail and in the video… quikrete which the terms are interchangeable considering all concrete contains cement. You’d have to be far behind the group not to understand.
@@OfficialDogewarrior You do show the products you use, but not everyone is going to use that brand or even be able to find it locally. You repeatedly call concrete cement, both verbally and in text when they are not the same thing and since you're trying to educate your viewers, that's another thing you could teach them. Quikrete is a brand that sells a lot of different products, including mortar and portland cement. It is not synonymous with concrete.
@@OfficialDogewarrior Teddy, I am a casual DIYer. I've done a few small projects involving concrete (fence posts, tub support, floor-leveling). I have to agree with Jasper. There were a couple times in the video you mentioned "cement" and I got confused because I could see the bag was concrete. I had to rewind and watch a few times just to make sure I wasn't missing something. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that you were using "cement" and "concrete" interchangeably. You should try to be as specific as possible... especially if you're making this video as a tip for beginners as you indicated. We don't realize that you're saying one thing but meaning something else. Some of us are pretty far behind the group. Other that, I think your concept is great.
Bags are cement or cement with aggregate. Not concrete. Concrete mix is when water is added which causes chemical reaction. Then just Concrete is the finished slab.
I like the rough, natural look that you get when you use just the concrete mix. If you screed it correctly, the rocky look will be minimal. Now, if I was wanting that smooth and light grey/white look, I think this method would be the way to go.
Skipping the step of rolling with a long nap roller seemed intentional to make the left hand pour as rough as possible. Doing so would have made it MUCH smoother! However I love the idea of adding a bit of mortar mix on top!
if you would have shimmy the 2x4 across the cheap concrete the stone would have sunk I. an dust would hqve roadr to top making it way smoother than in the vid. I agree mortar is a cool thing to do. but try the 2x4 across top to level shimmy back an forth. then roller
Hi @officialTeddyZaneWARRIOR Interesting video. I'm looking into doing a dry pour as I am working by myself. I need to pour a 2" floor inside an existing metal building, which is my mom's chicken coop which has a very unlevel dirt floor where she has fallen twice already. So I got to take care of this problem. The building is12' x 16', so a fairly large floor for one person to do. I'm going to bring it up to grade with gravel, then pour my concrete on top. My problem is figuring out how to screed it...? As where you would normally ride a 2x4 on top of the outer forms for screeding/smoothing, I have walls in the way. Which means I don't have room to "saw" something back and forth. So with using your mortar method for the top layer, could I just use a pipe or etc, to "roll" it smooth? Or is there a better way? Also I don't see how I can do this large of a floor, inside of a building, in a single pour. So if I do it in 3 sections, approx one 5ft section a day, do you have any tips for adhering the sections? Or do I need some type of expansion joints?
That's the whole point of mixing your bag and pouring it wet and use your mag to bring the cream up and the rock down for bonding purposes and pretty in the top.
Concrete is mixed so that it all the materials is properly hydrated the one major concern I have with the dry pour is how do you know the water applied to the surface has made its way threw the slab and hydrated all the materials so that it all properly bonds together to reach the designed strength?
Thanks for this video!! This was a much better suggested video than some clown (Day, It think) I watched trying to prove what a bad idea dry pour concrete is....bad idea for his business, I'm sure.
One of the problems ive seen with the numerous videos ive watched an this is my opinion i havnt dry poured yet but i do plan too...when ppl get ready to water the top for the first few times i think they misunderstand the word "mist" an just turn those hose down to sprinkle an it washes the top layer of powder off cause the water flow is too heavy.....
Can I add a layer of mortar after I did my dry pour? Mine looks terrible so I'd like to top it with mortar. Afraid it's going to crack off if I don't put a thick layer.
@@WhitneyWilger yeah, I’ve gathered that from watching videos on the process but unless you bring up a cream, it’s impossible to get an actual broom finish. Keep in mind I’m not bashing the drive for process. My response was merely stating that you cannot get a traditional broom finish without mixed concrete.
@@justin5159 that's interesting! I need to research what a broom finish is to see the difference. I am a new DIY'er and I assumed they would be similar but it sounds like the true finish isn't the same. Thanks for the extra bit of info!
