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1. Rip 12-in. hardboard siding to 6-in. widths, flex it to
the desired shape of your sidewalk and stake it down. Use marking
paint (upside down spray paint) to mark the ground next to the
form. To outline the sidewalk for digging, mark the unformed side
using a spacer block.
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2. Slice off sod with a sod cutter (rents for $16 a day),
then dig out the rest of the sidewalk path to a depth of 6 in. Dig
out about 3 in. wider on both sides of the paint marks to leave
room for forms. Set aside some topsoil to fill against the forms and sidewalk later.
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3. Pound in two stakes about 1 ft. from the ends of the
form positions. Screw the forms to the inside of the stakes with a
couple of 1-1/4 in. drywall screws. Bend the forms to make smooth
curves, anchoring them with more stakes every 3 ft. Keep the
tops of the forms about 1 in. above the cut grass height for easy
mowing and a nice appearance.
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4. Cut 18-in. lengths of form material and screw them to
the backside of the ends of the forms with 1-1/4 in. drywall
screws. The splice will smooth out the curves at butt joints.
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5. Space and level in the opposite form sides using a
homemade gauge board—just a 1x4 that’s a few inches
longer than the width of the sidewalk. Screw short blocks onto the
bottom spaced the same width as the sidewalk. Use this gauge board
to position the forms and stakes to keep a consistent width the
entire length of the sidewalk. Rest a 4-ft. level on top of the
gauge board to keep forms level from side to side. For better
drainage in long, level areas, drop this side about 1 in.
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6. Pack the underlying soil with a plate compactor (rental
costs $30 for four hours). It’s important to uniformly pack
the entire base (including the sides near the forms).
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7. Spread gravel 4 in. deep between the forms. Pack dirt
against the outside and gravel against the inside of forms to add
support when pouring and to achieve smooth curves. It’s not
necessary to compact the gravel.
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8. Cut off the stakes flush with the tops of the forms.
Park a helper on the end of the reinforcing mesh for ballast and
unroll the mesh, holding it down with your feet. Cut it to length
with a pair of bolt cutters. Flip the mesh over and pull one end
toward the other to back-bend it slightly to eliminate the natural
curl. Cut the edges of the mesh at least 3 in. back from the
forms.
CAUTION: Don’t lose an eye!
Mesh is wound like a spring. After you cut a length, it can leap back at you with steel fangs. Wear safety glasses and make sure you and your partner understand that neither of you steps off an end without warning the other.
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9. Overlap mesh layers at least 6 in. And join them by
either twisting cut ends around the next sheet or wrapping
wires on each 6-in. square.
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10. Hold the mesh 2 in. above the gravel with small globs
of concrete while pouring the sidewalk. Pour a few feet of
concrete, heaping it slightly higher than the forms. Don’t
shovel concrete; pull it back or push it forward with a steel
rake.
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11. Level concrete as you pour with a screed board (a
straight 2x4 about 1 ft. longer than the width of the sidewalk).
Rest the screed board on the forms and use a sawing motion while
pulling the board toward the end of the pour. Fill lower areas
with fresh concrete and repeat screeding over the same area.
TIP Let soft excess concrete that accumulates along the sides of the forms sit overnight. After it sets up, break it into carryable chunks for cleanup.
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12. Draw a bull float over the fresh concrete immediately
after screeding to force down aggregate and raise cream
(gravel-free concrete) near the surface for finishing. Work in the
opposite direction of screeding and push the bull float
away from you, slightly lifting the leading edge, then pull it
back while lifting the back edge.
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13. Wait until any bleed water disappears and hand float
the surface with a magnesium float, starting at the beginning of
the pour. Use sweeping motions, lifting the leading edge of the
float slightly.
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14. Round over the outside corners with an edging tool. Use
a back-and-forth motion in a 1- to 2-ft. area, lifting the leading
edge on each pass and working your way down the sidewalk edge.
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15. Cut in control joints every 5 to 6 ft. with a groover.
Plan your cuts by measuring the length of the pour and evenly
dividing it so all the segments are about the same length. During
the first pass, use a straight board held perpendicular to the
forms for guiding the groover.
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16. Gently rest the broom on the far side of the sidewalk
and slowly pull it toward you and off the edge of the form. Work
your way down to the end of the sidewalk, overlapping previous
sweeps about 6 in. If clumps of concrete start gathering or you
feel the texture is too rough, the concrete is still too wet to
broom. Go over broomed areas with the mag float to smooth out
marks, and try again in 15 minutes.
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17. Pull off the temporary bulkhead after brooming and lay
in expansion strips before continuing the next section if
you’re pouring two separate segments. Keep the top of the
strip even with the bottom of the rounded edge of the concrete. If
you’re doing the sidewalk in one pour, slip the expansion
strip into the wet concrete every 30 ft. and use the edger to
round concrete edges.
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18. The grayish-blue mottling on this concrete surface is
caused by the plastic contacting the concrete unevenly, especially
in direct sunlight. The mottling disappears eventually.
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