Indy Total Construction

Placing concrete is not difficult. Big jobs and little jobs all require the same basic steps:

• Preparing the surface and setting up the forms

• Figuring the amount of concrete you will need

• Pouring and finishing the concrete

The ground under the concrete must be compact and free from standing water and tree roots. Concrete on soft, unpacked ground will crack in a very short time. If drainage is a problem, put down gravel first and compact it.

Close in the area with 2 x 4′s. Drive in a stake about every three feet. The poured concrete is heavy and will press against the forms. So they must be supported to hold up the concrete. Make the forms level or at a slight incline for drainage.

Before you start mixing the concrete, decide how much you will need. A four-inch thick slab is standard, especially in areas where the ground freezes. One 94 lb. sack of premixed concrete will make 1 cubic foot. For a 4-inch slab, you will need 1 sack for every 9 square feet. Multiply the length by the width to see how many square feet are needed.

A 4-inch piece that is 3 feet x 5 feet (15 sq. ft.) would require two sacks. Be sure to mix a little more than you think you will need. You can always pour the extra into a mold to make a block or ornamental flower pot. A light coat of oil on the forms will prevent the cement from sticking.

Excess concrete can be poured into a mold to make blocks or flagstones or even into a can or milk carton to make a planter.

When the ground surface is ready, set up forms for the concrete. Nail stakes in place every three feet so the forms will hold up against the weight of the concrete. Place a board across the tops of the.

Pour the concrete in place. Avoid carrying it and handling it. Fill the form and level off the top by running a board across the top of the forms.

Slide a shingle or run an edger along the inside of the form boards to work out bubbles and work the gravel in. This will give a better appearance to the edges.

When the concrete begins to set up (20 or 30 minutes) and the water film on top has disappeared, trowel the surface smooth. Avoid excessive troweling. Place a groove every two or three feet because sooner or later the concrete will crack and the grooves let it crack into neat squares. Use an edger or jointer to give a professional look to the grooves and edges and to prevent corners from breaking off.

Cover the finished concrete with plastic or wet straw. The concrete will be ready to walk on in two or three days, but don’t drive over it for at least a week. Keep heavy vehicles, like trucks, off for at least ten days.

When the concrete begins to harden, smooth the surface with a wood float and finish with a steel trowel. Avoid excessive troweling because it weakens the concrete and may make the surface too smooth. Finally, brush for a textured, non-slip surface.

Level off the concrete with a straight board. This is called screeding. Don’t try to get the surface smooth, just level.

Not too long ago, the only wall covering available was wallpaper. Today wall coverings are made of many materials other than paper. Fabric and vinyl are good examples. Some types are prepasted or have adhesive on the back. No matter which type you use, the basic procedures are the same. You will have to:

Measure

Prepare the wall surface

Prepare and hang wall covering

To find out how much wall area must be covered, measure each wall and multiply its width by its height. Adding the answers will give you the total area of the wall surface. Next measure the doors and windows. Find their total area by multiplying each one’s height by width and adding them together. Now subtract the total area of the openings from the total area of the wall surface. The answer is the wall area to be covered. Since one roll of wallcovering contains about 30 square feet, divide this number by 30. The answer is the number of rolls you will need.

Many do-it-yourself wallpapering kits contain all the tools you will need.

Before you begin, the wall surface should be clean and free from loose plaster and paper. Surfaces painted with enamel should be sanded to remove the gloss and assure good adhesion. Remove any old wallpaper. Use a steamer or wallpaper remover to lift the paper, and then strip it off.
New walls must be primed before covering.

The most difficult job is hanging the wall covering just right. Begin by attaching a plumb bob to the end of a chalk line. Measure the width of one roll (usually 231/2 inches) from the starting point and hang the plumb bob. Snap the chalk line on the wall. This line will serve as a guide for hanging the first piece.

Cover your table or work surface with several layers of newspaper and unroll the first strip of wall covering. Cut the first piece, allowing two inches of overlap at the ceiling and two inches at the floor. Unroll the next piece and place it alongside the first to match the pattern. Cut enough strips to cover one wall and number them on the back.

Spread paste on the back of the first strip. Be sure to leave no dry spots and pay special attention to the edges. Loosely fold up the bottom half, printed side out, for ease in carrying. Position the strip at the ceiling and smooth it with a brush, working from the center out to the edges. Unfold the bottom section and continue smoothing down.

If the old wallpaper is loose, if you are going to hang vinyl wall covering, or if there are several layers of wallpaper on your wall already, it is best to remove all the old paper before you hang the new paper. This can be done most easily by renting a steamer.

Be sure to work out all of the air bubbles. After about 15 minutes the top and bottom overlap can be trimmed with a sharp blade. To prevent getting paste on the next strip, remove the top layer of newspaper from the table before you apply paste to the next strip.

Other types of wall coverings may need to be soaked in water or the paste may have to be applied directly to the wall. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions or ask the person who sells the wall covering.

Two types of seams can be used to join wall coverings. The overlap joint is one in which the sheets actually overlap each other. When using overlapped joints, begin alongside a window and work away from it. This will make the joints less conspicuous. Butt joints are preferred by professionals.

The edge of each strip runs along the edge of the previous strip without overlapping. When using butt joints, begin hanging paper on the longest wall space without windows or doors and work around the room. For either type of seam, wait about 15 minutes for the paste to set and then press down with a seam roller. Carefully trim around electrical boxes.

Much valuable information is often printed in the margins of the wall covering, including trim marks, marks to help you match the pattern, mill run number and manufacturer. Be sure to buy enough wall covering at the start because you may have difficulty matching colors or patterns later.

Apply paste to the bottom two- thirds of the sheet and fold up carefully. Do not crease. Finish applying the paste and carry the folded sheet to the wall.

Brush wallpaper from the center out to the edges. Smooth out all air bubbles.

Trim overlap with a straight, even line. Wall covering joints are either overlapped or butt joints. Professionals prefer butt joints.