6000 psi is a general term, in the perfect scenario. Your concrete can take 6000 pounds in 1 inch! Your pad is like 2300 inches. So, if evenly distributed, it could handle almost 14 million pounds, before it crumbled. If the edges were only supporting the slab and you put 5 tons only in the middle, it will probably crack. That's where thicker is always better
This looks like a good technique as it replicates pushing the aggregate down in conventional wet pour before troweling. Have you tried steel troweling it as in after the initial or second misting? Thanks!
I really like this idea, but how does it affect the WATERING schedule? I'm going by the Cajun Country Living watering schedule. But when you mix in the mortar mix you're changing the makeup of the dry mix. Is adding mortar mix going to mean more water? How are you then spacing out your waterings?
Use the same watering schedule. Just remember there’s no such thing as over watering. The slab will drink what it needs and expel the rest. Even over the slab will continue to take in water.
@@OfficialDogewarrior The only thing I'd worry about is that the mortar is CSA rather than Portland , it's approximately 35% CSA cement and 65% soft sand. The top layer is curing really fast and accelerating the Portland based concrete below, I'd fear insufficient hydration of the lower portion of the slab and thus much reduced strength if you were to water it as typically is done. With the CSA you could likely do the initial mist, then shower it 20 minutes later and then drench it after another 30, etc it should really accelerate the curing process and if you didn't get substantial water in it wouldn't penetrate, I've seen videos where they did a dry pour with rapidset using the cajun country method and they didn't get complete hydration. Alternatively you could just mix half Portland half soft sand and use that for your topping you'll get the same 5000 to 6000 psi strength and smooth finish but it will cure much slower.
Most slippery concrete is just slippery shoes or algae growing on it from being in a damp place. If worried, lightly sprinkle a little fine sand on top before misting. After it dries a week or so, sweep off the loose sand and the concrete will be grippy.
If you wet the ground/form and then fill half dry and mist with water then add the rest dry and skrit smooth then mist, you will get better finish with only cement
Yeah I don't have that much money and I hate paying other people to do things I can learn or figure out how to do my self. Getting ready to start to create the boxes for the foundations. Much rather do it this way.
Nothing. What happens when people do dry-pour, is the water gets 'sucked' into the concrete or mortar right... But what doesn't happen is any mixing like wet-pour or correctly preparing mortar. That mixing turns the binder- cement into a creme that covers every grain of sand and aggregate piece. So when it sets, it's become one piece. The only bonds in your dry pour are where the cement sucked in the water and by luck touched something else. That explains your loose mortar, his dry-pour 'chipping stones out' and the classic 'hollow' sound of dry-pour.
Walk on that after rain, when wet, slippery as glass. Okay if in a place only for show, needs some type of texture if in a place that will actually be used.
Your technique using mortar (think brick or stucco mud) leaves a nice finish. That mortar mix is 1 part Portland cement to @ 3 parts of sharp sand. And 6000 psi? Not one concrete finisher is using anything over 4000 psi concrete out of the ready mix truck. And to set the viewers straight, thats a 6000 psi or compressive strength of 6 thousand POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH. Thats extremely strong.
I have a pea gravel firepit area that I'm getting tired of pulling weeds. I'm thinking about trying the dry pour cement method. Should I use just concrete mix or both concrete and mortar or just mortar all the way? Thoughs and advice would be helpful. Thanks.
If you want the top super smooth with zero visible stones; Lay concrete on the bottom fill 75% then top it with Mortar the other 25%.. if you dont care how the top looks, you can go full concrete. Good luck!
use refreactory cement or you WILL have problems with cracking do to expansion. its also called fire clay based mortar. use as a plaster coat to the concrete to protect it from falling apart
I have no experience with this, like, at all, but I was wondering: Can an outside concrete surface be too smooth? Because I could just see me not being able to stay upright with a surface that smooth iced over.
Whatever you are making, fill it up 3/4 then sift through the rest and separate the rocks. Throw the rest of the powder on top and start leveling then misting. Viola!
3000 psi sounds good until you hit it with a sledgehammer. However, with a good hard base, I'm sure it will do quite well as long as it gets enough time plus water.
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Wow - I watched this within days before trying my first dry pour concrete patio extension. I literally had Home Depot deliver all the materials. I immediately ran up to Home Depot and grabbed some of the mortar mix. I added about a 0.25" mortar top after watching this video and it turned out super smooth and looks great. I thank you so much for the video!! It REALLY, REALLY helped!
Seems I saw hairline cracks in the mortar side of this video. Was that an issue with your pour?
@@janean3773 No issues with hairline cracks. My pad has been down now for about 8 months now with no problems.
