I drove a concrete truck for my summer job when I was going to college. I pulled up to many job sites that poured steps. I didn't ever see one that size where they used pure concrete. I saw everything from hay bales to dirt used as filler for the steps. Some even used wood for the filler and sacrificed it. If you used rebar on every step level, and some vertical rebar on the sides, a good foot of concrete should be plenty, especially in a place where frost is not an issue, like it is here, two hundred miles south of Canada. If you are worried about strength, go 1.5 feet. It would have save your back and a lot of money. I have used your system on two patio slabs and it has worked great. keep up the good work!
@@CajunCountryLivin No Problem ---- also, I used a reciprocating saw as my vibrator for the sides. Take the blade out and put the foot on the forms ---- it might just help you avoid some of those rough spots you had. Works just like a concrete vibrator only from outside the forms.
Hay bales and wood as filler is about the shottiest work I’ve ever heard of 😂 (hay and wood rot for those that don’t know that’s a big no no leaveing anything that can rot under the pour as when it does the concrete will crack and sink) dirts fine if compacted that’s standard.
Okay...but what form was used to hold the hay, wood, dirt that did not rot over time. If the form is not made of concrete or brick...the guts would spill out over time from wood rot.
I did my 16'x24' house, same size screened in porch, and same size carport. My house is on 4 cinder blocks and porch is at the same height on 4x4 posts. I poured it 2" everywhere except where my truck drives on the carport. There its 3.5" thick. Took over 500, 80ib bags of concrete. I poured them in 4'x16' sections, over 2yrs. This year I pour my last slabs for a 12'x16' screened in porch addition in (3) slabs of 4'x16'x2"
Love it! Helped a friend do his driveway last year and there has been zero issues with it. Had a neighbor come by during the process and told us why it wouldn't work and there is now a dry poured walkway in his backyard 😂
I wish I could add photos I just did a 15 foot path with rock landscaping on sides, and steps thanks for making these videos. I had no idea I could do this at 46yrs young
I knew it was gonna be good with the tissue box! Y'all rock, dry pour saved me big time to do a couple AC pads... I tell people about it and they give me a hard time, I can only imagine what you get!
You two truly ARE the Pioneers of Dry Pour Concrete. At least the first to really show us how to do it on RU-vid. Those turned out amazing just like your other projects.
YES!! I would totally love to see a video on how you built the forms. We have some steps we have to replace, and I would love to try our hand at building our form and pouring ourselves.
It definitely works compared to a quote i got from a few companies fro. 7k to 13k cost me 2500, and i stained the color i wanted . Made the sides look like rock and was cheaper and better! Looks like old timers and hvac guys are starting to lose work. Welp its their fault for gouging so many people. Looks like old times is catching up. 😆
Dry pour and wet pour both work great. Wet pour tends to be 25% stronger, less chipping, and just less issues all around, but if you know what your doing, dry pour works just fine. Good job all around on these steps
U guys are very likeable. That dramatically helps keeping the haters at Bay. Stairs turned out awesome. Am wondering if the core of the stairs will ever cure and if it even matters. Would love to see a 5-year follow-up video. Keep up the good work.
Jim I'd love to see how you built the forms. A video will be great.. I actually need to build a small step off the back of my home. This gives me more options. Great work as usually guys.. What may also be an interesting video is how you determine how many bags of concrete you need..
For anyone doing steps this large, I suggest a "Back-Cut" at 45 degrees to reduce the amount of concrete. You can add 6 or 8 inch tubes vertically for footer type supports at the rear. Probably would have saved you about half of the concrete. Also a front reverse stair stringer down the center line to keep the steps from bowing out as they did a little. Great job y'all!
Please help me understand the benefit to this (labor, costs, strength) because I just don’t see it. A pallet of concrete (45 80lb bags) is a yard. You had two pallets so two yards of concrete. Where I live a 90 bags of concrete delivered is close to $500, if I pick it up myself in 3-4 trips in my F150 I can get it for about $450. I can order a concrete truck with two yards of concrete for $300. So I can get a stronger set of stairs cheaper, quicker, better looking and easier. The form and the finishing is not much different than what you did. Again this makes zero sense to me.
Im with you but the cost where im from was 560 for the truck to drop it of we mixed with a drill mixer about 70 bags at 3.8 a 60lb bags so around 280 for the bags
I was wondering the same thing. I understand doing a dry pour especially if it would be difficult for a truck to get too. But if a truck is able to deliver it and pour easily the costs will be cheaper in the long run. Where I live at a yard of concrete is $125 a yard. Buying 42 bags of 80lbs a bag will cost $252 so twice the price.
I live in south Louisiana also. Concrete is right at $120/yard where I am and the companies won’t deliver only 2 yards. You have to order a full truck. That could be the reason or they just wanted to make a video showing it is possible to do it this way if you wanted too. 🤷🏼♂️
Bro, where do you live that you can get 2 Yards of concrete delivered for $300. In my area they won’t even start the truck for less than $1000 and you can’t only buy 2 yards because most of the trucks are 10 yard trucks. 😊.
Good job and innovative use of dry pour. I would have built a wedge shaped form maybe two feet in on all sides to create a void to reduce the amount of concrete needed.
I loved your ending comments. One of the greatest things I learned from my dad was to not be afraid to do a project. You can do the project as well as and many times better than a professional and the mistakes are your mistakes because you own it!
