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Concrete step molds
Now that I know my tractor is on the way, the list of projects from my Wife is growing. One thing she would like done is to put in a walk from the back deck to the walk out basement and also to the barn. I had looked at the 18" square molds that you can purchase and then use quick set concrete in. It is molded to look like stones. Has anyone used these before? If so, how well did they work, were you satisfied with the end result? Does it hold up to foot and lawn mower ( soon tractor ) traffic? Meaning if I lay down a base of stone and then set the molds. After all has set up, will it handle being driven over as I cut the lawn on both sides? Any feedback on these would be appreciated. Thanks
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Concrete step molds
A friend tried them, since you can only pour a few at a time it takes a loooooooong time to get enough to make much of a walk.
In most cases the cost of buying them is low enough it's not worth screwing around with pouring your own.
Best of luck.
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Concrete step molds
I'd have to agree with Murf on that one. I helped my brother pour some of those and it took forever and they shifted too much even with a base of stone. You could either go with walking stones or pavers if you didn't want to go for the solid concrete walk.
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Concrete step molds
That is what I wanted to know. I mean they looked like a good idea to have a stone look to your walk, but I think I will look at doing some kind of premade pavers instead. I don't really want to go with just a straight poured walk, as Being that this summer I will actually be home, we are planning to do alot of the landscaping and design on the yard and I am hoping to give the walk a more pleasing look then a squared out poured walk.
Thanks for the feedback
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Concrete step molds
Have a look around your area, there are a bunch of concrete contractors around now doing "patterned concrete".
Some bigger rental shops rent the molds also.
Basically they pour a slab then when it is firm but still maleable they lay the rubber moulds on top and run them over with a plate tamper. The end result is the best of both worlds, simple poured concrete, patterened to look like almost anything, brick, stone, cobbles, you name it.
Best of luck.
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Concrete step molds
I've seen that on some home repair shows, but I think after the wife agreeing to buy a CUT, I would be hard pressed to justify hiring a contractor to do this job. This was just one of many projects she has on the list for the tractor. Moving stone and concrete/moving the dirt that was taken out for the stone Etc etc. I am in no rush to complete this. I figure I do a little when ever I have time and am out playing on my new tractor doing something else. It will be a good long term project. Thanks for the idea though. I may look into seeing if you can rent the mold. Then do all the prep and stone work in advance. Then just have them bring in a truck load of concrete and go that route. Time will tell
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Concrete step molds
My wife's family does a lot of concrete work and I was talking to one of her cousins and he was telling me about a driveway they did with those stamps. They poured the concrete and then used some type of dye to color it and then stamped it into the stone look. The driveway was over 400' long. He said it seemed like forever finishing the job.
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Concrete step molds
I am a concrete products manufacturer in CT, My grandfather started the business over 42 years ago. The molds for an 18"X18" patio block can cost upwards of $50 for a quality one. The cost of a manufactured 18"X18" block from a manufacturer should not exceed $5 each. About $2.25 per square foot. The stamped concrete walks and driveways are unusually stressed by compacting the molds into the wet crete, causing premature cracking. The best way to install a slab or paver walkway would involve a 6"-8" compacted base of 3/4" processed gravel, followed by no more than 1" or either angular sand or stonedust, followed by the blocks, with a restraint edging spiked into the ground next to the blocks to prevent migration outwards. If anyone would like detailed installation information on this project I would be glad to mail literature to anyone.
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Concrete step molds
I was told or read somewhere that you should not put pavers on stone dust, only on sand. That natural stone was OK on Stone dust, due that stone dust got to hard after copaction and could cause unven surface and hence stress cracks.
Then again you can't always believe everything you read. I prefer stone dust over sand, as ants do not build tunnels in stone dust like they do in sand.
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Concrete step molds
There are two thoughts on screed courses, sand and stonedust. Most major manufacturers will admits that either will work as well as the other. Most contractors in the Northeast agree about the ants, as well as I.
As far as the cracking with stonedust, pavers are made to a psi of 8000-10000. They are made on high-pressure, "Big-Board" machines. Blocks that are made on regular "Block Machines" are nothing more than a cement block, shaped differently and colored, around 4000-4500 psi.
A properly prepared compacted base, with uncompacted stonedust about 1" deep or less, followed by compacting directly over the paver will result in a pavement system with superior strength and drainage than any other pavement system.
Personally, I prefer stonedust.
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