I have done three dry pours now since watching Cajun Country etc…This seems like a good idea and may be easier! But you can get a smooth surface using just concrete. Either screed with 2x4 until rocks go under or sift through a container with a few holes drilled to just let the powder through. Either way a smooth surface is doable as I have done a few and they turned out nice!
I’ve done a few also but the recurring issue I see in RUclips is the finish being very rough. Even the ones I’ve laid out perfect have ended up with stone spots in certain areas that I have to fix. This method pours a perfect top every time for the beginner. First time perfection zero stones. If you don’t need this method you’re doing great!! I think many will use and enjoy. Thank you!!
@@OfficialDogewarrior yes it definitely sounds like a good alternative that is easier to achieve a smoother finish! Thank you!
@@jonathanfritz1104 Thanks for watching 🙏
Great tip! Thanks.
But what if you already did it without the motor and it didn't come out smooth? Can you now add the motor to get it smooth out?
I like your method. I've done 2 dry pours so far and if you are getting rocks, just add more cement and screed until surface is smooth. Mine have turned out nice without mortar but i might give it a shot. Just wanted to say you can get smooth surface without it
🤘🤘💯💯💯💯💯💯
i noticed he hadn't screed either. i watch Micheal builds and his are smooth and all he does is scree first.
@@marytramp5678 screeding dry pour is no guarantee of a smooth surface. I’ve done son many dry pours now for a pleather of people and rocks will surface. Also the paint roller is highly likely to fail as well. Many people failing at dry pour smooth surface. Against fence, tight areas where screeding is almost impossible. A different method is needed. That’s all I’m saying.
This guy added an addition product and an additional step to the process because he failed to follow the directions on the Cajun Living channel for dry pouring concrete.
Great video! Thanks for taking the time to compare and contrast. I’ll be using your method.
Hello!
RUclips populated your video onto our page and we looked forward to watching. We hope you take another try at the dry pour using our method that we took years to perfect on how to finish a dry pour slab using Quikcrete. We look forward to seeing the comparison!
Whoop Whoop! I’ve done 3 using your method and it’s awesome. The folks that say it’ll never hold up aren’t giving it a try. The only problem is every dry pour I see on RUclips and have done myself always end up with a few stone patches after watering. Then I have to go back over it to smooth out. It seems to be the common issue across RUclips. So I always find easier ways so there’s no going back. Done once and perfection on your first pour. The novice first timer will pour a perfect smooth top and it’ll be exciting enough to move onto another possibly larger project without dashing their hopes. Your ideas and slab pours are great. Glad you opened this idea up to RUclips. Thanks for commenting.
@@OfficialDogewarrior I get the impression you didn't watch CCL's third video (gator finish) where they answered all the questions. They go over the surfacing very carefully so you don't get a rocky surface. Why is it people have trouble with that???
I take it you’re not watching all the recent RUclips videos where average folks are showing their results and they all have surface stones in random unsightly areas along with discoloring due to improper roller and screeding? One try you get it right with my method. Perfection for the beginner. You can’t argue what’s being displayed on RUclips also the amount of people telling me they screwed up and wished they had seen my video before hand. I’m not knocking the Cajun couple. What they’re doing is great.
Thanks so much. I just learned this was possible for me to do on my own thanks to videos like this one. The pros wanted to charge me 4k, another 6k, for a driveway job. I'm an only parent to my kid. I can't afford to fatten some other guy's pockets. Gonna' dry pour myself for around $120 and see what happens.
I always had the idea but never tried until I saw your video. That's the way to go! Thanks!
I like it! It's very smart to top dry-pour with a little high-strength mortar that finishes better! However, you can get a much, much better finish on pure Quickcrete. (you were making a point, I get it!)
As someone who has used dry pour many, many times, it needs lots of moisture to set quickly and strongly. The ground should be wet or at least very damp. In a plastic tote, it will take forever to cure through and through and end up weaker unless you start with an inch of water. (still, no mixing needed!)
Dry-pour takes precisely the same amount of water to cure dry as it does wet, which is a fraction of what concrete companies use. But the point is, it needs moisture from every direction for a reasonably fast complete cure.
Great tips. Thank you!
I have never dry poured a slab, but I do paver stones all the time and it turns our really nice. No settling and weeds. Great video!