I’m thinking about doing a 4” small patio at my back door! I’m going to try this method! Thank you for sharing Lydia and Jim! 🙏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👌🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙋🏼✌🏻✌🏻💯💯💯
That there was extremely educational and totally awesome dry pour video!! Great great Job Lydia and Jim!!! Y'all rock this project out of the park!! 👏👏👍👍🎉🎉 Looking forward to next video!! Excited to see what's next with upcoming projects. Finishing the house, the patio, the storage container barn, and maybe a fancy dog house build would be cool to see. 😁 So, enjoy seeing y'all what ever y'all come up with!! 💖💖💛💛🥳🥳
You convinced me. I've been looking at a slab project for 2 years and have been afraid to start due to not having mixers and helpers. I've been greatful for your videos and am presently cutting lumber for forms. I can certainly do dry pour by myself. Where can I find your water in schedules. They seem to be acceptable for success. Thank you for your time producing these videos!!!!!
This is amazing!! You two should come to Texas and pour the driveway out on our ranch so that we dont have to use kleet anymore. Looking forward to more videos. 🙂
@@CajunCountryLivin If I would have known that I would have put off our deck(patio) pour and saved a lot. I think it would have been a pleasure for my wife, a Cajun twice removed, to have done some cooking for y'all.
Could you use some cinder block under the rebar/metal panels to fill some of the space? Would it affect the integrity of the stairs? Love ❤️ your videos. So thorough and helpful to us folks with no building skills.
The steps look impressive. I couldn’t wait to see the finished product ❤😮 I’m honest I had my doubts, but yeah they are really good ❤ until the next video ❤
Love the dry pour method! Just curious about that top step not meeting the wood decking. Will the wood decking be changed to meet the new top concrete step elevation?
I havent sent a photo of the dry pour project i did. I learned how to do it from you guys ans i did a 60ft walkway stamped with a cobblestone stamp. It came out amazing!
I like the dry pour. Switch between dry pour and wet mix Depending on what finish I want. Dry pour for ramps, aprons and walkways perfect for a none slip courser finish. Wet mix for smooth finish when I am sliding around on my back to do auto and machinery work. A good coat of epoxy paint helps. You can dry pour and add an inch of wet mix on top which works well. Try different ways to see what you like best.
My husband and I love to watch y’all. Your little girl is an absolute angel. Keep doing what y’all do best. After watching your videos we are going to dry pour the slab for our cook shelter and I can’t wait until it’s complete. Much love and prayers Shirley aka Country 2 Coast!
OK, I didn't hear it in this video and I've only watched a couple of your other videos on dry poor, so since I'm not seeing it in any of the comments... Would there not be a benefit laying a layer and then spray it with water, and then lay some more layers and spray again... building layer by layer?
If you spray your form with an oil, can even use cooking spray, it helps the form release from the concrete. Also, something that heavy needs a packed base of gravel under it. If not, the steps will sink into the mud when it rains
That's quite the monolith. It's not the most efficient way but if you're happy with the result and the cost and you feel confident with the process then why not? Nice job. Where does the dog sleep now?
Hi Jim and Lydia, I missed my Cajun family! I trust all is well with you both and Ladley ❤ We have had a lot of heat here in the Central Valley also - 105° - 112° for the past 3 weeks or so. But the big difference is we don't have the humidity like y'all do. This was a bold project, but I never doubted my Cajun family for a second. It turned out great! I was a bit off with my guess on the number of bags - I was at 107 bags. I'm sure you are still busy working with your elected officials and leaders trying to make a difference with Dashers Law. I'm sure the momentum you created is still going and encourage you to continue to fight the good fight. Jim and Lydia, you two have hearts of gold, kind and caring. I am honored and feel fortunate to feel as though you two are my friends 🤗 Have a blessed week and keep doing what you are doin'. Larry, Central Valley, Ca.
I am not a hater nor am I crying but I am considering doing a dry pour slab in the 8x12 range for a cinder block swimming pool I plan to build. It will be half way in ground meaning it will be say 2ft below ground level and about the same amount above ground level. I have watched many of your videos and I have watched many others and I have seen some people do it like you and then cut it into and find that while it did get wet and set all the way thru it cracked and crumbled much easier than a wet pour. It did not seem to me like they were dry pour haters but were more hopeful that it would do great. The only thing that I noticed that might be different between what you do and what they did is a slight difference in watering it. They did mist and the sprinkle many times and then let it sit for a long time before removing the forms. This does not give me a good feeling about this way because if it works well enough to make me think it is good but then doesn't hold up after the water is added or begins to fail 3 years later it will be a very big loss of money and time plus the cost of demolition to get rid of it. Do you think that the way you water it is so critical that if you do it just a slight bit different it would make the concrete less strong or less durable? Thanks for all your videos.
I wish I could dry pour my patio, but I only have a little car and would probably only be able to haul 2 bags at a time 😂. It would take me over a month to get all the concrete I'd need 😢 I need one of those tissues!! Lol
It looks good! You both did a great job! Just wish there was a landing pad so they wouldn't have to walk through the dirt when at the bottom of the steps.
Beautiful set of steps! I was very nervous about pulling off the sides because I was afraid there would be uncured powder under the plywood! Never underestimate the curing power of Louisiana humidity!
I am probably going to try a dry pour on my next backyard walkway project - I am not very good at concrete finishing by the look of the paths I have done so far. On the steps, I would love a follow up video that shows the back and a core drill to test the water penetration through the entire mass, but give it a full month first to be fair.
I'm a retired precast concrete manufacturer. Concrete is cheap compared to other products. It's not how much your pour, but how you pour it. The secret is in the mold. Build a step tread 1 1/2 x 12 x however long you have the ability to lift and set
So cool, I have been waiting for a step video. I need to have 2 steps made to the front door. I'd prefer concrete, but the price is way too much for me. Your video proves it can be done.❤
Looks awesome! any concern on that plywood rotting on the back? I wonder if you could paint on a water barrier like they do in showers to keep that wood from absorbing moisture on any wood you are leaving in contact with the concrete? or is this just over thinking it?