Awesome! Thank you! 💪
You gotta love YT! Great info! This is what happens when contractors over charge and get greedy. People find ways to do things. Sure I’m calling a contractor to build my house. No choice but not to pour my sidewalk. Not anymore. I had my asphalt driveway resurfaced last month. 3 quotes: $4000, $7600, and $14,000. This was unreal to see the price differences. Contractors will curse this method and tell you it won’t work, but it does.
You are spot on!!!!! Everything is soooo overpriced Nowadays. You have to start doing some things yourself. Thank you for watching.
Maybe you’re talking to the wrong contractors.
I plan to try this soon but I would do two things different. I have over 30 years of experience in using refractory castables in steel mills which are similar to Portland concrete. I believe you can get almost or full strength doing dry casting. The two things different is that I would not have the mortar that thick. I would have no more than 1 inch on the top. The other thing I would do is water the base that would help hydrate the cement faster from the bottom up and that could make the difference in getting full compressive strength on the concrete. I think if you did not use mortar, you could use a hand float when the concrete is dry and before misting and pat the surface in which would drive the fine part of the matrix to the top and bury the aggregate. I am going to try it both ways. I think this method can be improved further..... I can't wait to try....
Great tips! Thank you.
are you going to post a video
I was thinking if you were to vibrate it would it settle some of the stone down?
@@jeremyrock9305 It would and the fines would come to the top. Real fine dry bulk cements are hauled on tank trucks and unloaded with compressed air in pipe. With some vibration and a little air, fines in concrete will act like a liquid. They are said to be thixotropic.
One of these dry poor guys mounted a hand held electric sander to his screed board to vibrate the concrete like you mentioned
0:59 HELL YEAH!!! And us DIYer's are praising you!!! Thank you!!!
Thank you 💪
I do the same on my dry pour, but have not try any experimentation, love to see what happens on your experiment
I'm about to do a dry pour and I've decided to use mortar mix. Just as strong as concrete mix and no rocks. Seems pretty obvious to me??? Also the new fiberglass rebar seems perfect.
THAAAAANK YOU! I was just thinking about this, because I am going to do a dry pour coming off my deck. I recently filled a hole where I installed a pole light in my front yard, and noticed the rocks are definitely obvious on top. So I was just thinking of what I need to do to keep the rocks from not showing on top of my dry pour slab.
Hi Teddy that is awesome. I live in a climate that the temp drops below zero. What do you think will it hold up?
That looks really good. I used sand mix to finish the top of mine it came out better and easier than any wet pour I have done. A year later no cracks I drive my van on it no problem. If I do another one I will give the motor mix a go😊 Nice video.
I can't find this exact mortar repair in stock and we are on a time crunch so I ordered polymer modified structural repair...praying it works
This is the best cement dry pour DIY!!! Thanks, bro!!! 😎
Heck yeah. Appreciate you brother
The other dry poor method works fine, but indeed this looks like it would be easier to get a nice finish. Awesome!
Thanks for watching!
what a nice view while pouring concrete 😊
Love your video. As someone who works with concrete a lot and does dry pouring, what I usually do when I'm making something is I fill 3/4 of Quikcrete to a level of what I'm making. Then I finely sift and separate all rocks and put that powder layer on top, smooth out and mist. I eliminate 2 separate bags...
Brilliant. Thanks for the tip. I’ll definitely be trying it 💪💪
@@OfficialDogewarrior My pleasure. Keep those videos coming! 😊👌💥
Your method also avoids the problem of imperfect bonding between a concrete layer and mortar layer because of differences in pressure and expansion. Good contribution & method thanks for sharing. May I ask what kind of screen you use to sift and if you have noticed any difference in surface finish between different sieves?
@@georgemamouzellos4647 I use a sliding door screen. That way, I get the fine powder and use the rocks for other projects...
I appreciate your suggestion to use the mortar and will look into doing it that way, but I have been watching a LOT of dry pour videos and NONE of them look like your cement pour only side. One guy even shows how to do a similar pour as yours by sifting the cement to remove the rocks and use the leftover for screeding the top. I don't know what the PSI would be with this method but I would think it would be enough as long as your not driving on it or putting a lot of weight on it. Thank you for your suggestion with the 6000 PSI mortar, it might be the best way to go for the best finish.
FYI - could also tile the concrete - regardless of the finish - love the dog!
I think I might do a video on that!!! Great idea! Thank You👍
this seems so obvious now ... thank you for showing this!!!
Nice to see everyone coming up with this method after that one channel did it.
Awesome stuff
I agree, even with the rocky finish... its my sweat and tears, I extended my driveway 7ft on one side and 2.5 ft on the other and it cost me about 900 bucks and I have leftover materials... saved about 4k
Dang. How wide is your driveway. There are smaller contractors that will do a nice job for close to what you spent.
Ahhhhh I wish I had seen this before I did my slab! I somewhat did this but I only put it on certain parts that showed more rock. I should have done the entire top layer! Lesson learned. Thanks for posting
Thanks for watching! Glad to help.
OMG! Thanks for that tip. I'm totally finishing my 4' x 2' stepping stone path this way. I got so may rocks on my stones I was wondering what I was doing wrong. Maybe it's was because I'm using 1 x 2 firing strips for my forms. I got so tired trying to screen it smooth I gave up an left the rocks on top and thought I'd grind them down for a terrazzo look later. Now I think I'll just put the forms back on those and fill it in with the mortar powered. Excited to try the remaining stones with this new mixture. Thanks :)
Awesome. It definitely makes a huge difference in quality. Good luck and thanks for watching 🤘💪
Very nice! I asked the Cajun couple a question about their technique but never got an answer so maybe you can give me an answer. I have an existing sidewalk in front of my house that is cracked and uneven in places but good in other spots. Would it be possible to use your technique to resurface this walkway and if so what you think the depth of the mix would need to be? And if possible how could I anchor it to the existing surface?
The Cajun couple have a video on this topic.
Thanks for the Video I kept wondering why the concrete I put down kept having Rocks pointing out. I'll definitely try and add some mortar to the next bag I lay down.
Love your videos!! Question: At $19 for a 55lb bag, I am curious whether it's necessary to get the "Fastset," "rapid set" or otherwise named quick-dry mortar mix you used for this process, because regular Quikrete-brand mortar mix is much closer in price to the Quikrete-brand concrete mix. All the options make one's head spin, but my basic question is whether there is any benefit to paying extra for the quick-drying stuff when the whole point here is to take your time and water it slowly?🤔
Stay tuned for the video where I used exactly the brand you’re mentioning. It’s $7 and rated 1800 lbs. the top came out really nice. It has sand that surfaces but can be sprayed off. Overall it’s not as good but will definitely still work.
Thank you for a great video! I have a big project ahead of me and I am going to try this! Thank you again for a great video!!!
Awesome!! Good luck 👍
Wow, just perfect bro. Gives ideas on projects I was stock on because of aesthetics. Thanks.
💪👊
If you screed it enough, your finish is just fine with just concrete, but your way certainly looks way faster. Nice work.
Thank You👊💪
Love the video but I missed the water... you misted right? How much? How long? How many times?
At 4:38, he says "Let's get to the water"and right after that, he does. Done by 4:53.
It might help if you used the correct terminology. Cement is just... cement without the aggregate (rocks). Concrete is cement with aggregate (sand and gravel). Some people mix their own concrete by combining cement with sand and gravel. I notice you have a tendency to say cement when you mean concrete, and they are not the same thing. You could get the same effect by topping your concrete with pure cement instead of using mortar.
I’m showing the exact product in the thumbnail and in the video… quikrete which the terms are interchangeable considering all concrete contains cement. You’d have to be far behind the group not to understand.
@@OfficialDogewarrior You do show the products you use, but not everyone is going to use that brand or even be able to find it locally. You repeatedly call concrete cement, both verbally and in text when they are not the same thing and since you're trying to educate your viewers, that's another thing you could teach them.
Quikrete is a brand that sells a lot of different products, including mortar and portland cement. It is not synonymous with concrete.
@@OfficialDogewarrior Teddy, I am a casual DIYer. I've done a few small projects involving concrete (fence posts, tub support, floor-leveling). I have to agree with Jasper. There were a couple times in the video you mentioned "cement" and I got confused because I could see the bag was concrete. I had to rewind and watch a few times just to make sure I wasn't missing something. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that you were using "cement" and "concrete" interchangeably. You should try to be as specific as possible... especially if you're making this video as a tip for beginners as you indicated. We don't realize that you're saying one thing but meaning something else. Some of us are pretty far behind the group. Other that, I think your concept is great.
Both bags say "cement"
Bags are cement or cement with aggregate.
Not concrete.
Concrete mix is when water is added which causes chemical reaction.
Then just Concrete is the finished slab.
Can you put the mortar on after the cement is in day 2 of cure? 😬
How much water do you add the first time? Make it soupy?? Do I need to come back later and add more water ?
What color did you paint the dry pour slab by the pool? Looks 👍
Do you live in an area with winter freeze/thaw? Does the mortar layer stay attached?
Incredible! The vibe of these type of videos are absolute Zen like! Amazing TZ! Thanks!
Thank you brother. As always I appreciate you watching💪👊
I like the rough, natural look that you get when you use just the concrete mix. If you screed it correctly, the rocky look will be minimal. Now, if I was wanting that smooth and light grey/white look, I think this method would be the way to go.
Thanks for the insight. Im about to do a patio this way see how it goes and this is a cool way to get a nice finish
Thanks for watching! Best of luck !!
@@OfficialDogewarrior Thanks!
@@91Bronco 👊💪
About to do a dry poor and soooo happy I found this just before I poor!
Awesome!! Good luck 👍
pour is the word your looking for
@@MaxMorris-God maybe he’s callin budget pour.. poor 😀
This was a great video. Thank you for posting it. What would you say is the minimum required thickness for the mortar?
1/2 in to inch
I can't wait to see when the whole project is done.
Filming it all! Makes for a great RUclips channel 😂😂🔥🔥🔥🔥
Skipping the step of rolling with a long nap roller seemed intentional to make the left hand pour as rough as possible. Doing so would have made it MUCH smoother! However I love the idea of adding a bit of mortar mix on top!
How to fix wet pour that has rocky surface.! Customer doesn’t want to leveler. Grind it?
What is best way to seal cracks in my Driveway in California
if you would have shimmy the 2x4 across the cheap concrete the stone would have sunk I. an dust would hqve roadr to top making it way smoother than in the vid. I agree mortar is a cool thing to do. but try the 2x4 across top to level shimmy back an forth. then roller
Hi @officialTeddyZaneWARRIOR Interesting video. I'm looking into doing a dry pour as I am working by myself. I need to pour a 2" floor inside an existing metal building, which is my mom's chicken coop which has a very unlevel dirt floor where she has fallen twice already. So I got to take care of this problem. The building is12' x 16', so a fairly large floor for one person to do. I'm going to bring it up to grade with gravel, then pour my concrete on top. My problem is figuring out how to screed it...? As where you would normally ride a 2x4 on top of the outer forms for screeding/smoothing, I have walls in the way. Which means I don't have room to "saw" something back and forth. So with using your mortar method for the top layer, could I just use a pipe or etc, to "roll" it smooth? Or is there a better way? Also I don't see how I can do this large of a floor, inside of a building, in a single pour. So if I do it in 3 sections, approx one 5ft section a day, do you have any tips for adhering the sections? Or do I need some type of expansion joints?
Do it in sections that you can screed by yourself. Getting some help could be, um, helpful
I wish I would have seen this two days ago before I dry poured a section on my walkway 😢
That's the whole point of mixing your bag and pouring it wet and use your mag to bring the cream up and the rock down for bonding purposes and pretty in the top.
Concrete is mixed so that it all the materials is properly hydrated the one major concern I have with the dry pour is how do you know the water applied to the surface has made its way threw the slab and hydrated all the materials so that it all properly bonds together to reach the designed strength?
You don’t and it doesn’t reach the designed strength unless mixed
Ive read that mortor will not adhere to cement and do not do it, especially in cold climates. Is that not true?
think this would work for a 20X30 deck ? may install a pergola on it but for grilling and bbqing
Can you use Portland cement instead of the mortar?
Thanks for this video!! This was a much better suggested video than some clown (Day, It think) I watched trying to prove what a bad idea dry pour concrete is....bad idea for his business, I'm sure.
One of the problems ive seen with the numerous videos ive watched an this is my opinion i havnt dry poured yet but i do plan too...when ppl get ready to water the top for the first few times i think they misunderstand the word "mist" an just turn those hose down to sprinkle an it washes the top layer of powder off cause the water flow is too heavy.....
Can I add a layer of mortar after I did my dry pour? Mine looks terrible so I'd like to top it with mortar. Afraid it's going to crack off if I don't put a thick layer.
Yes you can go back and add the mortar later
Thank you for the videos! When do you apply broom texture? ...after first mist? Thx!!
You can’t broom dry pour. You just get what you get
@@justin5159 You can use a paint roller over the top
@@WhitneyWilger yeah, I’ve gathered that from watching videos on the process but unless you bring up a cream, it’s impossible to get an actual broom finish. Keep in mind I’m not bashing the drive for process. My response was merely stating that you cannot get a traditional broom finish without mixed concrete.
@@justin5159 that's interesting! I need to research what a broom finish is to see the difference. I am a new DIY'er and I assumed they would be similar but it sounds like the true finish isn't the same. Thanks for the extra bit of info!
Did you mention the dimensions? Did you mention the pour ratio? Does a dry pour work for surfaces thicker than 3"?
Hopefully Project Farms does a pressure test on dry pour
I’m doing a driveway now. Coming out awesome. Vid soon.
Think a topping of Portland cement would work just as well as the mortar mix?
I believe it would. It’s in mortar so it should work but not sure if it’ll be as smooth as mortar. Worth a try.
Worth saying: DO NOT USE PORTLAND CEMENT TO GET A SMOOTH TOP COAT. DOES NOT WORK!! Lesson learned (the hard way) 😂
@@markbutler2176 right on 🤘🤘
What type of paint did you use and color im looking for that exact color
6000 psi is a general term, in the perfect scenario. Your concrete can take 6000 pounds in 1 inch! Your pad is like 2300 inches. So, if evenly distributed, it could handle almost 14 million pounds, before it crumbled. If the edges were only supporting the slab and you put 5 tons only in the middle, it will probably crack. That's where thicker is always better
Awesome info. Thanks man.
Can I use high strength Sakrete or do we have to use quikrete to get this finish?
I like it. Instead of painting you could just add tint to top mortar, it will last longer so you won’t have to repaint.
Yes sir. Definitely a great idea. I just wanted it to stand out as crisp as our pool area.
@magncity What you means add tint ? You meant add concrete color or just brush the surface using Portland cement to smooth it out.
@@ramosochoa418 I’m guessing he means add directly to the mortar mix.
What kind of paint did you use? Color?
This looks like a good technique as it replicates pushing the aggregate down in conventional wet pour before troweling. Have you tried steel troweling it as in after the initial or second misting? Thanks!
Yes I did on a small scale and it came out amazing. I’m trying to shorten the work so I’m always searching easier methods for RUclips.
When you say smooth, are you not putting a broom over it as smooth would be very slippery when wet.
I really like this idea, but how does it affect the WATERING schedule? I'm going by the Cajun Country Living watering schedule. But when you mix in the mortar mix you're changing the makeup of the dry mix. Is adding mortar mix going to mean more water? How are you then spacing out your waterings?
Use the same watering schedule. Just remember there’s no such thing as over watering. The slab will drink what it needs and expel the rest. Even over the slab will continue to take in water.
@@OfficialDogewarrior The only thing I'd worry about is that the mortar is CSA rather than Portland , it's approximately 35% CSA cement and 65% soft sand. The top layer is curing really fast and accelerating the Portland based concrete below, I'd fear insufficient hydration of the lower portion of the slab and thus much reduced strength if you were to water it as typically is done. With the CSA you could likely do the initial mist, then shower it 20 minutes later and then drench it after another 30, etc it should really accelerate the curing process and if you didn't get substantial water in it wouldn't penetrate, I've seen videos where they did a dry pour with rapidset using the cajun country method and they didn't get complete hydration. Alternatively you could just mix half Portland half soft sand and use that for your topping you'll get the same 5000 to 6000 psi strength and smooth finish but it will cure much slower.
LOVE this idea, but just curious - doesn't the mortar make the slab really slippery when it gets wet?
No not at all. Especially if you draw lines with the broom too.
Most slippery concrete is just slippery shoes or algae growing on it from being in a damp place. If worried, lightly sprinkle a little fine sand on top before misting. After it dries a week or so, sweep off the loose sand and the concrete will be grippy.
@@Bob_Adkins nice. I love all these tips. Thanks you.
Do you just pour it over the top of the concrete mix or mix it throughout the whole thing? Also what's the best mixture ratio?
Thanks
No just the very top will be pure mortar. Thank you!
If you wet the ground/form and then fill half dry and mist with water then add the rest dry and skrit smooth then mist, you will get better finish with only cement
Awesome
Awesome! Thanks for the tips
Thanks for watching 👍
So smart, thanks man ur awesome!
Awesome 💪💪
How much water do you use on the top. I see you misting the cement, but how much is enough?
Once you mist a few times you can begin soaking. Soak as much as you wish. Once the top hardens to a crisp you’re ok to continue watering.
Misting… how do you know when you’ve added enough water?
After a few mins you can hit it with as much water as want. It’s impossible to over water concrete.
Hi! Love the vídeo.
Its a special kind off concrete to do the dry pour, or just normal concrete?
Thanks!
Yep just normal $7 concrete. Ty
Thank you!
Thank you!
Yeah I don't have that much money and I hate paying other people to do things I can learn or figure out how to do my self. Getting ready to start to create the boxes for the foundations. Much rather do it this way.
Me too!! Thank you.
I tried it but mortar on top does not seem to be bonding well if I rub it with my hand it comes loose. Don’t know what I did wrong
Nothing. What happens when people do dry-pour, is the water gets 'sucked' into the concrete or mortar right... But what doesn't happen is any mixing like wet-pour or correctly preparing mortar. That mixing turns the binder- cement into a creme that covers every grain of sand and aggregate piece. So when it sets, it's become one piece.
The only bonds in your dry pour are where the cement sucked in the water and by luck touched something else. That explains your loose mortar, his dry-pour 'chipping stones out' and the classic 'hollow' sound of dry-pour.
say you do 4inch thick slab 10x10 could you secure a gazebo or pergola structure to it with a dry pour
yes, it's rated for 6000 pounds, it'll def hold 4 posts. Once you build it, the weight should be pretty evenly distributed.
Is there any way to fix the cement pour? I did a dry pour and it was nearly impossible to get smooth so we have a rocky patio
Yes go back over it with the high quality mortar.
Walk on that after rain, when wet, slippery as glass. Okay if in a place only for show, needs some type of texture if in a place that will actually be used.
That was just an example. You’ll see in my other vids I run a broom across the surface to create textured lines for grip. Thanks for watching!
Yep, I'm thinking next pour I add a an inch of mortar on top.
Awesome. It’ll look so awesome
Do you use rebar in your pours?
Your technique using mortar (think brick or stucco mud) leaves a nice finish. That mortar mix is 1 part Portland cement to @ 3 parts of sharp sand.
And 6000 psi? Not one concrete finisher is using anything over 4000 psi concrete out of the ready mix truck. And to set the viewers straight, thats a 6000 psi or compressive strength of 6 thousand POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH. Thats extremely strong.
Right on! Great points made. Thank you!!
I like both with that said if u use a diamond plate over the 100% concrete it would be beautiful if that's what ur going for
Awesome. Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for that advice, but what is a diamond plate?
I have a pea gravel firepit area that I'm getting tired of pulling weeds. I'm thinking about trying the dry pour cement method. Should I use just concrete mix or both concrete and mortar or just mortar all the way? Thoughs and advice would be helpful. Thanks.
If you want the top super smooth with zero visible stones; Lay concrete on the bottom fill 75% then top it with Mortar the other 25%.. if you dont care how the top looks, you can go full concrete. Good luck!
use refreactory cement or you WILL have problems with cracking do to expansion. its also called fire clay based mortar. use as a plaster coat to the concrete to protect it from falling apart
@@davidroemer5879 great tip! Thanks!
Im interested in doing a driveway to support a 5th wheel camper an dually pickup idk lil scared to try
Go for it 💪
Can I use quikrete mortar instead?
I have no experience with this, like, at all, but I was wondering: Can an outside concrete surface be too smooth? Because I could just see me not being able to stay upright with a surface that smooth iced over.
Once you mortar the top take a broom and gently draw lines over the top. Still looks beautiful and creates great traction.
@@OfficialDogewarrior That's a fantastic idea, thank you!
You dont need mortar you just need a 2×4 and a sawing action across the top that sends the stones down and cement to the top.
Yes sir 💯💯💯💯💯💯
Whatever you are making, fill it up 3/4 then sift through the rest and separate the rocks. Throw the rest of the powder on top and start leveling then misting. Viola!
I use type S for my dry pours
3000 psi sounds good until you hit it with a sledgehammer. However, with a good hard base, I'm sure it will do quite well as long as it gets enough time plus water.
Strain out the rocks from the concrete and use as a top layer (just enough to cover the rocks) save the $19. YW
thanks for the video
I wish I had seen this video before doing my dry pour:(